429- Wedding Day Emergencies: Risa Kostis Shares Bridal Must-Haves (Part 1)

Leah Haslage:

Welcome to the Bridechilla Podcast. I'm your host, Leah Haslage. Whether you're just starting to plan or you're counting down the days, I'm here to help you stay cool, calm, and collected throughout the wedding journey. So let's get this wedding party started and embrace your inner Bridechilla.

Hey, Chillas, we have Risa Kostis here to the rescue. She is the creator of The Rescue Kit Company. Risa is so excited to have you on today.

Risa Kostis:

I'm so happy to be here. I also love the name Bridechilla. It's so good.

Leah Haslage:

Right? Because this isn't about being a Zilla. It's about being a Chilla. And your company, the Rescue Kit Company, is a big way to help us stay chill because we are bound to spill wine or have a downpour of rain or some kind of disaster happen on the wedding day. Sorry. Hate to burst y'all's bubble. Something is bound to happen, but don't sweat it. And Risa is going to tell you why. Risa, start off by telling us a little bit about yourself and the Rescue Kit Company.

Risa Kostis:

Yeah, well I started as a wardrobe stylist, I mean way back in the day I actually started in the hair and makeup industry. I started my first business when I was 21 doing hair and makeup actually for weddings. So little did I know that I would be manifesting my future in this all-encompassing business. I don't think I've had enough coffee this morning. That sort of does a little bit of everything. So after doing hair and makeup, I sort of fell into the fashion industry. It took me all over the world. I learned everything about production, manufacturing, wholesale, retail. I mean, you name it, small leather goods. I worked in handbags and shoes, so I really got an understanding of what it's like to run a small business and be in the fashion industry. And then I moved to New York and ended up doing fashion PR. So I learned about how to market and promote a business and just, you know, how to network and really build relationships.

And then after that, I launched my styling company. And within that styling company, I did everything from wedding planning to event planning to, you know, I would, I would do family photo shoot styling and closet clean outs. And, you know, I started, uh, slowly sprinkling in some, uh, dressing for brides and I knew that my work would always take me back to the wedding industry. And I think at that point, because I had culminated all this crazy amount of experience and just everything in every bucket, I knew that, you know, weddings are always a sure thing. They're always going to be happening. I mean, with the exception of the pandemic, you know, people were still getting engaged and, and weddings, they never really fully stopped. And it's like babies, kids and weddings, you know, it's always a sure thing.

Leah Haslage:

Oh my gosh.

Risa Kostis:

Yeah. I've always sort of had this like, I don't know, fairy godmother, like sort of aura around me where all I want to do is solve people's problems. I mean, sometimes it gets me in trouble, but for the most part, it's getting people out of trouble. So, um, yeah, like within my styling business, I knew that bridal styling would become an important part of my journey. And I started doing it, I would say, you know, when I launched my business in 2014, I started to get really serious about dressing brides and working with brides in like 20, I would say 16.

And then in 2018, um, is when I really started, you know, like, going in full force and that's when the idea to innovate for the Rescue Kit company sort of came about. So all of that to say, you know, my work as a stylist is never over and I'm really pushing heavily into the bridal industry and wedding industry and just trying to be there for as many brides as I can, you know, by way of me. And then also via my product line.

Leah Haslage:

So what's involved in the product line? Because when you hear rescue kit, like for me, my first thought, I mean, I know what it is, but like before I knew what it was, my first thought is like, okay, it's going to be like those kits that you see wedding planners bring that have, I think like J-Lo, right? In the wedding planner when she has like her arsenal of things to pull out. So it has like your mouthwash and your hairspray and all that kind of stuff. But it's so much more involved in that. So tell us what is involved in an actual rescue kit.

Risa Kostis:

I have to laugh because I do wear a belt like that. And people live for it. When I put that thing on, they're like, wow, you're pretty serious about your job. I'm like, yeah, I mean, I have to have everything sort of on me. And as a wardrobe stylist, all of these ideas to innovate and the products that I knew I had to have for a wedding came from my work as a stylist. I would be on set for a commercial shoot or a video shoot or just somebody's brand shoot and always have my kit on hand. And I have to be able to take things out of my pockets and have them on the ready for people. So had that not been like part of my career, then I never would have known how to innovate for a rescue kit.

