Great Question!! My Fiance and I Are getting married thge same day as you in Newport RI!! Hard to belive the time has almost arrived!! Best of luck

If you have a wedding coordinator, she should have a "necessity bag" of items that are needed at weddings. If you don't, things you may need are: matches or lighters, needle and thread, safety pins, corsage pins, Scotch tape, masking or duct tape, and stain remover sheets. The two things that my brides or members of their wedding parties need most often are the safety pins and the needle and thread. You would be surprised at how many tuxedo buttons come off or someone steps on the bride's gown and it needs to be repaired.

Also, don't forget to bring the ringbearer's pillow, the toasting flutes, and the cake knife and server. The minister may want to obtain the marriage license at the rehearsal so that he/she has time to fill it out before the wedding.

Here is my list:
Marriage license
Favors
Centerpieces
Gifts for attendants
Shoes (wedding and flip flops)
Bra
Garters
Picture frame for guests to sign
Pens
Wine glasses
purse
veil
Sage's dress (my daughter, the flower girl)
Sage's shoes
Box for cards
rings
place cards
ring bearer pillows
bubbles
cash in envelopes for services
tuxes
tiara and necklace
My mother is bringing my dress

But I feel like I am forgetting something.
Airforceguy, I know, I can't believe it is next weekend already. I am getting married in upstate NY by the water outside. It should be nice as long as the weather holds out. Best of luck to you too!

Ya, the weather is the big thing!! Our ceremony is outside as well!! Hopefully Ivan doesnt make a showing!! Best of luck

Juliet, You might want to pack extra pantyhose, or clear fingernail polish just in case of a run. I also packed a purse size spray of my perfume to use, also pack an extra antiperspirant. This works wonders if you use it on your palms (even the groom) to keep your hands from sweating and possibly dropping the rings. I hope each of you has a wonderful weekend for your wedding. As far as IVAN, oh I am so sick of hurricanes right now! We have had to evacuate twice now in three weeks and we are packed and ready to go again! WE could all use yours prayers on this one! Have a beautiful wedding!

Here is a link that might be useful: Drew and Sherrie Lynns

Here is a general list of things that you may find helpful the day of:

bobby pins (black and/or gold - depending on hair color)
safety pins (various sizes)
needle and tread (various colors - for you and bridesmaids)
pen
notepad
lotion
deodorant
perfume
tissues
lipgloss
lip liner
lip stick
concealer
pressed powder
clear nail polish
single nail polish remover pads
tampons
pads/panty liners
gum
mints
seamstress chalk (for stains on dress)
bandaids
small personal electric fan
asprin/tylenol/advil
umbrella (depending on where you live)
extra hosery
hairspray
handy wipes
cash
ID
credit card
Flip flops
camera (disposable or small)
all your contact names and phone numbers (make copies for wedding party, vendors, and any helpers)
If you don't have a cell phone, get one that you may use for that day (I think convenience stores sell them and you can just buy one that will have a couple hours of time on it).

The best advice I can give you is to have someone help you bring as much of the things as you can. My DH was in charge of the marriage license and his attire. I had helpers who brought the things for the reception (guest book, toasting glasses, favors, cake knife and server, seating chart, etc.). My Mother and I bagged everything beforehand. The wedding stuff - dress, shoes, kit stuff I listed above, headpiece, veil, undergarments, etc. all came with me and were bagged together. The reception stuff was in another bag and we brought it and gave it to the helper who was going to bring it to the reception. The wedding party was in charge of getting their attire together. My MOH helped me get the kit together and put it all in a cute bag that she brought from where we got ready to the wedding and then to the reception. It was very helpful.

Just let people help you as much as possible. Don't stress out if something gets left behind, because most things can be found at a local drugstore and the hotel. I did a lot of organizing and planning, but the cake knife and server were left behind. No biggie - my sister ran to Williams Sonoma and bought one. The most important thing is to remember to have a good time and try to remember and take the day in - It really does go by quickly. Best wishes!

Martha Stewart Weddings has had a list of what to have in the "first aid" kit. At least once.

If your library has back issues, you could look. I'll save you some time. Here's what issues to get:
MSW Spring '99, 56 (ask Martha); MSW Fall '02, 92 (good things);
MSW Fall '03, 68 (ask Martha)

I would also add granola bars or nuts or chocolate, something to eat if you haven't eaten anything all day and start to get hungry or feel a bit faint.

