The majority of the brides we work with in New Jersey do not splurge on a wedding planner. In fact, in the three years we’ve been doing this, I’ve NEVER worked a wedding where there was a Wedding Planner present. That seems to just be the way Jersey Bride’s do things and that’s okay! What is not okay to me is when things go wrong and no one is there to help us fix it. There is always something bound to happen at any part of a wedding day and this can vary between little things like we need a bobby pin to hold hair in place from some crazy wind to there’s a stain on the dress. Luckily, we’ve done enough of these weddings to know that we are the ones that need to come prepared. Photographers are with Brides & Grooms the most out of all the vendors on a wedding day and so it only seems right that we are the ones prepared for all emergencies that may happen on a wedding day!

I thought it’d be fun to take a look at the things we carry in our bags with us on a wedding day for our Brides & Grooms. I should admit that the adorable bag in these photos is NOT the bag I carry with me on a wedding day. We actually carry Shoot Sac’s with us, which make our lives SO MUCH easier. It’s best for us to easy access our lens’ but still holds all of these items for us. This adorable camera bag is from JoTotes and it’s actually the bag I bring with me to client meetings and engagement sessions! (Can I admit without you judging me that I have a THIRD camera bag as well, specifically for traveling?? Addiction much?) I may have strictly photographed this bag for this post because let’s be honest, it’s WAY cuter than my ShootSac. Sorry ShootSac, I still love ya! 😉

These are practical little things that we carry around on the wedding day and while it serves a purpose for our brides, it also is a BIG help for us. It makes what we do so much easier when we carry around these products.

1. COMFY SHOES! Jose and I both make sure to wear shoes we are 100% comfortable in. Comfy, worn-in shoes will ensure we can stand on our feet for 10 hours and be totally fine! (My nude flats are from Target, by the way!)

2. CLEANING CLOTHS! We deal with our cameras and lens’ so much during the day, it can easily get smudged or dirty in any way. We both make sure to carry these so we never have to deal with smudged lens’.

3. BLISTER STICKERS! lol that’s what I like to call them 🙂 These can be useful for me but mostly, are useful for my Brides, Bridesmaids & moms. Sometimes they wear very uncomfortable shoes and while I always make sure to tell my Brides to bring along comfy shoes for photos, you feet will STILL hurt if a blister is starting to form. I make sure I have these on hand to help ease the pain.

4. ALEVE!! A lifesaver for me, before and after weddings. I make sure we take one pill before every wedding, to help prevent any pain early. Of course the next day we always need them too… and there will be times even the bridal party needs some! I also sometimes carry Advil, which are my own personal preference for headaches.

5. 3M COMMAND HOOKS! I love these so much and make sure to bring them along to every wedding, especially when my Brides’ are getting ready in hotel rooms. Most of the time – hotels don’t have a great spot for me to hang the dresses to photograph but when I have these, I can easily hang the dress anywhere I want to. It is a lifesaver for getting ready photos!

6. TIDE TO-GO! This is a given. Every wedding day, the wedding dress WILL get dirty. That’s just how it is. Grass, whether it’s wet or not, always seems to get on the dress immediately. You wouldn’t believe how GREAT these work, they are phenomenal. They quickly get out the stains AND quickly dry up. I love them and don’t do a wedding without them.

7. BOBBY PINS! These are crucial. Not only does wind happen on wedding days but hairspray, after a certain amount of time, naturally does give and little hair strands will always fall out of place for my brides and bridesmaids. So I always make sure to carry bobby pins to be able to quickly fix them. (And it’s a lifesaver for me when I want to pullback my hair and pin my small strands back!)

8. HAND SANITIZER! Because ya never know! It’s great to keep our hands clean & get them clean quick. I actually carry this on the outside of my bag so it is easily accessible for me and anyone that wants to use it 🙂

9. BODY SPRAY! First of all, don’t judge my body spray being from CVS. It actually smells AMAZING! It’s a great spray to use as a refresher for my Brides, bridesmaids and myself! I’ve had Brides spray it on themselves right before First Looks and even Ceremonies! It’s always nice to have a quick spray of something floral 🙂

10. MINTS! These are great to have, ESPECIALLY before First Looks or Ceremonies or just when you need a refresher! And of course we love to use them right after dinner because bad breath is just not cute. EVER.

And that’s it! 🙂 Hope you loved taking a look inside our personal little “emergency kit” for wedding days! If you think there’s anything I’m missing, be sure to let me know. I always like to come 100% prepared for my Brides and Grooms 🙂