But what was happening was I was going to these weddings early on and dressing brides and getting them ready and then staying by their side. Originally I called the service the bride's best friend and I know because I really do become like a family member and by the end of the day and I just wanted her to feel like she had one extra person there that was really having her back and so, you know.

The tool belt thing is an actual part of my repertoire, and I have everything that was existing in my professional kit that I would take on set. So I treat it like I'm on set for you, but of course as your wedding day. And so I'm paying attention to every little detail, every hair, moving a hair ever so slightly with the end of a teasing comb and just getting it out of your face. You know, I do carry hairspray on me, although that's not in our kit. I do have some extra things, but in our kit, we wanted to make sure that we thought about a few things. We wanted to think about how user-friendly is it to you? Because just because I use it as a professional wardrobe stylist doesn't mean that you're going to know how to use it or that it has purpose for you. It might just be a tool that I need to use as a professional. So we wanted to make sure that it was user-friendly and comprehensive, that you picked something up out of the kit and you knew exactly what its job was. So it's easy for you, it makes sense, it's a product that you can use and that you're not scared to take out and try because how often might we see something, even if it's just like a blue eyeshadow or something in like a makeup. A makeup artist might know how to apply that just so ever so perfectly and we might look at it as an individual and say, I could never wear that color.

Leah Haslage:

You don't wanna look like Mimi on the Drew Carey show.

Risa Kostis:

I mean. Maybe you do. Well, maybe you do. But I mean, the point is exactly. We want to make sure that you can conquer the problem and that it feels doable for you.

Leah Haslage:

So like boob tape. That's the first thing I think of because like you can misuse that.

Risa Kostis:

We don't have that in our kit. It's expensive, and we have sold it on our site, but also it's color-specific, it's dress-specific, so, you know, there are certain things that, like, we had to leave some things out, because we just couldn't keep putting everything that we wanted, but it's available.

Leah Haslage:

No, but that's really good to know, and great for all of us to have that as a tip, that, like, things like tape is very consumer-specific, like, your skin, your dress. I never would have thought of that.

Risa Kostis:

Yeah, so we were so intentional, but we do have double stick tape. We have things like lint rollers because, you know, suits are always collecting dog hair if you have your pets in the wedding or your suit hanging uncovered at home or, you know, pre-threaded needles. And we can tell stories about some of my disasters, I'm sure, on this podcast interview and why that was so important to me making sure that the needles were already threaded and ready to go because oftentimes you don't have a lot of time to solve these problems. So time is of the essence, we don't want you to lose time on your timeline. We wanted to make sure that everything was ready to go and super easy to pull out. And a sewing kit we wanted to make sure you had all the colors of thread because you never know what your wedding party is going to be wearing. Or if a wedding guest rips their clothing, which I've had to sew people's pants on the fly that are not even a part of the wedding party. I was like, oh, that girl knows how to do everything. Go see her. You know, things like that. And deodorant removing sponge, because we're oftentimes seeing deodorant residue on dresses and underarms. Anti-chafe body glide, just so you can prevent and solve blisters, because nobody knows how to break in their new shoes the right way. It's things like that.

Leah Haslage:

How do you break in your shoes the right way? Because I have not figured that out.

Risa Kostis:

One of my tips is to wear a pair of socks when you're breaking in the shoes just to kind of give them a little bit of stretch and just to give your feet a break because you're going to have to progressively break in your shoes. So if you keep wearing them on bare feet, you might trash your feet leading up to the wedding day. So if you have an allotted amount of time and plenty of time to be breaking in your shoes, like a couple of months, put them on at home. Make sure that you're wearing them on a carpeted surface so you don't scuff up the bottom if you do want to preserve them for detail shots with your photographer. And you can always use the back of, let's see, I have a lint roller here handy. If you want to use the sticky part of a lint roller sheet, you can actually tape the bottom of your shoes. and then turn them over and just take a pair of scissors and cut around. And you should be able to protect and use it like a sole protector. And I would do it on carpet still if you can. But like, if you have to break it in on a harder surface, you could double up on some lint roller sheets. That's a trick I learned from doing TV early on.

