Emergency Kit-Prepare Yourself

If you're a planner, or lacking one, you'll need your "wedding day emergency kit" for all of those little things that just manage to go wrong despite your best intentions. I just made one for a wedding I'm coordinating this weekend, and thought I'd share the list (as well as some tips) with you. Be prepared that if you're going to make a complete one, it will cost you some money...I went to Walmart so it wasn't a fortune..but I still spent $100.

While you can make two different kits (one for the bride and bridesmaids, and one for the groom and groomsmen) I recommend that you just make one that can be used by both, to save money. The first step is to get a container to hold everything in. I recommend a tackle box. They're not very expensive, have a million tiny compartments, but also have enough room to hold the big things too. Go for bigger over smaller...you'd be surprised how much stuff you end up buying and needing room for. My big one is completely full.

Next step, buy all the stuff to go in it. I recommend buying sample items for things that won't get used often or are too expensive in bulk. For other items, you can go ahead and buy a whole box and it probably won't cost much more than the sample. Here's a sample list to go off of. I didn't buy everything on this list, but bought the things I thought would actually be needed. You can customize yours to match what you think you will need. And feel free to add items that are personal to you (say for me that might be Benadryl because I'm allergic to a lot!).

• Antacid (Pepto, Mylanta, Tums, etc.)
• Baby powder (a sample will do just fine)
  
• Baby wipes
• Band-aids (Clear, and in a variety of sizes)
• Bobby pins (in your hair color)
  
• Bottle of water and drinking straw(s)
• Breath mints (tic tacs or gum work too)
• Brush
  
• Chalk (white, to cover up stains)
• Cologne (for him of course....I'd see if you can find the samples in magazines)
  
• Comb (I got a variety of combs for cheaper than one..weird)
  
• Contact lens solution (or eye drops if necessary)
  
• Cotton swabs (I'd get a full box to be safe)
• Deoderant (mens and womens, sample size)
• Double stick tape (I'd get wall mounting tape for holding up dresses, etc.)
• Elastic bands
  
• Extra pair of hose (if you plan on wearing any)
• Gel (a cheap one will work just fine, and both the guy and girl can use it)
  
• Hairspray (I got Aqua Net..it's old school but it works!)
• Hand lotion
• Lint brush (get a big one, not a sample, you'll go through it fast)
  
• Makeup brush
• Makeup remover
• Nail file
• Nail glue
• Nail polish in clear and the same color you're wearing
• Pain reliever (Advil, Tylenol, etc.)
  
• Perfume (again, find samples from magazines)
  
• Safety pins (small and large...large is best for the bustle)
• Scissors (I got a small but sharp pair)
  
• Sewing kit
• Shoe polish kit (for him)
• Sunscreen (for a wedding in the sun..you don't want a sunburn)
  
• Superglue (in case your heel breaks or something)
  
• Small mirror
  
• Small snack (I got snack bars and rice krispie treats...anything packaged individually)
  
• Small hand steamer (for garments...if you can find one for cheap that works)
  
• Stain-remover wipes (I got samples of these)
• Static cling spray
  
• Tampons and pads (just steal some from your bathroom)
• Tissues (pocket packs work great)
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss
• Tweezers (a good plucking is never bad)