The kit, by what actually goes wrong
Emergency kit lists are usually a hundred items long and mostly unused. This one is ordered by how often each item is actually needed, which is a more useful sort order than category.
| Problem | What fixes it | How often it comes up |
|---|---|---|
| Hem down, seam split, button gone | Safety pins in three sizes, needle and thread in the outfit colours, fabric tape | Very often — this is the single most-used part of the kit |
| Blisters and sore feet | Blister plasters, flat shoes for later, gel pads | Very often |
| Headache, hangover, cramps | Paracetamol, ibuprofen, antihistamine, indigestion tablets | Often |
| Makeup needs redoing after crying | Blotting papers, powder, the lipstick being worn, cotton buds | Often |
| Stain on white fabric | Stain remover pen, white chalk (hides small marks on white), baby wipes | Often |
| Hair falling out of place | Grips, spare hairspray, a small brush | Often |
| Nobody can open the wine or the boxes | Corkscrew, scissors, a knife | Sometimes, and always at the worst moment |
| Phone dead | Power bank and the right cables for every phone in the party | Sometimes |
| Deodorant, breath, sweat | Deodorant, mints, tissues, dress shields | Sometimes |
| Something needs sticking down | Double-sided tape, superglue, gaffer tape | Sometimes |
| Rain | Large plain umbrellas, towels | Depends entirely on the forecast |
The three items people forget
Cash. For a tip, a taxi, a delivery, or the one supplier whose card machine does not work. A hundred in small notes solves several problems that nothing else will.
The supplier contact sheet. Printed, not on a phone. Every supplier, their mobile, their arrival time. When a phone dies or a signal drops, this is what saves the afternoon.
Food. Couples routinely go from breakfast to the wedding breakfast with nothing in between, then have champagne on an empty stomach. Cereal bars and water in the getting-ready room.
Who carries it
Name one person, and make sure the bag does not go in a car that leaves after the ceremony. The most common failure of a wedding emergency kit is not that something was missing; it is that the kit was in the boot of a vehicle three miles away.
Print the list and pack it a week early
The checklist pack includes this list in a form you can tick off.
Common questions
What should be in a wedding emergency kit?
Ordered by what is actually used: safety pins and a sewing kit, blister plasters, painkillers, blotting papers and the lipstick being worn, a stain remover pen, hair grips, a corkscrew and scissors, a power bank, deodorant and mints, tape and glue, and umbrellas if rain is forecast.
What do people most often forget in a wedding emergency kit?
Cash in small notes, a printed supplier contact sheet, and food. Couples regularly go from breakfast to the wedding breakfast with nothing in between.
Who should carry the wedding emergency kit?
One named person, usually the maid of honour or best man. The most common failure is not a missing item — it is the bag being left in a car that drove off after the ceremony.
When should the emergency kit be packed?
A week before, not the night before. Packing it early is what surfaces the items you do not own yet.