If the shoes have to go back to the retailer that I pulled them from or whatever it is, you can also take a small square and just cover the stiletto. or you can buy stiletto covers for sinking into the grass and use those to protect the stiletto of your shoe. Also give you just like a little bit more of a base for when you're standing on them. You know, just little things like that.

You could also take them to a stretcher if you're really worried about what your feet are going to end up like. Take them to your local cobbler and they can talk to you about the ways to sort of stretch them out and give your feet some relief. I have so many tips and tricks for all of that stuff. I could go on and on.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, I love it. Yes. We want all the things. So what are some of the most common fashion emergencies? Because, again, not to burst bubbles, but something's bound to happen. So, but here's why we're here to help you in advance so you can pre-plan and prep. So what should we consider as possibilities of a fashion disaster?

Risa Kostis:

I'm so glad you're talking about this because I just want to shout it from the rooftops that it might be a mishap and it doesn't have to be a disaster, right? Like we can think about these things in advance and the more prepared you are and the more you know what can happen and what has happened to other people, just the more prepared you are. So, knowledge is power. But some of the most common ones I see will be wrinkled clothing. That's minor, minor. Stains. Oftentimes, like I have a bride that I'm working with that's coming up this weekend and we just got the dress back from the alterations and it was shipped in from LA and dirt marks all over a very high-end luxury gown and it's frustrating because we don't have a lot of time to dry clean. Normally I would always recommend a dress get at least professionally pressed, steamed and taken care of at a dry cleaner and they package it up really nicely. They make sure it's in a long enough plastic bag, and it's ready to go. And then I can do touch-ups on the day of the wedding with steaming. But when it's in alterations, you just never know what the surface of the ground is going to be. And if they're using a drop cloth or if they're wearing gloves when they're handling it. I mean, obviously, when they're sewing, they can't necessarily wear gloves. But it's the little things like that that you want to think about because those things are so common. And your dress is going to get dirty. We're bursting more bubbles here.

As you walk on your wedding day, if you don't have somebody like me who's a day of dresser holding your train everywhere you go, or a bridesmaid who's also balancing probably your clutch and your flowers and her flowers, it's a lot for people to handle. And just know that the bottom of your dress is going to get dirty, but we have things that can help you prevent and solve all of those things. But things like deodorant marks I touched on earlier, Uh, oftentimes people will wear lotion or oil and then they'll get dressed and they'll put their deodorant on first. Like wait for all of that stuff. My hot tip here, wait for all of that stuff until after you put on the dress. And I know in Arizona, especially where I'm based, everybody's skin is dry. I know you want to just lather yourself up with lotion or oil, but if you're wearing a delicate silk or satin gown or dress, it's gonna show, it's gonna transfer, especially if it's in a light color, and then it's gonna look like oil marks all over your dress, and there's nothing I can do at that point. Because when we get into starting to treat stains, you're gonna have water rings, and it really needs to be dry cleaned at that point, but there's some small things I can do to sort of brush the surface-looking grease away, but it's really hard. So I see that all the time.

Leah Haslage:

That is a hot tip.

Risa Kostis:

And then loose buttons, a lot of times, you know, it's been handled by a lot of people by the time it gets to you between alterations, cleaning and trying on. So loose buttons happen quite a bit. And then like hanger loops from your dresses, just those like kind of sticking out and going haywire. So having to trim those and things like that. There's so many common things, but those are probably some of my heaviest hitters.

Leah Haslage:

With the loops, because that annoys me just like on a daily basis with certain blouses or dresses that are to be hung, I hate when the loops, but you can't always cut them because it's a piece you need to hang and not fold. So what is a good way to tackle that to keep it from sticking out?

Risa Kostis:

I have a couple of tips for that. Number one, you could double stick tape it down to the fabric that it is supposed to be laying beside. You know, obviously with the movement of your body, they're going to pop up and come out all over the place. So you can certainly use double stick tape and that should help at least keep it in place for a little while, if not all night. The second thing that you can do is you can still trim the loops. Hear me out, don't be scared. And then take a safety pin, because I happen to have a safety pin kit right here. Take a safety pin. I know I'm just surrounded by- I love it.

Leah Haslage:

You are like J-Lo in The Wedding Planner.

