I so wish I could say that I work with a planner at every wedding but I don’t. I love that they come rolling in with a suitcase size emergency kit and since I love weddings so much, I feel like a kid in a candy store looking in it! Over the years I’ve learned to that when an emergency arises and there isn’t someone there to avoid the emergency or solve it, I usually have to step in. I’m talking bustle, strap, stomach ache, headache, anxiety attack and spot on the dress kind of emergency. Okay so more than a few times I’ve had to call a vendor and solve a problem before the bride realized there was one but those are just a few of the situations I run into at a wedding! I think because I’m a mom I also think of a few situations outside the box that I prepare for. So here are a few things I keep in my camera bag while I’m shooting and what I keep in my “mom bag” as I like to call it! 

1. Crochet hook. One of the questions I ask every bride is to tell me the details of her dress and are their buttons. They pack on an extra 5-10 minutes when a bride is getting ready so I keep a crochet hook in my bag at all times for those tight little loops on the buttons!

2. Bobby Pins. There are romantic fly always in a photo and then there are just those stray hairs from your updo that need to be tamed! I’ve collected bobby pins over the years at weddings and they keep piling up in my bag! Blonde to Black, I have them all!

3. Band-aids. For the obvious!

4. Hollywood Tape. Because sometimes we just need a little lift and tuck here and there!

5. Essential Oils. I’m part hippie so I carry these things around with me in my bag and in the car. Anything from muscle cramps, menstrual cramps, a cut, headache or stomach ache, there’s an oil for it! I’ve been using essential oils for years and I love them. I had a bridesmaid get stung by a bee in the worst place… on her booty. The bee just flew right up there and stung her! I had some lavender on hand and took the sting right away and helped with swelling! You can get more info on the oils right here!

5. Breath Mints. Coty always has Altoids in his bag, its his thing to have at all times. Don’t ask for one at the end of the evening because I think he’s eaten them all by then.

6. Safety Pins & Sewing Kit. Oh those bustles. I’ve yet to see one that stands the test of a reception!

7. Bars & Waters. Although these are mostly for Coty and I at the wedding, I buy an extra one just in case someone needs a pick me up!

8. Makeup. I keep some concealer in my car just in case a blemish were to pop up!

9. Norwex. So I’ve tried the shout wipes before and I sometimes think they make the situation worse. I keep a small norwex rag in my car and if there is a huge uh-oh on the dress, I can grab that and help the situation!

10. Some other odds & ends that you’ll see below in my Mom Bag! Oh and those blister band-aids are from heaven! I bought the most comfortable shoes at DSW and halfway through a wedding I realized I was getting a blister. The bottom of my feet were comfy but my heels, not so much! I bought these at kroger and I was amazed at how they solved my problem instantly! Although I’d love for everyone to use EO, I do carry some travel packs of Tylenol!

I’ve had my Vera Bradley forever and I still love it. May not be the most stylish but gosh its easy to clean! I also love carrying my Jo Totes to weddings! These are just some of the things I’ve collected over the years that help me and my wedding parties get through the day. Sometimes the best thing needed is a quick prayer too!