Having over 10 years in the destination wedding industry under my belt one thing I can always count on is… that no matter how much you plan for what the “what if” scenarios there will be something that happens on your wedding day that you did not prepare for.  Some things being within your control and others not. Having your destination wedding in the country like Iceland, where there is not a big box store like Wallyworld or a pharmacy accessible or nearby your hotel you will need to make sure you have a very thorough emergency kit.

Situation: You wake up at your hotel, it’s your wedding morning and you or your soon to be husband have forgotten one of your toiletries you usually use in your getting ready routine and the nearest convenient store is over 40 minutes one way and doesn’t open until 10am.  You’re leaving for your Seljalandsfoss wedding ceremony in less than 1.5 hours.  It is just not possible for you  or someone else to make the drive, get ready, and get back in time for the day’s events.  The store also may not have your creature comforts you are use to, so having a bride and groom emergency kit will allow the day of panic level to go down amongst yourselves and your guests.

A couple of examples of where these bridal survival kits would have come in handy (I have personally encountered these examples throughout the years):

• The maid of honor’s heel breaks.  (Iceland Wedding Planner saves the day with super glue and alternative cute shoe option as viable backup).
• The groom steps on brides train and it rips out the button (I know as an Iceland photographer, I have taken the time to sew it back up for the bride to ensure the rest of the day is flawless).
• The MOTB or MOTG’s bra strap keeps showing (A few minutes spent pinning or a few stitches will solve this quickly).
• Example from my Iceland Wedding Day: Even as a super planner who has seen and done it all I somehow had 3 mishaps happen during my Iceland wedding day I had to navigate through: 1.) I forgot my engagement ring back at the hotel; 2.) I had asked for black chiavari chairs at the ceremony site and sadly the ceremony setup was with white plastic garden chairs. 3.) Our hired in destination photographers from Toronto, Ontario were MIA several times (the day before and then again during the reception) when we needed to speak with them. I had to go the extreme of writing a note to post on their hotel door and asking the front desk to find them for me. Two of the above items, I had no control over and one my wedding day emergency kit instantly solved.  The items you have no control over you need do what you can in the moment, take a deep breath, and find a substitute is possible, and if not deal with the situation after your beautiful day is complete.

Iceland is a awe-inspiring place and that is mainly because it is not over populated with convenient stores or shopping malls.  The natives are simple people and do not require the intricate must haves as most of us have on our must have getting ready list so chances are their stores are not going to carry the items you are in need of.  Mishaps aside, there are things that you can do to prepare for these what if scenarios before your wedding in Iceland.  To combat any potential problems the day of with yourself or your guests so here is a super awesome list of crucial wedding day items that no bride, groom, or bridal party should be without!

Put together a Bridal Emergency Kit consisting of the following:

• Extra Wedding Vows
• Sewing Kit (includes pins, scissors,  thread, and needles)
• Clear Nail Polish
• Nail File
• Hairspray
• Mirror
• Shine Blotting Sheets
• Stay-Matte Pressed Powder to touch up shine
• Pain Reliever
• Static Guard Spray
• Clinique Touch Base for Eyes
• Brush/Comb
• Tissues
• Lint Brush
• Earring Backs
• Nail Polish Remover
• Baby Powder (for last minute spills on your dress)
• Shout Wipes or Tide to Go Pen
• Eye Drops
• Acid Relief
• Smelling Salts
• Tampons and Pads
• Band-Aids
• Headache medicine
• Large Scissors
• Krazy or Super Glue
• Sunscreen (if it’s an outdoor wedding)
• Bobby Pins
• First Aid Kit
• Safety Pins
• Toothbrush and Toothpaste
• Chalk
• Dental Floss or Toothpicks
• Hem Tape
• Scotch Tape
• Straws
• Tweezers
• Extra lipstick or gloss
• Matches
• Trail mix
• Hollywood Tape (or double sided tape)
• Deodorant scrub off brush
• Breath Mint
• Notepad and Pencil
• Flash Drive for any important speakers, timeline flow, to transfer of files, etc.
• Write your soon to be a day of note!

Put together a Groom Emergency Kit consisting of the following:

• Black Socks (2 pairs)
• Extra Wedding Vows
• Extra Wedding Rings
• Safety Pins
• Travel sewing kit
• Razor and travel shaving cream
• Band-Aids
• Hand sanitizer
• Shout Stain Remover
• File
• Nail clipper
• Brush/Comb
• Toothbrush & Toothpaste
• Breath mints
• Cologne
•  Extra buttons and cuff links
• Lint Brush
• Antacid
• Pain Reliever
• Deodorant
• Eye drops
• Granola Bar &Water
• $20 of your own currency and $20 of whatever your destination wedding country currency is.
• Write your soon to be a day of note!

Planning a destination wedding is no easy feat in any location.  But planning a destination wedding in Iceland creates even more unknowns especially if you have never been to Iceland.  If you are planning your wedding by yourself, before your wedding day, you can plan for every possible situation that could arise but that takes time and endless hours of research and you still may encounter a flaw.  Which is exactly why you hire a professional to create plan A, plan B, plan C scenarios in case something detours from the original plan.

Hiring experienced professionals that are not only familiar with the country, have relationships with the local vendors, the terrain, the food, and the types of available lodging allows you to relax!  At Photos by Miss Ann, we present decision options for you and your soon to be to decide on and in turn you can RELAX!  Our Iceland wedding planning and photography team also carry with us elaborate emergency kits similar to the above so we can troubleshoot any possible issues that may arise during your wedding weekend/weekend adventures so trust that you will have a flawlessly beautiful day if you hire us!

Keep Smiling, Ann Peters

Your experts in Iceland Wedding Planning and Iceland Wedding Photography, please contact us for more information!

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