Risa Kostis:

So take the cut ends of the loop, not the loop part, take the cut ends, so save it. Take a safety pin, go through the cut ends, and then close the safety pin and save it off to the side. And then when it comes time to rehang it, undo the safety pin and go back through the fabric where it was originally hanging, and you should be able to preserve the loop and just keep it, you know, keep it handy. And the other thing you can do is you can, there's so many different ways to fold things on a hanger that doesn't have to be hung the traditional way to create like pokies in your blouse or anything. There's still ways to do it. You could take a long gown and loop it over a hanger bar. You know, there's, there's plenty of ways to, to still hang your items. But if you want to preserve the loops, that's my recommendation there.

Leah Haslage:

We'll be right back after a quick break.

Leah Haslage:

Another possible emergency is due to weather. I experienced this firsthand back in the day when I, in my previous life of being married, rain and wind happened on the day. And so I missed out on most of cocktail hour because my hairstylist was having to redo my hair. So what are some things that we can consider when it comes to weather? Cause there's extreme heat, there's rain, there's snow, depending on when you're getting married and where you're getting married.

Risa Kostis:

Yeah. I'm so glad you're talking about this. I have a client of mine who is pretty well known, I won't mention her name, but she had torrential rain on her wedding day. And I just remember feeling so sad for her because they didn't even barely finish their vows. And I also had a bride recently who… we weren't expecting rain. It was not in the forecast. She came all the way out to Arizona from Chicago and it was just a beautiful location and the dark clouds started to pour in and I was like, oh man, oh man. And she just kind of looked at me and I was, I just, it's that, I've got you, we're going to get through this. But it is frustrating.

Your gown may potentially get dirty, it may potentially get wet. Keeping it up as much as possible, and keeping it on your wrist as much as possible, and making sure that you assign somebody to help hold anything if rain does happen. And, you know, talking about a plan in advance. I think any time that you're not expecting it, but it comes, like just having, what is the rain plan? Like, is there an umbrella close by to the bride at all times? I always check in with a venue to say, do you have a golf cart? Do you have an umbrella? If things happen quickly, we need to know that you're going to protect us.

From a wardrobe standpoint, I mean, a thing that we're seeing nowadays is that there is a change of a dress. So if the change of a dress has to happen sooner than you wanted, at least you have it. At least you're still looking regal, you're still looking bridal, and you've got something there. But having a change of shoes, having a change of a dress can serve so much more than just a fashion purpose, in my opinion. Having those things ready to go, especially with the guys. Having an extra shirt is never a bad idea. Switching into a dinner jacket, things like that. And just oftentimes you'll see men changing out of their tux shoes or their stiff footwear and opting for sneaker or loafers. You know, just making sure that you have that contingency clothing is what we need to call it.

Leah Haslage:

No, I love that you're saying this because I think oftentimes we don't always do the plan B on venue, which we should, especially if you're doing an outdoor wedding. You don't always consider your plan B for weather, but we never think about it when it comes to the fashion. And I think that, yes, you should be prepared for weather conditions and have a backup. Thank you, Risa. That is such a necessary tip.

Risa Kostis:

Thanks for talking about it. It's really, it's just so unexpected. Nobody wants rain. Everyone's like, oh, it's good luck. It's like, I don't care if it's good luck. Like my picture.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, you're not feeling lucky when you look like a drowned rat. When you're in the middle of your ceremony and...

Risa Kostis:

Speaking of J-Lo, just get your personal umbrella holder ready to go. Like, who is your P-U-H? You need to have your P-U-H. Forget the M-O-H.

Leah Haslage:

Delegate that task right now.

Risa Kostis:

Delegate that task. Make sure everyone knows, get the dress, get the flowers, avoid slippery stairs and hills and just, you know, have the golf cart on the ready or have, you know, people to protect the bride. But like, you have to just talk about these things.

Leah Haslage:

As scary as it is.

Risa Kostis:

I know, we don't want to bring them to the surface and manifest that they're going to happen, but just be ready, I think. And from a fashion standpoint, contingency clothing.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, and you'll feel better about everything if, God forbid, something did happen. You're like, you know what? I'm going to be a chilla about this because I listened to Risa and Leah, and I have a plan B in place. So it's all going to be fine.

