a wedding planning guide
wedding day emergency kit: what to pack (free checklist)
by sophia + colby, chasing robins media · provo, utah
- who holds it: one trusted person, with a backup.
- what goes in: outfit fixes, comfort items, touch-ups, and a printed timeline.
- when to pack: the night before.
- where to keep it: out of the getting-ready room, within reach.
something small will go sideways on your wedding day: a stain on the hem, a strap that snaps, a blister by hour four. none of it ruins anything, but whether it takes thirty seconds or thirty minutes to fix depends on one thing: whether someone has a small bag with the right stuff in it.
why an emergency kit is worth ten minutes
the things that go wrong on a wedding day are almost never big. they are small and fixable, but only if the fix is nearby. a wedding day timeline has very little slack in it, and every minute spent hunting for a safety pin is a minute out of the moments you actually want to be in.
a kit also takes the problem-solving off you. you do not need to be the person who fixes it. you just need to be the person who says, it is in the bag.
who should carry it
pick one person: your maid of honor, your mom, a sister or a close friend. their only job is to hold the bag all day and stay close enough to reach you quickly. pick a backup too, in case that person is pulled away for family photos or toasts.
what to pack
for your outfit
- safety pins in a few sizes
- double-sided fashion tape
- a mini sewing kit with white and black thread
- a stain remover pen and a lint roller
- wrinkle release spray
- clear nail polish (it stops a run in tights from spreading)
- a spare pair of tights or stockings
for your body
- band-aids and blister pads
- pain reliever and antacid
- tissues, deodorant, mints or gum, lip balm
- period products, just in case
for hair and makeup
- bobby pins and hair ties
- a small comb or brush and travel hairspray
- the lipstick or gloss you are wearing
- powder, blotting papers, cotton swabs and eye drops
for the day itself
- a phone charger and a portable battery
- snacks you actually like and a water bottle with a straw (it protects your lipstick)
- small scissors and a pen
- a printed timeline with your vendors phone numbers
- a copy of your vows
- a few clear umbrellas, if there is any chance of rain
check the dates on any medicine before you pack it, and keep anything you take regularly in the bag too.
how to use it on the day
pack it the night before and put it somewhere that is not in the middle of your getting-ready room. a tidy room with good window light is one of the best things you can give your getting-ready photos, and a pile of bags works against that.
give the printed timeline to your kit holder too. if a vendor is late or something shifts, they can call the right person without digging through texts. and add one thing just for you: a favorite snack, a note from someone you love, a tiny bottle of your perfume. something that feels good when the day gets loud.
one more thing from your photographer
nobody remembers the snagged hem. they remember how the day felt. fix it fast, go back to your people, and let us worry about getting the photos. if you would like help building a timeline that leaves room for the little things, that is something we do with every couple.
free printable
the wedding day emergency kit checklist
everything to pack, who holds the bag, and where it lives all day.
download the emergency kit checklist (pdf)questions we get a lot
who should hold the emergency kit?
one trusted person, like your maid of honor, your mom or a sister, with a backup in case they are pulled away.
when should i pack it?
the night before, so nothing is hunted for on the morning of.
where should the kit stay during getting ready?
somewhere close but out of the middle of the room, like a corner or a closet, so it stays out of your getting-ready photos.
what is the one thing people forget?
a printed timeline with vendor phone numbers, and a phone charger.
if this sounds like the kind of wedding photos you have been looking for…
hi, we think we would get along. we do photo + video together, and we would love to hear about your day.
tell us about your day