9 Things Every Bride's Checklist Should Have ...

What’s a bride without her gorgeous wedding outfit right? And don’t forget the half a dozen other outfits required for all the pre and post-wedding celebrations. Make sure you get fitted for all your wedding related clothes at least two months before D-Day. This way your designer or tailor will have enough time to get any alterations made well in advance and you won’t go into panic mode three days before the wedding because you didn’t put your wedding clothes on priority on your bride’s checklist.

Many a bride has been ruined by terrible makeup. You do not want to be one of those brides, now do you? Identify a good makeup artist as soon as the wedding date is finalized. Get trials done in the months leading up to the wedding so you know whether you’re comfortable with your look and in case your skin reacts to the brand of cosmetics used, you’ll have enough time to deal with it. Experiment with different looks to know what will suit you best. Give your makeup artist the color palette you’ll be wearing well in advance so that your makeup can be done accordingly.

Yes, shoes might seem very insignificant in the bigger picture of wedding planning, but as a bride, you need to pay special attention to your footwear. You’re going to have to spend hours standing and smiling at people at your wedding reception. And if you wear a brand-new pair of high heels that day, your feet are going to hate you for inflicting that kind of pain on them! So spend a little time thinking of what kind of foot wear you want for the various wedding events and try out various styles to get the best fit and look for you. Get them a few months in advance and when you have the time, walk around in them for a while to break them in and avoid shoe-bites on your important days!

You’ve probably already decided what your look will be on your wedding day, right down to the last hair on you head. But to execute that look, you need to make sure your bride’s checklist includes finding someone to do your hair just the way you want it. It’s always better to get this done months in advance so you have enough time to experiment and try out different hairstyles. And make sure you confirm your dates and bookings a few weeks before the wedding!

No matter how well prepared and organized you are, things have a tendency of going wrong at the last minute. Murphy says so. And so you need to put together an emergency kit for such an eventuality. Start with several extra bunches of safety pins (excellent for holding a torn hemline, a veil that won’t stay put and even a broken shoe strap). You’ll need extra hairpins, a lipstick that matches your outfit, wet and dry wipes, Q-tips, some Band-Aids (I’ve found them very useful in case of unexpected shoe bites) and anything else you think you might need last minute. And make sure you hand this kit over to a trusted friend who’ll stick with you through the whole evening and not vanish just when you need a safety pin!

This might be unusual, but I’ve found that keeping a small medical kit accessible, especially during the actual wedding celebrations is very helpful. Paracetamol tablets (for those unexpected headaches), antacid (for those acidity attacks), Band-Aids, cotton (always useful), any prescription medicines you might be on (so that you don’t forget to take them in the hustle bustle of the wedding), some pain-relief ointment or spray (for those aching legs and back), any allergy medications you’ve been prescribed (you really don’t want to break into an uncontrollable sneezing bout on your wedding day do you?) etc. Once again, give this to a friend or sister who will be on demand on the days of the wedding festivities.

Yes, brides aren’t known for their eating habits. In fact most brides-to-be will go on severe diets in the weeks leading up to the wedding. But I’d suggest you remember to eat at regular intervals. Getting married is a tiring job and you need your energy. You’re going to be sleep deprived anyway. You don’t want to get dizzy and weak from lack of food at the wrong times and worry everyone, least of all your groom. So might as well enjoy your wedding because everyone knows that the food is always the best thing at weddings. After the bride of course!

In all the planning and preparation for the wedding it is very easy to forget to plan for immediately after the wedding. You need to remember to pack a small overnight bag for yourself because you really can’t spend the rest of your life in your wedding dress right? Nowadays most people spend the wedding night in a fancy hotel so you just need enough for one night. Carry a change of clothes, some (sexy) nightwear, your toiletries (remember to put in your makeup remover and toothbrush) and a comfortable pair of shoes. Believe me, you’ll thank yourself for putting this on your checklist.

Since most newly-weds will leave for their honeymoon immediately or in a day or two after the wedding, the smart thing to do would be to pack your suitcase in advance. You really don’t want to spend your first couple of days as a new bride packing! So get all your new holiday clothes packed. Don’t forget the sunscreen and hats if you’re going to a sunny place. Also, scrambling around for your passport a few hours before your honeymoon is not a good start to a vacation right? So make sure you locate your passport and all other travel documents and keep them somewhere safe and accessible before the wedding.

Getting married is a tiring job really. So many things go into making the bride look her gorgeous best on the happiest day of her life. And to make sure that everything works as it is meant to, and you’re not forced into becoming a panicky bride at the last minute, get your bride’s checklist together and prioritize what needs your maximum attention. Maybe you’re a new bride yourself and have some more things to share that need to be added to a bride’s checklist?