But aside from getting wet from rain, say you're stuck in like 100 degree weather and you're sweating and there goes your $200 makeup and your hair and sweat stains on your dress and how can we try to, is there any kind of makeup solidifier or something to kind of help combat sweat?

Risa Kostis:

So, you know, we don't have anything in terms of like beauty products necessarily in our kit, but in life, oh yeah, there are some makeup setting sprays that will shellac your face. They will keep you in place, you know, I don't know if anyone has watched the ERA's tour. Taylor Swift has been out there. Her makeup artist, Lori Turk, whatever Lori Turk is using on Taylor's face during the rain shows, there's no time for touch up backstage. So there are products out there and there are makeup artists that are using items like that. So, you know, make sure that you're getting if you are expecting intense heat, or rain or any kind of condensation on your wedding day, make sure that you are getting the best of the best.

The other thing is to make sure that your makeup artist is always leaving you with your own little touch-up kit with powder. your lip color, maybe your cheek color. Even if you have to invest in your own products that they're going to be using on that day, you'll know what those products are during the trial. Go get yourself your own little kit. Designate somebody to hold that stuff for you. Oftentimes it's me. It can be your maid of honor. It can be anyone in your wedding party. It can be your mom. It can be your dad. I don't care who it is. They can be holding on to those products for you.

Also, just have an up hairstyle in mind if you are doing hair down because if it does start to get really hot and sweaty maybe you want to consider having an alternate hairstyle in mind that you could potentially switch to at the last minute if you're open to that. And then a couple things to have on hand that I always keep in my kit are sweat pads for anyone who might sweat through a shirt, which we sell at the Rescue Kit Company.

And then there's a product called Swoobies. S-W-O-O-B-I-E-S. Swoobies are amazing. They are undercup sweat pads. So you can actually stick them to a bra or like any kind of undergarment and they will soak up your sweat underneath your chest. I know, it's genius. I love this. I'm so excited for this. I use them in my professional kit. I would love to get them into our kit at some point. You know, like I said, Leah, we can't have everything right now.

Leah Haslage:

No, I know, but I love there is a thing out there called Swoobies that we can totally get and save us from some boob sweat.

Risa Kostis:

Exactly. And the name is just so perfect. The other two things that I always have on me are blotting papers. Okay, there's more than two. Blotting papers and tissues, tissues which you can get at the Rescue Kit Company. They're so cute for the snotty happy tears or for the sweat. I hand them out to everybody. I'm just ready to rock with these products.

Leah Haslage:

You are, I love it.

Risa Kostis:

And then this is my secret weapon. I'm going to spill it here on Bridechilla. You heard it here first. I use a USB chargeable cooling fan, a personal hand cooling fan, as a wardrobe stylist, as a day of dresser, and I charge those babies up and I give them to my bride and groom to hold for as long as possible, especially during portraits, golden hour, all of that. You know, sometimes Bride will stick it in the top of her dress, will stick it in the back of her dress and it'll blow on her. But it just will keep you cool for as long as possible and then I can grab them during photos. But things like that are just so important to have on hand.

Leah Haslage:

Brilliant. I love that.

Risa Kostis:

Yeah. You know, it's just like you learn these things over time and especially I'm in like the sweat capital of the world here in Arizona where we also do probably the most weddings per capita, so I've got all of the tricks for helping prevent sweat. And also, our body glide in the kit is great. You can apply that sort of in areas that you think you might have excessive sweat so it's not dripping down your body, and potentially that will help as well.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, no, good call. So with tools, the day of the wedding, you're talking about styling the bride and the groom. What are tools that are necessary for day-of that we need to consider and make sure we have on hand?

Risa Kostis:

Yeah, I mean, day-of, if I were building, you know, just the perfect kit, you know, obviously the bride kit has everything that you could potentially want. But if I had to condense that, and if I just had to say, okay, these are like the top things that you need to have. Definitely you want your pre-threaded needles in all of the top wedding colors. We have them all. It's black, white, navy, brown, gray, pink, and they're all threaded and ready to go. And these are like a savior. I had to create a quick hem for a groomsman the other day and or I should say like a quick cinch in his waist because he didn't get his suit fitted. Nobody tries their stuff on. I mean they just get the suit and they just kind of walk away. It's so funny. So I was like creating a quick cinch for him in his waistline because he didn't have tux straps on the side like adjusters and yeah his pants didn't fit. They were falling off.

