While planning a wedding, there are so many minor details to remember, it is not surprising that some items may be forgotten. As you focus on invitations, seating arrangements, and decorations, items such as Tupperware for leftover food, or even trash bags, may be missed. There are also extra expenses, such as clean up, or transportation costs, that tend to be forgotten during the creation of the initial budget. By sticking to the following lists, you will be sure to have everything you could possibly need for your big day.

Overlooked/ Forgotten Expenses:

  • Delivery fees- Rental companies typically charge these based on the distance they need to travel to make the delivery, plus the number of trucks, or crew members, needed for any setup/break down. Keep in mind, there are extra charges for early morning or late night deliveries or pickup. These amounts will vary based on time and location, so be sure to discuss this with your rental company if you need delivery or pickup outside of normal business hours.
  • Setup/Breakdown fees- Some items will include these fees already, although you will want to make sure you know which items do, and do not, have this included. Most chairs, and tables, do not include set up. Larger tents typically will include this fee, however smaller tents may not include this fee. You will want to make sure to specifically ask if it is included in your total, if you do not want to do your own setup and breakdown. Rental companies may not offer any setup or breakdown for certain items, such as décor, or linens, so be sure to keep that in mind when scheduling your setup and breakdown times at your venue.
  • Clean-up/Overtime fees- Be sure to check with your venue to see if clean-up is included in the cost of the venue rental. Some venues may have an extra charge for this service, and other venues may not offer this at all. Also, be sure to check what time you are required to be cleaned up and completely out of the room, or venue. Venues will charge additional fees for any amount of time spent in the rented area outside of the designated available times. This may be a flat fee, or charged by the hour, so be sure to check with your venue if you need additional time for cleaning.
  • Storage fees- If your event is on a weekend, you may need to have any rental items delivered on Friday to avoid extra delivery fees. Also, you may need to store items until Monday for pick up. This may leave you with a few nights of needing to store any rented items. You will want to be sure there is a safe, locked location for any items that need to sit overnight, as any items lost or stolen will end up costing you full replacement charges. Some venues may have areas available to use for storage without extra cost, however, other venues may charge a fee. Be sure to discuss this with your venue, to ensure you do not need to look into delivery, or pick up, outside of normal business hours.
  • Other venue/vendor expenses- Be sure to discuss all the details with your venue as to what all is included with the price of using the venue. Some may charge extra for valet, or coat check. Also, be sure that the vendors you are using are approved by the venue, as using vendors not on their approved list may result in extra charges as well. You will also want to consider that any service staff may be required to have a meal provided, as well as you will want to be sure to tip.
  • Transportation- While some venues may be all inclusive with lodging, ceremony and reception, others will require the transportation of guests to and from multiple locations. Out of town guests may need assistance getting to and from the airport, as well as from their hotel to the venue. When selecting a hotel for your guests, be sure to inquire if the hotel offers any shuttle service, either to the closest airport, or possibly to and from your venue. If not, you will need to be sure that enough transportation is available for all of your guests. This is especially important if alcohol is being served, as no guest wants to end the night with a DUI.

General Items to Remember:

  • Long stem lighters (if using candles- these tend to work better than standard lighters if there is any sort of breeze)
  • Utensils for cutting the cake (or dessert), and plates specifically for dessert
  • Tupperware, aluminum foil, or saran wrap, for leftovers
  • Extension cords, power strips, and phone chargers (for decorations, lighting, and phone charging stations)
  • Ladders (some venues may have ladders available for use, while others may not offer the use of ladders due to liability-be sure to check with your venue to see if you will need to bring your own, if you have plans to hang up decorations)
  • Trash bags (it is always good to have a few extras)
  • Booster seats, highchairs, and babysitters (If children are attending, make sure you have all the basic necessities available)
  • A list of vendor contacts (If there are any issues with deliveries, missing items, etc. you will want to make sure that someone is easily able to contact any vendor to handle the situation)
  • Other items based on your situation: Some couples choose to do the “dollar dance”-this will require a bucket, or some sort of container, to hold the dollars. You may need to take into consideration the weight of guests attending. Most chairs hold a maximum of 300lbs, so you will need to provide sturdier chairs for any guests who exceed that limit.

Wedding Day Emergency Kit: (This may seem like a long list, but you never know when one of these items will save the day, and it is better to have too many back up plans than not enough. Also, you can save the receipts, and return any unused and unopened items.)

  • First Aid Kit- be sure this includes Band-Aids, blister treatment, pain reliever (Advil, ibuprofen, etc.), allergy medication, and antacid (Tums, Pepto-Bismol, etc.) 
  • Sewing Kit- included needles, thread, and scissors (make sure the kit includes thread colors that match the bridal gown, groom attire, and bridal party attire)
  • Safety pins, straight pins, bobby pins
  • Extra earring backs
  • Hair ties
  • Brush/comb
  • Tweezers
  • Hairspray
  • Mirror
  • Touch up make up/ make up remover
  • Q-tips
  • Baby powder (prevents chafing)
  • Lint roller
  • Mints (or toothbrush and toothpaste)
  • Stain remover
  • Deodorant
  • Razors
  • Tampons/pads
  • Lotion/ sunscreen
  • Chap stick/ lip gloss/ lip stick
  • Extra socks/panty hose/ underwear
  • Tissues (and lots of them!!!)
  • Eye drops (reduce redness from any pre-ceremony tears)
  • Pens/paper/Sharpie
  • Tape (scotch, masking, electrical, fabric, duct)
  • Super glue
  • Pipe cleaners (for decoration malfunctions)
  • Multi-tool (with needle nose pliers)
  • Phone charger
  • Bottled water and straws (to avoid ruining lipstick)
  • Snacks (granola bars, nuts, jerky)
  • Cash (for any forgotten items, or vending machine snacks)

This may seem excessive, but it is better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. These items will all typically fit into a medium sized tool box, or an overnight bag. When you are trying to organize a large event, such as a wedding, something is bound to go wrong. The best way to be able to handle any issue, is to have supplies ready for any bit of chaos that comes your way. If you are the maid of honor, or the personal attendant, be sure you have all the items ready for your bride in case of any emergency. Keeping in mind the above lists will save you from having any minor issue become a major issue. Thanks for reading, and happy wedding planning!