Wedding Q&A: How To Stock An Emergency Kit

Welcome to an all new Wedding Wednesday Q&A! Today we’re talking about the dreaded wedding emergency: I don’t have a wedding planner and so I have to plan for emergencies myself. I know wedding planners always have an emergency kit on hand for their clients, so I want to put one together for myself. But, I was wondering what are the most important items for me to have in this kit?

That is a great question! And you are right, we wedding planners carry an emergency kit with almost everything you can imagine. We need to be prepared for practically any situation, so our kits are fairly large, but in reality there are only a handful of items that I’ve actually consistently used for my clients. So, below you will find two separate lists to help you plan. The first is a list of items you should have packed with you in your getting ready bag that are handy to have and the second list has the important emergency items that you might need.

Items you should have already packed in your getting ready bag:

1. Deodorant – Don’t leave home without it!
2. Dental floss – For those moments when you have lettuce stuck in your teeth or need something stronger than thread
3. Makeup – So you can touch up your lipstick or face if needed
4. Tweezers – In case you have a stray eyebrow hair
5. Tampons – Surprises do happen

Emergency kit items:

1. Sewing kit – I’ve had to sew buttons back on the guys suits more than once
2. Bandaids (clear and flesh colored) – Everyone will need these from kids who hurt themselves to ladies with blisters from all the dancing
3. Medication – You’ll want to carry pain meds like Advil and Tylenol, stomach medicine like Peptol Bismol, and allergy meds like Zyrtec
4. Lint roller – Fuzz is no fun
5. Bobby pins – Over time a piece of your updo may fall out and these easily solve your problem
6. Hair spray – Same deal as the above
7. Blotting papers – If your face tends to get shiny, these are great to have handy to touch up between the ceremony and reception
8. Travel steamer – If your location doesn’t have a steamer onsite, this is a great to have on hand for the bridesmaids, for your mothers and even for yourself to get out those last minute wrinkles
9. Bug spray – This is only necessary if you are having an outdoor wedding somewhere with mosquitos and if you are having that type of wedding, make sure to provide additional ones for your guests to use
10. Travel tissue – You’ll want these for your tears, but also in case you have any makeup emergencies
11. Scissors – Someone always needs a pair even if it’s just to cut a stray thread
12. Tape – Double stick is super helpful as is blue painters tape and duct tape when setting up decor items
13. Ribbon – White satin ribbon is always safe, but if you have special ribbon that matches the other decor items, it’s always good to have extra on hand
14. Straws – I usually give these to my clients as they are really useful for the girls so they can drink without ruining their lipstick
14. Breath mints – Always a good idea before the ceremony
15. Safety pins – If something rips, this is a lifesaver
16. Spot remover – Tide to go works well for those accidental stains

The nice thing about the above items is that if you don’t already have them on hand, you can easily buy them and you’ll most likely use it in everyday life, so it’s not wasted money. All you have to do is pack it in a small bag and have it on hand, and you’ll be prepared with your own emergency kit.

Got a wedding planning question? Share it with us and we’ll get you an answer.