Leah Haslage:

Guys, get your suits fitted properly. Come on.

Risa Kostis:

Try your items on, get your suits fitted properly, and go get them pressed. Like, please, please do that. You don't have a lot of jobs, you know, at a party. You really don't. You really don't. I don't know if it was just all too much for the sweet man who also had to give a speech that day, but I had his back and he was so grateful.

I also had to create on this same person, a hem with double stick tape. Oour super strength rescue tape is so awesome. It is the stickiest on the market. I challenge anyone to go find a stickier double stick tape. You can cut the strips to whatever size you want. I don't leave home without this. It's one of the biggest heroes in our kit. It has saved me from, you know, a dress not being fully altered. I actually had to double stick tape some lace down because the alterations place did not finish like the dress, a gown for a bride of mine. And so the lace was like flapping in the breeze and we just double stick taped it down and it stayed all day. I mean I could have sewn it but I didn't want my stitch to show and double stick tape is clear and it just works for everyone. So many times bridesmaids are needing this for just the tops of their dresses or the back of their dress or if you know a ribbon isn't staying in place or I had to use some double stick tape on a slit the other day so definitely you know do not get married or be in the getting ready room without the double stick tape for sure.

Another big hero of ours is the deodorant removing sponge because not only does it remove the deodorant residue which I talked about earlier, but it also can quickly buff out some flecks of lint if you don't have a lint roller on you. It can just kind of wipe the lint away. I've also used it, this was such a great discovery. One of my couples, the same couple that got rained on recently, oh dear, her groom stepped on her wedding shoes during their dance rehearsal two days before the wedding. And what I wanted to say was, I wished you would have covered your shoes, you know, because another trick for that, if you are practicing your dance, is to put a shower cap or something over your shoes while you're dancing.

Leah Haslage:

I was just thinking about the shoe booties, because like I keep them on hand for when workers come into the house and stuff, because I'm a shoes off in the house kind of gal. Yes. But yeah, shower cap.

Risa Kostis:

Shower cap, shoe booties, anything that you might potentially have. Chances are if you're at a venue, they're going to have shower caps on hand for you. So that's the first thing that comes to mind. But you could also use our Glam and Garment Shield, which is a makeup face shield to prevent makeup transfer from getting from your face to your clothing, one of our hero products. But, you know, anything to cover your shoes.

So he stepped on her shoe, dirt marks on her wedding shoes. She was really upset. And I just went and grabbed them, took them home, and I used this deodorant removing sponge that we have, and it's just a dry sponge, and it just buffed away the dirt on her satin Stuart Weitzman pumps. And I didn't even have to apply any liquid products or take them to the shoe repair and the cobbler. It just came right out, I could not believe it. So this is kind of like, it's giving like magic eraser like Mr. Clean…

Leah Haslage:

That's incredible.

Risa Kostis

Something about it that just is like this magic sponge. So I mean those are a few, you know I think in terms of your feet too, you really want to think about foot care and we have foot gel pads. We have our, we have our body glide, but really think about like toe covers and toe protectors. If you're wearing really snug shoes, really think about, uh, any pad for your shoe that could potentially give you that extra support. As long as you can fit it in your shoe without making the shoe a little bit too small. That's why I like getting shoes stretched and breaking them in, but really know what kind of pad your shoe can take. So you're still comfortable. Think about moleskin, think about invisible blister protector type band-aids. I have so many different toe protectors in my kit and things like that. So really think about your feet because you will feel the pain. You will feel the burn, Leah!

Leah Haslage:

No, I am that person. I did not properly break mine in and I had these custom-made heels on. I think I wore them once around the house, but I was like, I don't want them ruined. They'll be fine. End of the night. get back to the hotel room after the after-party, so I'm wearing them all day long, right? And they were painful, but I was like, they're pretty. Took my heels off, and I had a blister on my foot. Somewhere between a U.S. dime and U.S. quarter. Just blistered. Which my mom helped me pop the next day. It was so bad! If you've ever had to pop a blister, it's so nasty, especially when it's huge.

Risa Kostis:

Oh my gosh, this is so funny.

