Build vs Buy a Wedding Day Bridal Emergency Kit
Unexpected stuff happens. That’s why we tell brides that a little planning now can make these emergencies and unexpected events much easier to handle when they come along on the day of a wedding.
In this post we’ll guide you through our list of 23 essential items to include when building your own bridal emergency kit.
Don’t worry, most of the items are everyday things you’ll likely have around the house already! A kit isn’t that difficult to prepare. Certainly not as hard as planning who sits next to crazy Uncle Bob at the wedding reception table. 😛
Or, if building a kit isn’t your thing, checkout this pre-made kit from Pinch Provisions.
These days, more and more brides feel stressed about wedding planning.
Perhaps brides are super nervous about facing a rainy wedding day, deciding on the right stationery, or just hoping that two families won’t start feuding during the rehearsal dinner.
No matter what you’re panicked about, planning things ahead of time can help you to manage stress. Want to know one of the best ways to feel fearless in the face of an unexpected wedding day or week disaster?
By preparing a wedding day emergency kit now!
Bridal Emergency Kit Items to Include
1. A Mini Sewing Kit
by Sewing Gear
Last update on 2025-05-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This is perhaps the most essential item in your bridal survival kit. We love this option from Sewing Gear, which comes with everything you need from a safety pin to different colored thread. After all, it’s not just a wedding dress rip or button problem you have to be prepared for.
Something could go wrong with your bridesmaids’ dresses or (even worse) your mother-in-law’s attire. You’re not giving her another chance to make your day all about her.
We like that it also has scissors, so you can cut off any loose threads!
2. Fashion Tape
by No products found.
No products found.
You don’t need any wardrobe malfunctions to become the most memorable part of your day. Throw a little Hollywood Fashion Tape into your Bridal Emergency Kit to make sure everyone’s girls stay firmly in place.
3. A Manicure Fixer
It never fails – even on your wedding day, your manicure somehow still manages to chip.
Don’t sweat it! Instead, toss a nail file (to prevent a jagged or chipped nail from snagging your dress) and your bottle of wedding day nail polish into your bridal emergency kit.
4. Bobby Pins And Hairspray
by Oribe
Read More: 10 Bridal Combs You’ll Want to Wear All Year
Your hair will look perfect for your ceremony and pictures, but what about later when you’re dancing the night away with friends and your new hubby?
You don’t want to have to worry about your hair falling out, or keeping hair combs in place. Instead, toss some hair ties, bobby pins and hairspray into your bag (we love this luxe bobby pin option from Miami master hairdresser Oribe.)
5. Blotting Papers
by Tatcha
Even all the makeup setting spray in the world sometimes can’t keep skin oil at bay. Toss some blotting paper in your emergency bridal kit to make sure that only natural skin glow makes it into your wedding pictures!
6. A Stain-Fighting Pen
by Tide to go Stain Remover pen
Last update on 2025-05-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Accidents happen, even on your wedding day – and nothing is more obvious than a stain on a white wedding dress!
If you or the groom accidentally drop some sauce or spill a little wine on the dance floor, don’t panic!
Toss a Tide To Go Stain Remover pen in your Bridal Emergency Kit.
Pro Tip: To mask tougher stains, we suggest adding a thin stick of white chalk in your kit. You can just draw over serious stains and get on with your night.
7. More Earring Backs
These are the kinds of wedding day items that are tiny, but can have big consequences. You know how easy it is to accidentally drop an earring back – and how impossible it is to find it again.
You don’t want to be “rocking” the single earring trend on your wedding day. Instead, throw a few extra backs in your Bridal Emergency Kit.
8. Drinking Straws
by Amazon
You’ve sat in the makeup chair for longer than you ever have in your entire life.
You don’t want to run the risk of messing up your perfect wedding day makeup by spilling water (or, realistically, champagne) on your face, smudging your lipstick.
Stocking up on some colorful drinking straws ensures the whole bridal party’s lipstick will be on point!
