diff --git a/frontend/src/components/EventAdmin.tsx b/frontend/src/components/EventAdmin.tsx
index 5a49b58..9525e5a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/EventAdmin.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/EventAdmin.tsx
@@ -85,17 +85,42 @@ const EventAdmin: React.FC = () => {
         axios.get(`/api/events/${slug}/rsvps`)
       ]);
       setEvent(eventResponse.data);
-      setNeededItems(eventResponse.data.needed_items || []);
+      
+      // Parse needed_items
+      let items: string[] = [];
+      if (eventResponse.data.needed_items) {
+        try {
+          items = typeof eventResponse.data.needed_items === 'string'
+            ? JSON.parse(eventResponse.data.needed_items)
+            : Array.isArray(eventResponse.data.needed_items)
+              ? eventResponse.data.needed_items
+              : [];
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.error('Error parsing needed_items:', e);
+          items = [];
+        }
+      }
+      setNeededItems(items);
       
       // Parse items_bringing for each RSVP
-      const processedRsvps = rsvpsResponse.data.map((rsvp: RSVP) => ({
-        ...rsvp,
-        items_bringing: typeof rsvp.items_bringing === 'string'
-          ? JSON.parse(rsvp.items_bringing)
-          : Array.isArray(rsvp.items_bringing)
-            ? rsvp.items_bringing
-            : []
-      }));
+      const processedRsvps = rsvpsResponse.data.map((rsvp: RSVP) => {
+        let itemsBringing: string[] = [];
+        try {
+          itemsBringing = typeof rsvp.items_bringing === 'string'
+            ? JSON.parse(rsvp.items_bringing)
+            : Array.isArray(rsvp.items_bringing)
+              ? rsvp.items_bringing
+              : [];
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.error('Error parsing items_bringing:', e);
+          itemsBringing = [];
+        }
+        
+        return {
+          ...rsvp,
+          items_bringing: itemsBringing
+        };
+      });
       
       setRsvps(processedRsvps);
       setLoading(false);
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/RSVPForm.tsx b/frontend/src/components/RSVPForm.tsx
index c1d3ade..187af7b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/RSVPForm.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/RSVPForm.tsx
@@ -52,11 +52,16 @@ const RSVPForm: React.FC = () => {
         // Ensure needed_items is an array
         let items: string[] = [];
         if (response.data.needed_items) {
-          items = Array.isArray(response.data.needed_items) 
-            ? response.data.needed_items 
-            : typeof response.data.needed_items === 'string'
-              ? response.data.needed_items.split(',').map((item: string): string => item.trim())
-              : [];
+          try {
+            items = typeof response.data.needed_items === 'string'
+              ? JSON.parse(response.data.needed_items)
+              : Array.isArray(response.data.needed_items)
+                ? response.data.needed_items
+                : [];
+          } catch (e) {
+            console.error('Error parsing needed_items:', e);
+            items = [];
+          }
         }
         
         console.log('Processed needed items:', items);