No one mentioned floss, chalk for covering up spots on the dress...works better then spot remover because chances are you are not going to wet your dress you just want to cover up the boo boo...
kleenex
extra makeup for touchups
hairbrush
I'd get a cheap extra veil -you can get at a craft store- just in case
lots of bobby pins and safety pins
and don't forget....
...a great big smile! :)

Thanks for all of your suggestions, they are very helpful! When I looked on line I found plenty of things for emergency kits and things for the day of the wedding but I need to remember what to bring for the wedding and reception itself. I don't have a wedding planner and can't really have anyone else bring the stuff because it is all at my house and I am an hour away from my family. Another thing I remembered is the cake topper. Does anyone have any other suggestions like this? Once again thank you everyone for your help!

I suggest pulling out all the stuff you have bought/got for your wedding. Organize it into piles by pre-wedding, wedding, and reception. I wish I could be more helpful re: what you need to remember to bring to your wedding and reception, but I have no idea what you have bought/got for the occassion. I would say that the decorations (I am not sure if you have any or what they might be) are something you may need to bring (such as flowers, photos, candles, etc.). Anything that you have for the guests (favors, disposable cameras for the tables, candy, etc.). Who is making your wedding cake? Can you provide the cake topper ahead of time, so you don't have to bring it. The cake maker/decorator should be able to place the topper - you wouldn't want to have to do that at the reception yourself.

I didn't have a planner either, but deligation is so important. I would hate to have you running around on your own wedding day decorating the reception site, trying to remember if you brought everything, etc. I understand your family does not live very close by, but an hour isn't too far. Could a close friend or relative come stay with you two days (or more) before the wedding and help you gather everything and be responsible for bringing some/most of it? It sounds like you have a lot on your hands and you could use some help. I found that many people are willing to help. Perhaps some people have even volunteered already - take them up on it. Try and relax a little - things will come together even if you forget the cake topper! :-)

Murphy's Law... bring an umbrella. If you forget it you'll need it, if you have it you won't (hopefully :).

I read (on another site) about a bride whoÂs dress was save by Bounce brand wipes. The dress was drug through the mud and the wipes cleaned it up beautifully!

Have a great day... you're almost there! :)

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am going to have some help on Friday. My sister is going to come over on Friday and my cousin is sleeping over on Thursday so I will have some help there too. We are getting married at an Inn and the reception will be there under a tent. They decorate it very nicely so fortunatly I don't have to do any work there. The ceremony is outside so I am not going to decorate anything for the ceremony. It is a good suggestion to give the cake topper to the bakery but it is the one my grandparents used and I would hate to see anything happen to it. It is hard too because we have a 23 month old at home at she gets into everything. I have pretty much all the wedding stuff in one spot and I think I have everything covered. If not, like AutumnBride said we can get a drug store close by. I will try to post some pictures once the wedding is over. Thanks again for everyone's help!

I pulled out everything I had, labeled it and put it all in boxes and envelopes and brought it to the rehearsal, where I gave it to the coordinator. That way I was free of having to worry about it for the day of the wedding. Even without a coordinator, it would be a good idea for you to ask other people to be the ones to handle this stuff. It is not much work, especially if you divide the job up.

In a large manila envelope I put smaller envelopes with checks for the vendors, cash for tips, the thank-you cards for people who were helping us, the marriage license and extra copies of the ceremony and vows for the officiant, copies of the vendor contracts, a processional diagram, and a copy of the list of must-take pictures that I'd given to the photogapher.

In a box I put the gift bags I'd made for the children.

In a box labeled "men" I put the boutonniers (which I'd made ahead of time) and the pillow for the ring bearer.

In a box labelled "reception" I put the votive candles, the menu for the bar, the signs for the tables, the guest book & pens, some framed photos for the guest book table, the disposable cameras.

My mom brought the favors.

That's the stuff that I needed. Other things you might need to remember are table numbers, place cards, equipment for a photo slideshow, pew bows, etc.

We had a 'day of, emergency' kit and we ended up using the safety pins (grooms tux sleeves came unhemmed) and the bandaids (my dad's rented shoes were too tight and he got a blister).

So definitely pack a bag of 'emergency' stuff! The things everyone has listed are great- just choose what you need to from it all! I didn't need any of the reception items like place cards etc as our reception was taken care of by a co-ordinator from the site. But the other things are a must!