“Be prepared” isn’t just a good motto for the Boy Scouts—it also works when planning your wedding day. Whether you are the most low-key bride or the bride who has checklists for days, being prepared is an absolute must! As a wedding professional and resource for my couples, I have an obligation to have a tough conversation regarding a Plan B. I talk about the need to expect the unexpected because it is almost guaranteed that your wedding day will have hiccups. But if you are prepared, you can remedy those hiccups as easily as you can hold your breath for 10 seconds.
With that said, I make it a point to always have an emergency kit on hand for all events. This kit is something I have built up over several years and hundreds of events. I feel like I am always learning and adding to it. Pretty soon, it will become less of an emergency kit and more of an emergency suitcase. For practical purposes, however, you do not need the full suitcase. Still, I want to provide you with a list of the top 10 items I keep in that kit and use most often.
- Stain remover – Any good stain remover will do (Tide to-go, Gain, Wine Away, etc.), so pick your preference and grab a few.
- Tampons or pads – With wedding planning comes stress, and with stress comes a screwed-up cycle. Don’t get caught running out to the drug store because Aunt Flo decided to visit unexpectedly.
- Painkillers – Again, any good pain killer will do, so pick one that works best for you. I know we have all taken Advil or Tylenol once or twice (or many times) in our lives, and we all have a preference.
- Face wipes – When the tears start flowing, you will be grateful to have a nice face wipe in your back pocket (or your groom’s pocket) to help fix that running makeup (hello, waterproof mascara!) without wiping away everything else. This will also be beneficial to have at the end of the night when that heavy, photo-perfect makeup becomes just a little too much.
- Bobby pins – I will add exclamation points to this one! Come on, ladies, you know you have them everywhere—in your makeup bag, in your car, in your purse, in your jeans pockets (that one may just be high school me reappearing). And you know they come in handy when that curl won’t stay where it is supposed to, or when you are very tired of having your bangs in your face and just want to party.
- Safety pins – This is another one that I will add exclamation points to in case you can’t hear me in the back! I use some sort of safety pin at almost every one of my events. Get one of those packs that has pins of multiple different sizes because you never know when you will need them. A broken bustle, a loose bridesmaid’s dress, ribbon falling off the bouquets, a forgotten boutonniere pin—I could go on and on with examples. Have them handy!
- Scissors – Big or small, just make sure that you scissors are sharp and cut smoothly without making the object you are cutting fray. A loose dress thread, twine you are using to hang a sign, and a price tag will all benefit from a handy pair of scissors.
- Lint roller – Anyone with animals knows the necessity of this item. No matter how much you try to keep clothing away from them, your items will end up covered in fur.
- Hot glue gun – This may seem silly, but it really isn’t. A hot glue gun is very versatile. The ribbon from your hairpiece that keeps coming loose, the annoying sole on your shoe that keeps folding over, the burlap wrapped around the centerpiece that came unglued—the list of items that can benefit from a hot glue gun goes on. Most craft stores have mini ones now that fit easily in any sized kit.
- Bandages – There are times when even bare feet are tripping hazards, and the last thing you need on your wedding day is a bloody kneecap. Or maybe your little flower girl won’t stop running around and chasing the ring bearer—a recipe for disaster. Pack bandages; you never know when they will become necessary! And try to find ones that match your skin tone (maybe leave the Star Wars band-aids at home).
As I said, this is the down and dirty list of the things I use routinely at events. I realize these things are common sense; however, this is a stressful time, and unless you put together a kit like this beforehand, you will likely forget something crucial. I could go on and on creating a list that is so overwhelming you would only make it through half of it before thinking, “Meh, whatever is going to happen is going to happen.” That isn’t my goal for this post. My goal is to have you read this list and think, “Check, check, check! I got this!”
There are a couple of additional items that come in handy on the set-up side of coordinating; let’s call them honorable mentions. Among these honorable mentions are zip ties and wire cutters. Don’t underestimate the usefulness of a piece of plastic!
I hope you all have found this helpful and that you feel empowered as you pack your own wedding day emergency kit. If you do not have a day-of coordinator in your corner (*cough cough* hire one ASAP), these kits will be lifesavers. With these kits, you will be ready to tackle anything that comes your way, and nothing will be able to put a damper on your perfectly magical day!
