Body tape is basically double sided sticky tape that helps keep clothing in place.  You can get it on rolls or in strips like these:

(Photo: Hollywood Tape)

Hollywood Tape is one brand name that I have had good luck with.  If a dress isn’t quite fitting, this tape can keep you from flashing the room.  I have also used it on slingback heels that were ever so slightly to small – great for taping that back sling up and keeping it in place so the shoes don’t become flip flops!

Also fantastic for those super last minute fixes.  One time a bridesmaid caught her heel on her hem and ripped it out while walking from the bride’s room to go down the aisle.  There was NO time to thread a needle so we used this tape as a temporary hem!  The hem held through the ceremony, we sewed it up afterward and no one knew!

Great little addition to your Wedding PFA Kit and something you can use after the wedding as well!

Red wine + white bridal gown = the potential for disaster that used to keep me up at night!

(Photo: Gonzo Corp)

Enter Wine Out.  This stuff is pretty fantastic – takes stains out of most fabrics.  Of course if someone pours a glass of red wine on your dress, you will have to work pretty hard to get the stain out BUT if you get a stray little spot, this should work!  You can get the travel size at Bed, Bath and Beyond which is the perfect size to throw into your Wedding PFA Kit!

My site and email were down today (January 10) from somewhere around 9 am to 3 pm!  If you sent me an email during that time and I have not responded to you, PLEASE resend it!

Sorry for the inconvenience and hopefully technology will be much nicer to me tomorrow.

Today’s PFA item is pretty obvious and one you likely have already thought of – the sewing kit.

(Photo: Trip Needs)

While it is pretty obvious that you should have some sort of kit, making sure it is stocked properly is really important as well.  A few things to make sure you include:

• Thread – include some to match the guys, the bride, the bridesmaids and for bonus points, throw in some thread that matches the mom’s dresses too!
• Buttons – small, clear buttons are great but you may want to include some black ones as well
• Sewing scissors with a sharp point – it is easier to cut stray threads with small scissors
• Straight needles – for sewing hems, fixing buttons, etc.
• Curved needles – sometimes called upholstery needles. If you are sewing someone into their dress, the curve makes it easier to do without drawing blood!
• Invisible thread – if you are sewing someone into their dress, this is what you want to use!
• Needle threader – nerves can make it pretty tough to thread a needle even for the most calm bridal party member!
• Thimble – not the worst idea in case the sewing is on a heavy material like a bridal gown.  Also might save some blood stains on whatever is being worked on!

You can easily find pre-made sets that are great starting points, you would just need to add a few things in to make it Wedding PFA Kit ready!

Bridesmaids dresses are notoriously full of static – they cling, they stick, they sometimes just don’t like to cooperate.  Tuxedo pant legs have been known to do the same thing.  Neither of these situations are terribly attractive!

(Photo: Static Guard)

One of the best ways to combat the cling is to tuck a little can of Static Guard in your Wedding PFA Kit.  In a pinch, a little spritz of hairspray can also work to get rid of static cling but can leave legs feeling a bit sticky.

January is bridal show season and Columbus, Ohio has a bunch of different shows coming up!  Make sure you swing by and visit some of my favorite vendor friends!

Columbus Bride: The Show – Saturday, January 8 from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday, January 9 from 12 pm to 5 pm at the North Exhibit Hall at Veterans Memorial, 300 W. Broad St. in downtown Columbus.  Admission is $11 at the door.

Franklin Park Conservatory Bridal Show – Friday, January 21 from 6 pm to 9 pm at the Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH, 43203. Admission is $15 at the door.

Perfect Wedding Guide Winter Bridal Gala – Sunday, January 23 from 12 pm to 4 pm at the Hilton at Polaris, 8700 Lyra Drive, Columbus, OH 43240.  Admission: $8 at the door.

Columbus Bridal Expo – Sunday, January 30 from 11 am to 4 pm at the Aladdin Shrine Center, 3850 Stelzer Road, Columbus, OH, 43219.  Admission is $8 at the door.

This PFA is for all the brides with rows of buttons on their gowns.  Whether they are for decoration or functional (most are the former nowadays), they can be a pain in the finger to button!  This is especially true when you get to the last few and are running out of room for movement among the buttons.

(Photo: Crochet Spot)

Tucking a crochet hook into the loop can sometimes help guide it over the button more easily then tired and numb fingers!

Pick one up at any craft store for your Wedding PFA Kit and save your maids or mom’s fingers!

I have said it here before and I will say it again – if you are doing a flash mob in Columbus, I want a phone call or a text or an email.  I can’t sing (that well) and I am a little klutzy but I will dance and sing like a mad woman for a flash mob!  That is only one reason I like this flash mob wedding that took place in Boston over the holidays:

The other reason I like this so much is the message that the Rabbi (I am guessing given the impromptu chuppah) is absolutely gorgeous. Just beautiful. If you want to skip the flash mob and get to the wedding and the beautiful message, go to about 3:30 or so. Hope you like this as much as I did!

Preownedweddinggowns.com is giving away a $2,000 wedding dress!  From their site:

How it works:  From January 1st  – January 31st, 2011, you can enter to win a PreOwned Wedding Dress valued at up to $2,000 USD.  Enter with our online entry form and get bonus entries on our Facebook page. The winner will be selected on February 4th.

The prize: Win any wedding dress available for sale on PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com. If the selected wedding gown is up to $2,000, we’ll pay for it!  If it is over $2,000, we’ll pay $2,000 to the seller and the winner will be responsible for the remaining payment.

The details: Contest is open to legal residents of the US and Canada (excluding Quebec) only. See our terms and conditions for full contest rules and regulations.

Start looking: for the wedding dress you’ve always wanted! Search by designer, size, or with our advanced search.  And take a peek at the Dresses We Love and Most Viewed gowns too.

PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com currently has more than 6400 new, sample and used gowns for sale from over 150 different designers.  And we have a ton of search features like by designer, size, price, silhouette – even by local zip code.  You’re bound to find something you love!

Visit preownedweddinggowns.com to enter!

Those little packets of tissues are great for every day but for your wedding day, skip them and go with real handkerchiefs.  Why?  Because paper tissues leave behind lint which can stick to your face and can sometimes be seen in pictures.

(Photo: The White Aisle)

You can find lovely embroidered handkerchiefs as pictured above (they also make great parents gifts) or the men’s department at most department stores sell packs of plain hankies.  Grab a pack and stash them in your Wedding PFA Kit to help dry those happy tears.