Bridal Suite Checklist: 30 Essential Items That You Need

There are so many items that are needed in the bridal suite in the morning of your wedding – whether it’s related to your outfit, to emergency situations or just to make the ambience more enjoyable. It’s best to have a list of items so you can be organised and prepare in advance.

Here are our 30 recommended items that to have in the bridal suite for a smooth, relaxed day. 

Essential Items For The Bridal Suite Related To Outfits

1. Hanger for brides dress – wooden or light coloured

Not only does hanging up your expensive and gorgeous dress keep it wrinkle-free, but it’s also a photographers dream. We’ve all seen those classic Getting Ready photos in the bridal suite of that stunning dress hanging up. 

We recommend hanging it up all day to avoid damage. Use wooden or light-coloured hangers as they’ll make for beautiful photos versus darker hangers. Aim to leave the dress in an area with natural light for better photos, however your photographer should handle this for you anyway when taking photos.

2. Brides dress

A no-brainer but there’s no harm saying it – your wedding dress should be in the bridal suite. As mentioned, it makes for great photos, but also it means less faffing around when it comes time to get dressed.

We also think that having the dress hanging up while Getting Ready really makes it all feel real and exciting!

3. All bridal accessories

In the same vein, ensure that all the bride’s accessories are in the bridal suite: veil, shoes, jewellery, gloves etc. Not just for the practical reasons of getting dressed there, but so that the photographer can take lots of pretty shots with the accessories. 

4. Robes

We’ve all seen photos of the bridal party wearing matching silk robes. As much as they might seem like it, they are not a frivolous, unnecessary purchase. Getting Ready robes serve an important purpose: Your bridal party will likely spend hours getting ready and if everyone is wearing different outfits (before putting on their dresses), the Getting Ready photos can look really messy.

It’s unlikely everyone in the bridal party will turn up in a gorgeous Getting Ready outfit so give them one less thing to think about and organise robes or something similar. 

It makes for great photos and builds up a fun atmosphere. 

Just-In-Case Outfit Essentials

5. Steamer

A portable steamer is an absolute must in the bridal suite. You can quickly steam the bride’s dress (or anyone’s outfit from the bridal party) so no one goes out with a crinkled outfit. 

We highly recommend steaming the bride’s outfit the night before so that it is dry and there are no damp patches on the day of the wedding. 

Pro Tip: Make sure the groom’s party has access to a steamer too. Ask your venue in advance if they have a steamer so you don’t have to buy one yourself. 

6. Veil weights

This is a hack that not many know about – buy veil weights for your wedding day especially if your wedding is outside on a windy day. When you’re walking down the aisle, the last thing you want is for the wind to blow your veil all over the place and even potentially off! So have veil weights in your bridal suite ready to clip on if needed.

7. Chalk

Chalk is a low-cost and easy way to hide last-minute stains on the wedding dress. Ensure the chalk colour matches the dress though! Using white chalk on an ivory dress won’t be a good match, so choose off-white chalk if needed.

8. Eyelash Glue

Eyelash glue can come in handy if the bride is wearing a necklace with a pendant that slides around. If you want the necklace to hang perfectly symmetrically all day, it’s a great idea to use a little bit of eyelash glue to secure it against the bride’s chest. 

9. Double sided tape / boob tape

Whether it’s for the bride or someone else, having double-sided boob tape can be a life-saver. Make sure everyone is feelings as comfortable as they can be in their outfits. No nip slips on the wedding day, please! 

Bridal Suite Beauty Must-Haves 

10. Ring light 

Your hair or makeup artist might bring this themselves but it’s always handy to have your own ring light in the bridal suite. It can make the HMUA’s job much easier having a well-lit space – particularly helpful if there isn’t much natural light in the Getting Ready area. 

If you’re into making fun TikToks/reels, it’s a helpful prop to have. If you love having the result of cute trending videos but don’t want the stress of executing them – hiring a wedding content creator is a fabulous idea. They’re also there to take plenty of BTS organic content throughout your day too, and usually deliver the content to your phone within 24 hours of the event. Get that instant gratification while you wait for the professional photographer and videographer content. 

11. Touch-ups

Whether you’re using a professional hair and makeup artist or DIY-ing it, make sure that you have products for any touch-ups needed. Oftentimes, the bride isn’t the last one to finish hair and makeup, so there’s waiting time between being ready and going out to the ceremony. In the meantime, for example, you might be sipping on some bubbly or having a snack. You might need some lip touchups after that so be ready!

12. Tweezers

You never know when a stray hair might decide to pop up so pack tweezers in to the emergency fit. No one wants a thick chin hair appearing in your wedding photos.

13. Nail file

The bride will likely have her nails done prior to the wedding day, looking like perfection. However, as we all know, a chipped nails can happen at the worst of times. Save the day with a nail file in the bridal kit to shave down any chipped nail. 