Leah Haslage:

It was so painful. So I rewore those shoes, because even though I'm divorced, I'm like, I love these shoes. They're custom. They were made for me, about me. It wasn't about that, right? So I wore them earlier this year with my boyfriend to a black tie event. Like, they're so pretty, you know, whatever. I got home, blister. Not as big as the previous time because it wasn't all day. It was just for a couple hours at night. But yeah, those shoes gave me a blister again. And I hadn't worn them in years, you know. But please, for the love of everything that is good in your life, break in your shoes. Learn from my pain. You do not want a huge-ass blister to have to burst and have that pus and everything everywhere. It's disgusting. It's gross. You don't want it.

Risa Kostis:

And prevent the blister, right? You don't have to sacrifice your fashion, but make sure that you're, you know, you apply generously our body glide and create that barrier. Or, my bride last weekend was spraying Aspercreme all over her feet to numb her feet to be able to wear her shoes. I was like, dear God, I’m not sure if I, like, subscribe to that. But you know, just really think about what's going to work for you and walk around the store for a while in those shoes before you purchase them. Let them get the wear…

Leah Haslage:

That makes me think of the old school beauty pageant tip where they used to put hemorrhoid cream.

Risa Kostis:

Uh-huh, uh-huh.

Leah Haslage:

Is that still being done?

Risa Kostis:

You know, I don't know.

Leah Haslage:

I don't hear about, I mean, I'm not in the pageant circle or anything, but putting hemorrhoid cream to get rid of under eye or wrinkles or something on your butt. And then hairspray.

Risa Kostis:

Hairspray, yes. There's also, I don't know about hemorrhoid cream on the under eyes. I've never heard that, so.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, I swear it was for the under eyes. And I know it was for the butt, too, to help with the wrinkling of your, you know how your butt, over time, you get some dimples? I never tried it. I did one pageant in my life. I didn't try any of that. I did do the hairspray on the butt to keep your swimsuit in place. And I do use hairspray if I'm out of the setting spray, like you were mentioning earlier for makeup. I just do extra hairspray over my face to set it.

Risa Kostis:

Are you kidding?

Leah Haslage:

I've been doing that for TV for years.

Risa Kostis:

Wow. Oh my gosh.

Leah Haslage:

Hairspray will stick.

Risa Kostis:

Wow. Shellac. That's what we're talking about.

Leah Haslage:

Shellac. Yes. Full shellac moment.

Risa Kostis

There's also a product called Boob Glue. And, have you heard of that being in the pageant?

Leah Haslage:

I've heard of it. I've never tried it.

Risa Kostis:

Yeah, it will help keep your chest adhered to your dress so there's no gaping or anything so you kind of like lift and place and it helps keep your chest in place in your dress. It's really genius.

Leah Haslage:

I've seen some brides just not consider that and it looks off on their wedding pictures. Same with not getting the proper alterations.

Risa Kostis:

It's really hard.

Leah Haslage:

It looks off. You're going to see it in photos later.

Risa Kostis:

You are. And I think sometimes they just don't know that it's not right. And it's the strapless gown, the tugging of the strapless gown. When are we going to get that right for these brides? I really want to break into the design world at some point. Like when are we going to get that right so they're not tugging? And I think boob glue is a solution to that because it really does keep you in place. But there's just something, no matter what your chest size is, I feel like every bride that I work with that has a strapless dress is just never fully satisfied with the fit. What is it about going from the dress try-on process to falling in love with that dress, to like alterations, to the wedding day, like about it not ever being right? But you still want to wear that style. It's so hard. It's so hard. So when are we going to get this right for our brides?

Leah Haslage:

No, that is such a good point. And I hope this is like manifesting it and putting it in the universe that they will start considering that more because it's true. And I think there are a lot of brides that avoid getting a strapless dress even though there's probably the perfect dress for them and they'd look amazing in it because they're afraid they'll be tugging all night.