(These ones are paper based biodegradeable, which we love a lot more than plastic)
9. Pain Reliever
Let’s face it: someone in your wedding party is going to be hungover on your wedding day, especially if you heard that the rehearsal dinner after-party or (nautical themed) bachelorette party got a little out of control.
Stashing away some pain reliever like Advil in your kit will make sure that everyone can enjoy the day. Just leave it out on a table, so no one has to feel embarrassed about asking!
10. Deodorant
by Native
Last update on 2025-05-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you’ve splurged on awesome wedding day perfume, you don’t want to ruin it with B.O.
Whether it’s you or a member of the bridal party that really could do with a fresh coat of deodorant or antiperspirant, all of your guests will thank you.
PS: For outdoor wedding you may want to throw in a few moist towelettes so you and your friends can freshen up quickly during the festivities.
11. Super Glue
by Gorilla
Last update on 2025-05-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Yes, including super glue in your emergency kit does sound crazy. That is, until the heel on someone’s shoe breaks ten minutes before the wedding ceremony.
To prevent people from having to hobble down the aisle, toss in a little crazy glue.
12. Band-Aids
Even if your shoe doesn’t break, chances are, especially if you’re dancing or on your feet for hours, you might be at risk for getting serious blisters.
Make sure you keep a box of both regular band-aids and blister-healing options on hand for you and your bridal party.
13. Tampons And Pads
by No products found.
No products found.
Probably a must-have items in every woman’s emergency kit. You never know when Aunt Flo is going to show up, even if she was most definitely not invited to the wedding.
If these aren’t for you, remember that the festivities (where women are constantly around each other) can cause periods to sync up, messing with some people’s regular schedules.
14. Baby Powder
Last update on 2025-05-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Hot summer day and hefty layered wedding and bridesmaid dresses makes for optimum chaffing conditions. Don’t let this happen to you, have the baby powder on stand-by.
15. Tissues or a Personalized Hanky
It’s a big day, there is bound to be a happy tear or two. Guaranteed.
A personalized hanky will (hopefully) not make you cry even more!
16. Granola Bar
If you grew up in an earthquake zone, chances are you’re very familiar with an earthquake kit and granola bars. Just like school, weddings days can make for a long day. You might need a quick little something to nibble on while you wait to walk down the aisle.
Tip: Just make sure the granola bars are sans chocolate chips!
17. Q-Tips
Makeup mess-ups happen and Q-tips are a God send when they do.
18. Lint Roller
In case a good bye hug from Fido before leaving the house left you a little harry, lint rollers are always handy.
19. Breath Mints, Floss, Tooth Brush and Toothpaste
Breath after a granola bar isn’t the most romantic. Make sure you have something to freshen up with before the big smooch.
20. Wet Ones
Sweaty palms or sticky messes can happen, freshen up with a wet one to makes everything better.
21. Tweezers
The good pointy kind that you can literally pick anything with. Whatever you do, stay away from the face!
22. Flats
by Tieks
Read More: Tieks Flats Review
You convinced your mom in the store you could wear these $500 Jimmy Choos all night long. In fact you promised her that you would, as she reluctantly bought them.
Oops! You may have fibbed just a little.
Lets face it, you’ll be standing most of the day and sitting for a while over dinner. The last thing you want to do is dance the night away in those heels. Make sure you have a little something less painful to slip into, just in case.
23. Nylons
Even if you are ever so careful, they still seem to find a way to run. Make sure you have a back up pair!
The Perfect Bridal Emergency Kit
Thanks to this awesome list, you know everything you need to throw in your wedding survival kit to face any last-minute challenges without breaking a sweat.
If you prefer not running around collecting all of this stuff (isn’t that what a maid-of-honor is for?!), you can cheat and get a pre-made kit from Pinch Provisions.
One specific kit – Bridetastic – has 101 wedding day essentials inside. That is obviously way more than our list here, so they definitely have the bride covered!
Meredith
Despite her dreamy wedding blogger lifestyle, Meredith's day job is running ClassicVeils.com and a full-time mom to an active toddler. If she could, Meredith would spend her days taking cruises, helping animals in need, and watching Big Brother!
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