Even the Most Prepared Brides Need Double Stick Tape (and more!)

I typically have no idea what I'm walking into when I go into a 'getting ready' room. I'm often hired by the bride (and may have only met her once or twice), or I'm hired by a planner to be there just for day-of styling. Either way, it's always a question of, "how prepared can the most prepared person REALLY be??". It can be a pressure cooker when you enter a room of women or men that all need to get dressed and look perfect for photos!

For this wedding I entered a bustling suite at The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch and announced myself....

"Hi everyone, my name is Risa! I'm here to steam dresses, fix anything you might need help with, solve any wardrobe problems, and make sure you're set with your looks."

After hearing a few comments of relief, I started steaming bridesmaids dresses. I had barely started steaming the first dress when the mother of the bride came rushing up to me, grabbed my hand and ushered me over to her dress. She told me she felt a huge sigh of relief when I walked in, because she had her dress let out at the tailor and they didn't press or tack her pleats at the bust line correctly.

I had her try on the dress and saw what she meant, and knew I'd be reaching for my pre-threaded needles and my sewing kit in the very near future.

After steaming the bridesmaids dresses (and two flower girl dresses!) I was able to put one tack in the missing pleat using the closest color in my pre-threaded needle selection possible. It wasn't the prettiest tack, but it was hidden and would be sure to hold. I got the mother of the bride back in the dress and...success! Pre-threaded needles are incredibly helpful in a situation like this to eliminate extra stress and steps if on the spot sewing needs to happen. She was happy and all we'd have to do was finish steaming then double stick tape the shoulder and back area so it would stay in place for the ceremony.
 

The next task was using Boob Tape (we love this woman-owned brand!) so a couple of the girls in the bridal party could go braless. The first question I ask is whether or not they have lotion or oil on. If so, I always recommend using our alcohol wipes to have really clean, dry and residue free skin. After some trial and error we got them all taped and ready to get dressed. I also made sure to use my mini scissors from my sewing kit to get the most precise cut on all hanger loops and trim any loose threads from dresses and suit jackets. 

In the meantime, I was pulled in a few other directions...

1. The bride needed one side of her hair fixed with a couple bobby pins, so I grabbed the hair and pin kit to fix her up. (We've designed our Hair + Pin Kit with bobby pins to match most hair colors so brides can grab and go.)

2. She also had a beautiful pair of pearl and crystal drop earrings, but one of the pearls had come off so I used the bonding glue to put it back together. We include disposable gloves in The Bride Kit as well, to protect skin and nails if glue is needed in a pinch!

3. The groom noticed the bride's dress was a tad sheer in the front when we went out in the natural light, so I gave her a pair of silicone pasties that did the trick.

 

4. The Rescue Tape was by far the biggest hero of the day. I went through almost an entire pack of 50 strips to secure dresses for everyone in the wedding party, including the mother of the bride! With deep V dresses, it's the best way to secure the dresses in the correct place. Similar to the Boob Tape, the Rescue Tape works best on clean skin. It is super duper sticky by design so dresses stay put for the whole night long! I reminded the wedding party to gently pull the tape off of the fabric when they changed out of their dresses that night- the longer the tape is on, the more the adhesive will bind.

5. I used the lint roller on suit jackets for the father of the bride and the groomsmen. This makes a huge difference in close up photos.

6. The Pin Kit made another appearance when we needed boutonniere pins for the flowers! I used the straight pins to secure everything in place.

 

7. The Arizona climate is dry, which isn't always a great mix with light fabrics. I used Anti-Static Spray For Wedding Attire (a fantastic, clean static removing spray) on the mother of the bride just moments before walking down the aisle. (She had a chiffon overlay so we sprayed the liner and it was perfect!)

8. Often I end up using my styling tools in unique and different ways.  Body Glide For Brides is an anti-chafe balm but I've also used it on stuck zippers. This time I used it on the groom's cuticles after he announced during photos, "I guess I should have gotten a manicure, oops!".

You name it, I pretty much used it. It was one of those days that reminded me of why I created The Bride Kit. Having to think under pressure, wanting the wedding party to feel just as taken care of as the bride, and helping everyone to feel relaxed on a celebratory day is where the idea for The Bride Kit came from! A wedding is an event that not just the bride and groom should enjoy, but those who are there to champion them should as well.
 

By the end of the day I had been invited to the wedding, given multiple hugs and accolades, and essentially been handed adoption papers (kidding, but I did get multiple invites to join the family). It's why we created this product. It's the reason I get up everyday and spend my sleepless nights coming up with inventions and ideas to make getting dressed less stressful. My purpose is to help people on the biggest day of their life! Often I think about all the people who I don't get to be there for, and THAT is the reason The Rescue Kit Company exists.

"I was a super prepared, super detailed bride...and we still needed EVERYTHING in this kit on wedding day. Risa saved the day over and over again." 

I have created The Bride Kit so you can be your own wedding day hero and equip yourself with the best tools on the market to prepare you for anything that's thrown your way.
 

I have to add that while all this was going on during this wedding...The Bride Kit was also in action at a wedding down the street at The Hyatt Regency. The Pop The Cork Productions team (big shoutout to Janet Mitchell, the owner and lead planner who hired me that day and always hires me to be with her brides) sent me a video of three bridesmaids using the Stain Removing Spray from our kit to get the red wine that was spilled on the bride's gown during cocktail hour. The stain came out, and all was well in the world of weddings again.
 

You really can be in two places at once and leave your mark (or remove it, in this case).