Risa Kostis:

Totally. And I've heard that as well. We've got to get it right for them. And there has to be, in every strapless dress, that inner bra clasp corset kind of situation underneath the zipper, I think, to give them that extra support so it really feels in place. But alterations is where I think a lot of people miss the mark. And they just assume that by going with the tailor or seamstress that was recommended by the bridal salon, that that's the best way to go. When, in fact, you should be doing your research and knowing who the best seamstress in town is or out of state, if that's what it takes, that really knows what they're doing. Oftentimes, those are the people who are not even on Instagram or Yelp. I use a tailor here in Arizona, a seamstress, who has done work on Dancing with the Stars and costuming for Hollywood. She's in the middle of nowhere. She works out of her home. Nobody really knows who she is. You just got to find those people. You need to hire a stylist like me.

Leah Haslage:

I'm so glad you said that because a more recent episode that we have, so if you're listening to this and you haven't heard this episode yet, check out our episode with Sara Rothan, who is an amazing seamstress and designer out of LA. And she works on red carpets and stuff like that, but she does customs for brides too. She said the same thing, just do your homework and don't forget to include alterations in your budget. Cannot stress that enough. Everyone forgets it.

Risa Kostis:

It's the most, I think the most like crucial part of choosing your gown and getting the gown right. You can have the most beautiful gown in the world, but if alterations have not been done to perfection, it's just not going to look the way it was meant to look on your body and just in general. And you're going to be uncomfortable.

Leah Haslage:

You’re gonna look sloppy. Or uncomfortable:

Risa Kos

Yeah. It's really sad. Yeah. You spend all this money and there's like a big gaping area in your chest. And then I'm coming in on the day of the wedding. I'm double stick taping. I'm like putting in safety pins. I'm sewing things on the fly. I'm getting, you know, Getting things to my tailor or whatever it is i'm going to start bringing a full atelier service to weddings with me because I don't have that skill yet, I'm working on it, but I can do quick stitches. But, you know, it would be invaluable if I was also sounds like like Sara, you know, Sara and I could like just blend…

Leah Haslage:

Oh, I would love to have you two back on the show together. Yes, I guess. And just talk about this all day, because I think it's so important for people to know this. And, you know, a lot of things with weddings… I want to stress this point. A lot of things with weddings. You will utilize this later on in life because you're going to be a guest at weddings. You're going to be invited to different semi-formal, formal events at some point, like even just your business attire. It's important to have things fitted properly, to know how to get these stains out and so forth. So keep this in mind that this information is gonna be vital on your big day, but you're also gonna be able to use these tips for the rest of your life. I mean, seriously.

Risa Kostis:

100%. And you know, we have an ebook that we wrote, my sister and I, who runs Rescue Kit Company with me, shout out Jess, could not have this company without her. She runs the show. She is full operations, production, manufacturing, all of that. And she just, bless her heart, likes to take my creative brain and helps us streamline. We would not have a product without Jess. And we worked together on this e-book that we have that's free. So when you sign up on our website, you get access to a 25 page e-book that has checklists on what to pack for your big day. everything from getting engaged, all the fashion tips, nail colors, like things that you don't even think about how to break in your shoes, how to travel with your gown, like all of those things, 25 pages of just pure goodness, tips and tricks on how to prepare fashion-wise for your big day. So, you know, the information's out there, but I think there's so much more that lives in my brain. My sister always says that the rescue kit company is basically my brain in a bag. And it is, it's like all the things that I've learned over the years. And I've seen everything happen. So yeah, you just, the more you can be educated on how to solve these problems, you can be the hero for somebody else on their big day, or you can be your own, you know, on your own wedding day. And you can just say, Oh yeah, I read, I read about that on the Rescue Kit company's blog.

Leah Haslage:

Be your own Wonder Woman.

Risa Kostis:

That's right.

Leah Haslage:

We'll make sure we have a link to your ebook in the description of this episode. So anyone can check it out.

Leah Haslage:

Thanks for listening to part one of our interview with Risa Kostas from the Rescue Kit. Stay tuned for part two next week.

Thanks for joining us today! Be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts so you never miss an episode. Give us a follow on social media and visit thebridechilla.com. To leave a question you'd like to hear answered on the show, head to speakpipe.com/bridechillapodcast, also linked in the description.

Bridechilla is a production of Evergreen Podcasts. Thanks to our producer and engineer, Gray Sienna Longfellow, and our executive producers, Brigid Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. And of course, a special thanks to Aleisha, our OG bridechilla, and Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting. I'm your host, Leah Haslage. Until next time, Chillas!