The wedding bathroom basket: what to put in it
A list for both sides of the restroom, what to leave out, and how many baskets a restroom trailer takes.
· Restroom Ranch, Westfield, Indiana
The short answer
A wedding bathroom basket holds the small things a guest might need halfway through the evening and did not think to bring: bobby pins, a stain pen, mints, a bandage for a blister. It is optional. What it does is save a guest from hunting down a bridesmaid to ask for a safety pin in the middle of the reception.
Put one at every sink, keep it small enough that guests can still use the tap, and leave out anything the restroom already supplies. Our trailers arrive stocked with paper towels, toilet paper and hand soap, so the basket only needs the extras. Then ask one person to check on it once during the reception.
Do you need one at all?
No. A wedding runs fine without a basket, and it is the first thing to drop if the budget is tight. It is most useful in these four situations.
The wedding is outside
Heels on grass cause blisters and wind undoes hair. Both take a minute to fix if the right thing is on the vanity.
The reception runs late
The longer the evening, the more the mints, the deodorant and the lint roller get used.
It is a hot afternoon
A July ceremony in the sun is when blotting papers and a spare hair tie stop being extras.
Guests came from a hotel
Out-of-town guests have only what fit in a clutch or a jacket pocket.
The wedding bathroom basket list
Travel sizes and single-wrapped items throughout. A shared tube or an open tin gets handled by every guest who uses the room.
In every basket
- Breath mints or gum, individually wrapped, for after dinner and before the dancing.
- Floss picks, also wrapped one at a time.
- A stain remover pen, for red wine on a white shirt or grass on a hem.
- Bandages, including blister pads. New shoes and a lawn are a bad combination.
- Safety pins and a small sewing kit, for a strap, a hem or a loose button.
- Hand lotion in a pump bottle, which is easier to share than a tube.
- A packet of tissues. The ceremony will have used some.
- A lint roller. Dark suits pick up everything.
- Deodorant wipes or spray rather than a stick that everyone shares.
- Pain reliever and antacid in sealed single-dose packets, so guests can see exactly what they are taking.
Add on the women’s side
- Bobby pins and hair ties, more than you think you need.
- Pads and tampons.
- Blotting papers and cotton swabs, for shine and for smudged mascara.
- A travel can of hairspray.
- Clear nail polish, the old fix for a run in tights.
Add on the men’s side
- A comb.
- Spare collar stays, for a rented shirt that arrived without them.
- Shoe-shine wipes, if the ceremony is on grass or gravel.
For an outdoor wedding
Put sunscreen and insect repellent on a small table outside the restroom door rather than on the vanity, so nobody sprays repellent inside a small room. Flip-flops for tired feet belong beside the dance floor, where the dancers can reach them.
What to leave out
Some of what basket lists suggest is already in our trailers, and a few things do not belong in a restroom at all.
- Paper towels, toilet paper and hand soap. Every one of our trailers arrives stocked with all three.
- Candles. The trailers have their own interior LED lighting, and an open flame beside a paper towel dispenser is not worth the risk.
- Anything in glass. Plastic travel bottles survive being knocked into the sink.
- An open bowl of candy. Wrapped mints only, for the same reason as the floss picks.
- Full-size bottles. They crowd the vanity and guests only need a little.
How many baskets, and where they go
One basket per sink. Our floor plans show a sink in every room, so the count depends on the trailer.
Two baskets for the 2-Station
One in the women’s room and one in the men’s. Each room has its own vanity with a stainless steel sink.
Three baskets for the 3-Station
It has two women’s rooms and a men’s room, each with its own sink, so every room gets one.
Two baskets for the 5-Station
The women’s wing has a double vanity and the men’s wing has its own sink. Put the larger basket on the double vanity.
Keep each one small. On the 2-Station and the 3-Station each room has a single-sink vanity, and guests still need room to wash their hands. A shallow tray or a narrow basket sits beside the sink without crowding it.
On the day
Set the baskets out once the trailer is staged. We deliver ahead of your start time, so the trailer is leveled, stocked and staged before your first guest arrives. Hand the baskets to your coordinator or a bridesmaid with a note saying which one goes in which room.
Have someone check them once. After dinner is a good moment. Tidy the tray and refill whatever is low.
Add a small card. Guests are not always sure a basket is for them. A card that says “Please help yourself” with your names underneath is enough.
Take the baskets home at the end of the night. We handle takedown afterwards, and the baskets are yours, so collect them before we come for the trailer.
If you have not chosen a trailer yet, our guide to restroom trailers for weddings covers placement and timing, and the sizing guide covers which size fits your guest count.
Questions couples ask
What should be in a wedding bathroom basket?
In every basket: wrapped mints, floss picks, a stain remover pen, bandages and blister pads, safety pins, a small sewing kit, hand lotion, tissues, a lint roller, deodorant wipes, and pain reliever and antacid in sealed single-dose packets. On the women’s side, add bobby pins, hair ties, pads, tampons, blotting papers and hairspray. On the men’s side, add a comb and spare collar stays.
Do you need a bathroom basket at a wedding?
No, it is optional. It is most useful at an outdoor wedding, at a long reception, on a hot day, or when many guests are staying at a hotel and have only what they carried with them.
What goes in a men’s wedding bathroom basket?
Everything from the shared list, plus a comb, spare collar stays and, for a ceremony on grass or gravel, shoe-shine wipes. Deodorant wipes, mints, a stain pen and a lint roller matter as much on the men’s side as anywhere.
How many bathroom baskets do I need for a restroom trailer?
One per sink. For our trailers that is two for the 2-Station, three for the 3-Station and two for the 5-Station, where the larger basket goes on the double vanity in the women’s wing.
Does a restroom trailer come stocked?
Ours do. Every Restroom Ranch trailer arrives stocked with paper towels, toilet paper and hand soap, so your basket does not need to include them.
Who looks after the basket during the wedding?
Ask your coordinator or a bridesmaid to set the baskets out once the trailer is staged, check them once after dinner, and take them home at the end of the night before the trailer is collected.
Book the restroom, then fill the basket
Send the date, the venue and the guest count. We will tell you which trailer we would put on it and what it costs, all-in.