Hygiene Essentials For Wedding Morning

14. Deodorant

The nerves of the day might get to the bride in more ways than one – one being sweaty pits! Have deo on hand to put on throughout the day. Ensure that it’s not coloured in any way so it doesn’t stain the dress.

15. Contact lenses

If the bride wears contact lenses, make sure there’s a spare set in the bridal suite. You never know when a replacement might be needed and walking down the aisle isn’t exactly the ideal time to be dry- or blurry-eyed.

16. Floss

Keep dental hygiene products on hand as the brides pearly whites need to look just that – pearly white! We hope she’ll be eating during the Getting Ready phase so naturally a quick floss and brush is needed before heading out for photos. And since she’ll be planting one of her soon-to-be-spouse at the ceremony, a fresh mouthwash won’t hurt!

Emergency Kit Checklist For Bridal Suite

17. Tampons/pads

If you know your period will be during your wedding, obviously menstrual products are a must! However, sometimes Aunt Flo shows up unexpectedly or for those who have irregular period cycles – have some tampons and pads ready to go!

18. Foot numbing spray

This hack might just save your day! Foot numbing spray is particularly useful for those wearing uncomfortable or high heels all day but want to feel comfortable.

19. Blister bandaids 

If you’re one to always get blisters and cuts when wearing heels, then stock up on bandaids! We love Compeed – they stay on all day, don’t move out of place and have a protective cushioning effect. We always say that prevention is better than cure, especially when it comes to foot blisters! So apply these preventive bandaids before any blisters start to form and ruin your day. 

20. Needle and thread

You never know when a button will pop off or a thread will come loose – so have an emergency sewing kit (and someone who knows how to sew!) nearby. 

21. Safety pins

A safety pin can come in handy especially if the group lacks an emergency seamstress! There’s nothing a good safety pin can’t fix. 

22. Ibuprofen

We always recommend having an emergency health kit on hand too. With the stress of the day, it’s common for the bride to get a headache or upset stomach so top up on things like Ibuprofen and antacids.

Photography Must-Have Items In The Bridal Suite

23. Instant camera

As much as your wedding content creator and photographer have got it covered, it’s always a fun addition to have an Instant Camera or Polaroid camera in the bridal suite. Having enough film for everyone in the bridal party to go home with a few photos is also a great souvenir. 

Don’t forget that your wedding content creator can handle taking those photos if needed.

24. Brides bouquet and boutonnieres 

Another potentially obvious one but it should be stated that the brides bouquet along with any boutonnieres should be in the bridal suite. Again, not just for putting on but also for the photographer to use in photos. 

25. A copy of the invitation suite

This is specifically for the photographer as it’s a beautiful prop to have for photos taken during the Getting Ready time. 

We recommend asking a bridesmaid to carry the key touch-up products in her purse all night so that you have it on-the-go.

26. All the rings

It’s important to have your engagement ring, wedding band and your partner’s too. This is so the photographer can take images of these 3 important pieces. It’s also helpful to have them all in the same place so nothing gets displaced and the ring bearer knows exactly where to go to pick them up.

Other Necessary Things In The Bridal Suite

27. Fan / AC

We’ve been to weddings where the bridal suite doesn’t have AC and everyone is feeling clammy and overheated. It can feel particularly irritating for the bride when she’s getting dressed as most wedding dresses are pretty thick and heavy! Bypass any stresses like that by ensuring the venue has AC or fans. 

28. Water and food

The day will fly by, especially for the bride with everyone demanding her attention. So have plenty of water and food in the bridal suite. Ask bridesmaids to ensure that the bride is hydrating enough and eating enough before the day really kicks off. Prepare the food orders ahead of time so no one is scrambling to put together meals.

29. Device to play music

A Getting Ready playlist is an absolute must for the wedding morning. It gets the vibes going! For such an important day, we suggest bringing a high quality portable device instead of just playing off someone’s phone.

30. Umbrella

We’re always praying to the weather gods for a sunny, rain-free day but a backup plan is always needed! Even if you’ve got a Plan B indoor option, it still might require going outside to reach it. Have at least one umbrella in the bridal suite just in case.

Pro tip: If you’re terrified of rain on your wedding day, always, always have a backup plan. But also remember that photographers actually love cloudy sky days as the lighting for photos is much more picturesque and less harsh! Silver linings! 

Got Your 30 Must-Haves For The Bridal Suite?

There you have it, 30 items to have in the Bridal Suite on the morning of the wedding. Stock up on these things to ensure a stress-free, smooth wedding morning. 

Getting married in Spain or Italy and looking for a wedding content creator to capture your day? Get in touch with Love Stories Content to find out more. We are there to take the pressure off your guests to take iPhone content, and send you 1,000s of images and videos within 24 hours of your day.

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