Be Prepared for Anything: The Most Used Items in my Wedding Planner Emergency Kit
Every planner on our team at 36th Street Events has a large tool kit that travels to each wedding. Imagine a luggage-sized tackle box. It’s literally 3’ tall on wheels! In addition to the primary emergency kit, I have a black cross-body bag that never leaves my side. Other ladies on our team prefer the fanny pack or apron, but I am built like a boy and those won’t stay on my hips… truth!
I’m excited to share with you the most used items in my kit, but please don’t for one second think this means you don’t need a wedding planner. I plan to write a future blog on this subject, but for now hear me out: wedding planners hire wedding planners. We understand the value better than anyone. All my wedding planner friends who have been married (including myself) hired planners. Enough on that for now!
Items On-Hand
If you were to dump out that little black bag, here is what you would find:
Small Scissors - Most often used to open packaging, cut string, cut flowers, and cut tags off bridesmaid dresses!
Lighter - Obvisouly used to light candles and sparklers!
Mints - I pass these out to the wedding party before they walk down the aisle. No one wants their first kiss to taste like bourbon or scotch.
Vendor Tips - Our clients give us tips in sealed envelopes prior to the wedding so they don’t have to mess with money on the big day. I keep them all in my bag because it has a zipper and never leaves my side. I prefer to hand out tips after the service has been rendered.
Small Kleenex - These are typically for the mother of the bride, but whoever needs them throughout the day, I’ve got them!
Oil Blotting Paper - These are incase the bride or MOB get a little oily. Okay, yes I use them too!
Bride’s Lipstick and Gloss - I remind the bride to reapply multiple times through the evening just before major photo moments (grand entrance, first dance, toasts, cake cutting, and grand exit).
Bug Spray & Sunscreen - Depending on the time of year and the venue I’ll be sure to pack my purse with these items too!
Bobby Pins and Safety Pins - I’m always sticking an extra bobby pin in a bride’s hair mid-evening and I use safety pins most often to pin up the bustle of the dress. Sounds crazy, but if you’re dancing and running around the property all night it’s likely your bustle won’t make it to the end. I wish dress designers kept this in mind!
My Phone - I keep it in a pocket closest to my hip and set important timers w/ vibration setting. That way my phone vibrates to remind me the cake should be arriving, or time to line up the wedding party. An apple watch would be pretty awesome for this! Maybe Christmas… (hint hint if my husband reads this).
Items in Tackle Box
The items in this box are used less often. Depending on the venue, I may even leave it in my car if it’s easily accessible. Sometimes I leave it in the bridal room for the wedding party to help themselves. That’s fine, but it’s hard for me to know what needs to be replaced when things go missing sporadically. I’ve learned to tell the wedding party that I have a box, but request that they ask for items so I can email myself, “buy more Tylenol”.
Here is what is included in the huge emergency kit:
First Aid Basics- I purchase basic first aid kits from Amazon ranging from $12 to $25 (Link here). I honestly have one in the emergency kit, my car, and the medicine cabinet at home.
Clear Zip Ties - It surprises me how often we use these to fix things! I’ve used zip ties to hold the talit on a chuppah (the fabric above the bride and groom in a Jewish wedding) and to tie a cocktail table linen so it wouldn’t flap in the wind. Note, I’ve since learned to always order fabric ties for cocktail tables if the tables are outside.
Miscellaneous Ribbon - It’s nice to have an assortment of the most common colors: black, white, silver, gold and blush. I’ve used ribbon as suspenders on a table to keep escort cards from flying in the wind, and even to re-wrap a bridal bouquet. Lot’s of uses here!
Extension Cord - The band or DJ usually has extra, but you never know.
Gatorade, Water and Snacks - These come in handy during setup or tear down when you realize you’re starving or dehydrated.
Clear Nail Polish - This comes in handy in two ways. If someone breaks a nail and needs a quick repair, and for jewel-encrusted heels. Many bridal heels have gorgeous detailing that photographs well, but also catches the dress. If your shoes are snagging your dress, clear nail polish can do wonders to smooth out any rough parts.
Mens Dress Socks and Basic Cufflinks - Y’all, some groomsmen groups are a hot mess. I’ve had several groomsmen show up without socks because they thought the rented tux came with them. Huh? Same for cufflinks. I’ve actually had two Fathers of the Bride forget cufflinks.
Tide Pens and Shout Wipes - We bust these out at around 20% of all weddings!
Extra Bug Spray and Sunscreen - If it get’s super buggy you get tired of guests asking for the spray. Just set them out around cocktail tables and the restrooms.
Extra Lighters - I recommend the long ones designed for lighting candles. I try to have at least 5 in my kit at all times. We usually have 4 people lighting sparklers at the send off!
Benadryl- I’ve seen wasp stings, allergy attacks, and I once had a bride covered in ants from standing in an ant pile during photos. Always have Benadryl on hand!
Duck Tape- Would you believe it if I told you I once used duck tape to patch a hole in a tent on a cold winter night? I happen to have photo evidence! Duck tape is super handy!
Duck Tape
Used for many things, including patching holes in tents!
Let me know if you found this useful! Wedding SCOUT is designed to help couples find the venue of their dreams, but it’s fun to share what I’ve learned over the past 10 years as a wedding planner. If you like what you’re learning, drop me an email, a DM on any social media platform, or leave a comment here!