Wedding Morning Checklist: The Short Version

The key to a well-organized wedding morning routine is ensuring that everything is in the correct place prior to the actual day. Here is a brief overview of bride getting ready checklist:

  • Getting ready outfit for bride– bridal robe, nightgown, and slippers
  • Bridal beauty preparation– cosmetics, hair care items, touch up supplies, wedding perfume
  • Bridal jewelry, veil or head piece, hair accessories
  • Wedding dress preparation – wedding gown, undergarments, wedding shoes, specialty fastenings
  • Photography items – rings, wedding invitation suite, perfume bottle, bouquet, sentimental items
  • Paperwork and venue specific items – all necessary paperwork, confirmations or venue specific items
  • Wedding morning breakfast  – light breakfast and water
  • Bride emergency kit – sewing supplies, stain remover, fashion tape, tissues
  • Personal items – cell phone, charger, personal hygiene items

These wedding morning essentials should be considered flexible rather than strict as each morning before a wedding day is unique and your checklist should reflect that uniqueness.

What to Prepare the Night Before Your Wedding

An intelligent bridal getting ready checklist starts the night before, “what does a bride need on wedding morning”. Consider your getting ready photos. Check that your vendors’ schedules are set, charge all of your devices and get your bride emergency kit prepared so that you don’t need to hurriedly assemble it on the wedding morning. 

What Should the Bride Wear While Getting Ready?

One of the most commonly Googled queries about bridal getting ready checklist is what to wear on wedding morning. Your outfit is the most photographed of the wedding morning. It must be practical too. It should be something easy to take off without ruining your styled hair and makeup. Anything you have to pull over your head is not an option after you've done your hair. The perfect things to wear in the morning of your wedding day would be a robe which opens at the front, a pair of slippers and a set to match.

Bridal Robe

The bridal robe is the most versatile item on the bride getting ready list. The robe comes off easily without messing with your hair and makeup. Depending on the length, fabric and style of the robe, your pictures may look differently – silk bridal robes  or satin robes make more dramatic pictures. A wedding morning lace robe is a romantic addition which has unique texture for photography. The style of the sleeves is important to consider too since the wide sleeves look more dynamic in pictures and tighter fitting looks sleeker and more convenient for your active morning. 

Nightgown or Robe-and-Nightgown Set

A combination of nightgown and robe ensures a complete style during getting-ready pictures, and allows for better flexibility through the day. The nightgown becomes an underlay for the robe, which looks more complete with it when the robe is not fastened, thus giving more opportunities for different getting-ready pictures taken at various times of the day. A bridal nightgown works as a comfortable layer when there are breaks in doing hair and make-up, as well as in getting ready.

Slippers

Bridal slippers should be an item in the preparation clothing set. There is quite a lot of standing and walking involved in a wedding ceremony, and it will be much more comfortable to do it wearing slippers. The slippers fit well with the robe and nightdress.

Hair and Makeup Essentials

Hair and makeup preparations should be coordinated with your artists, not done separately. Prepare a touch-up bag containing whatever products your makeup artist suggests for use between the ceremony and the reception. Be upfront about whether you wear contact lenses or have any other special needs with your makeup and hair artists. Arrive at your scheduled appointment time, and have an idea about how you want to look. Most importantly, be there and be prepared to be photographed. Your bridal beauty preparations are in expert hands.

Details to Set Aside for the Photographer

It is easier to shoot the wedding photography details once all the details are set up at one place prior to arriving for the shoot. The items which are commonly kept aside for such purpose include: the rings, if required, invitation cards, wedding perfume, brides' jewelry, wedding shoes, veil, the bouquet, if available, and any other sentimental items including a handwritten note, inherited jewelry, lace bridal robes for a romantic photo style or other items. 

Wedding Dress and Accessories Checklist

Wedding morning checklist for bride should be done the night before instead of the morning. All your wedding dress, veil, headpieces, bridal slippers ,bridal jewelry and specialized underwear you have chosen to wear under the wedding dress should be prepared in advance.

Build a Simple Wedding Morning Timeline

The best way to make a schedule for the morning of your wedding is to begin making it backwards from the time that you have to leave or start your ceremony, as opposed to starting from the time that you wake up in the morning. The key is to find the hard times – like when you have to leave, the photographer arrives, etc. – and then plan backwards from there.

Before Hair and Makeup

This is the right moment for you to have your wedding day essentials: breakfast, water, wedding photography details, and what to wear on wedding morning. 

During Getting Ready

It usually is the longest part of the day in the morning. Drink lots of water, snack often, and don’t try to organize anything while sitting in your seat. If there is a wedding coordinator for your wedding or a bridesmaid that can take care of communication for you, let her do it.

Final 30-60 Minutes

Wedding day final touches. Not the time for making new decisions. Everything should be decided by now. Last checklist will be checking through your emergency kit and your bridal accessories checklist. The last minute preparations for the wedding day include the final look, wedding shoes, wedding perfumes, and last minute photo with all the people present.

Food, Water and Practical Comfort

Bridal morning meals are important. They determine how comfortable and energetic you will be during the day. Taking a moderate wedding morning routine following all the health recommendations is your best option.

Wedding Morning Emergency Kit

A basic bride emergency kit would address the possibilities that may occur. Useful kits would be:

  1. Basic sewing kit of a color matches that of your dress.
  2.  Stain remover for your dress.
  3. Fashion tape.
  4. Tissues.
  5. Extra hair pins.

Final Things to Check Before Leaving

Wedding day checklist for bride will ensure that the common mistakes are not made. Go through: dress, flowers, rings with person holding them, phone, wedding shoes and bride accessories, any documents and venue stuff and bride’s emergency kit. 

Wedding Morning FAQ

What time should a bride start getting ready?

This will depend on the number of people that need to be done up and the level of complexity involved in the hair and makeup styles. sMost weddings will need three to five hours for a solo bride with more time required if there are bridesmaids as well. Choosing nightgown and robe sets to wear beforehand saves plenty of time.

What should a bride wear while getting ready?

Front-opening wedding gown is the most useful and camera-friendly piece to wear when getting ready because it does not require any disruption of one’s hairstyle and make-up. Matching nightgown completes the look and makes it more versatile and camera-worthy. Comfortable slippers finish up the getting ready ensemble. Explore bridal collection for getting ready on wedding day.

Do I need a bridal robe?

The wedding morning robe is surely one of the most practical elements that can be included in the bride’s attire on wedding day. The robe provides coverage and can be easily removed without ruining the hairstyle and makeup, taking great pictures regardless of where and how you take them. In case brides wish to add a touch of thoughtfulness and cohesiveness to their pictures taken while getting ready for the ceremony, then satin bridal robes are worth adding to the morning items.

What should I give my wedding photographer for detail photos?

Rings if applicable, your invitation set, perfume vial, shoes, jewelry, veil, and other things that are important to you. Collecting these all in one spot prior to the arrival of the photographer will save time for doing the details photos.

What should I pack in a bridal emergency kit?

Sewing kit, a good fabric cleaner for your dress, fashion tape, some tissues, hairpins, your toiletries, and your personal medications as well as anything else you use daily. A peaceful and thoughtful morning does not come about through happenstance; it comes from preparing the night before. You should probably consider a pack-up of a comfortable cotton bridal robe.

— Anna Azarisu