Search for a wedding emergency kit and you can quickly end up with a shopping list longer than the one for the wedding itself. Three kinds of tape, six spare items you’ve never used and a bag nobody wants to carry.
I’d keep it smaller. A few familiar things, in a place people can find, are much more useful than an impressive collection that stays locked in someone’s car.
Start with the small, practical things
Think about what could help with a loose fastening, a tearful speech or a phone running out of charge. A sensible starting list might be:
- Tissues and a small pack of wipes.
- A few safety pins and a simple sewing kit.
- A lint roller.
- A charging cable or power bank.
- Any personal essentials you already use.
- An umbrella or another agreed weather backup.
Adjust it to your clothes, venue and plans. If you don’t know how to use something safely, your wedding morning probably isn’t the moment to experiment with it.
Ask the venue what they already have
Before buying duplicates, ask your venue what’s available and who to contact if you need help. There may already be useful supplies on site. Knowing where to ask is part of being prepared.
For anything that needs specialist help, use the appropriate person. Your little bag is there for everyday practicalities, not to replace the venue’s emergency arrangements.
Give the kit a person
“We’ve got an emergency kit” is reassuring. “Morgan has it, and it’s in the cloakroom” is actually useful.
Ask someone if they’re happy to look after it. Make sure they know what’s inside, where it will be and whether it needs to move when you change venues. The carrier and the person responsible for its location might be different people. That’s fine, as long as they both know.
Keep it accessible
A kit in a locked room, with the key held by someone who has already left, is a bit less helpful than planned. Check access, especially if bags are being moved during the day.
Tell your go-to contact where to find it. If the wedding party have copies of your plan, put the location there too. You shouldn’t need a group chat investigation every time someone wants a tissue.
Have a couple of backup conversations
Some things won’t fit in a bag. Where will you go if it rains? Who answers a supplier’s question while you’re getting dressed? How will you get between venues if the travel arrangements change?
You don’t need to rehearse every possible problem. A few agreed contacts and a sensible alternative are enough to make many small changes less stressful.
Then let the kit get on with its quiet little job
Hopefully you won’t need much of it. Preparing a small kit is about giving yourself somewhere to turn, so you can get back to enjoying the day.
Use our free wedding emergency checklist to choose what belongs in yours. The £1.99 Personalised Wedding Toolkit also puts the kit carrier, location contact and main go-to person into your personalised plans.