Last-Minute Wedding Day Items that You Will Actually Use

Leading up to the final days before my wedding, I was scrambling to find everything that I might need for our destination wedding. I went online to look up all the things needed in a bridal emergency kit and came across some of the longest lists. Of course, I assembled everything possible and ended up using absolutely none of it. There was only one thing that I didn’t find on any of the other lists online and it was the one thing that I absolutely needed. Keep reading to find last-minute wedding day items that you will actually use.

The best way to assemble a bridal emergency kit is to find a small bag, around the size of a make up bag to put all these little items in. I try to keep things small so look into getting travel sizes. You can then recruit one of your bridesmaids to keep the bag with them and transport it to your venue. Once you have assembled all your items, head over to my post for how to create a relaxing wedding day timeline.

Caffeine

I got maybe all of four hours of sleep the night before our wedding so by the time I was in the chair getting my make-up done I was practically falling asleep. My adrenaline was pumping and I was running through all the details in my head, which made it impossible to get any sort of rest. I am usually not an advocate for caffeine and rarely drink coffee myself, BUT caffeine was a must for me the morning of our wedding.

Thankfully, my bridesmaids ran to Starbucks and got a hot chocolate with a shot of espresso in it, which helped get me through the morning. That being said, if you are not a coffee drinker, I recommend getting some form of energy water enhancer like Crystal Light Energy or MiO Energy. These little packets are great items to add to your kit just in case you end up not being able to sleep the night before and need an extra boost to start your day.

Steamer

This one won’t fit in a small bag, but it is a necessity to have. My bridesmaids and I spent a good portion of the morning steaming my wedding dress and veil to get out all the wrinkles from transport. It is great to have on hand for other people’s dresses and shirts as well. You can get a small portable steamer that doesn’t take up much space and is way easier to use than an iron.

Wedding Playlist

Set the mood on your wedding day by making sure you have a wedding playlist ready to roll in the morning while you are getting ready. I recruited one of my bridesmaids to create the playlist below based on some of my favorite songs. It helps set the tone for the day and keeps you nice and relaxed.

Hot Tip: You can’t go wrong with The Dixie Cups’ Chapel of Love.

Crochet Hook

This is a must-have if your wedding dress has a lot of buttons on it. Looping each of those buttons can take a long time and be a pain, but a crochet hook makes them easy to grab and hook. My stepmom used one of these for my dress and wouldn’t have been able to do it without this handy tool. Just be sure to go slow and don’t miss one. We ended up having to redo half the buttons since we accidentally missed one of the loops.

Eyelash Glue

When preparing for my wedding I never saw eyelash glue listed anywhere when I was looking up what to include in my emergency kit. This is the absolute one thing that I needed on my wedding day and did not have! After getting my make-up professionally done, we were in the middle of family portraits and my eyelash was only half on. I fortunately had an amazing coordinator who was able to track down some eyelash glue for me and we were able to reattach it before the ceremony. If you plan on using false eyelashes then definitely make sure you have some spare glue in your emergency kit, just in case.

Phone Charger

Some people like to just put their phone away and enjoy the day. I recommend designating another person to take emergency calls for those people who are running late or can’t find the venue. However, I still really liked having my phone on me just to take more candid pictures. We had a professional photographer, but she didn’t show up until closer to the ceremony. Therefore, I used my phone to capture all the moments up until then. Keep a charger close by for yourself or others to make sure you don’t miss anything!

Snacks and Water

Wedding days can be super long and draining. Between nerves, adrenaline, and everything going on, it is easy to forget to eat something substantial. Make sure you have snacks on hand to munch on when hunger strikes. This will keep you energized and prevent you from getting hangry. Keep snacks light such as granola to make sure you don’t upset your stomach on your big day. Even though you might want to avoid frequent bathroom trips in a wedding dress, it is also important to keep yourself hydrated to avoid any headaches or fatigue.

Tissues

If you are the crying type of person then keep tissues close by for all those happy tears! I gave out small packets to all my bridesmaids just in case they needed them as well.

Make-up for Touch Ups

If you are getting your make-up done professionally, be sure to ask them what products they are using or if they have any samples they could send you home with. After a long day, you might want to touch up your make-up before taking pictures. Even if you are doing your own make-up, I recommend using a setting spray which will help your make-up last all day with minimal touch-ups needed. I honestly probably only touched up my lip gloss once before I took sunset pictures with my husband, but I didn’t need much more than that.

Sewing Kit

Sewing kits are just always good to have on hand in the event you need to repair anything. When I was walking down the aisle, my dress was maybe half an inch too long and I managed to trip on it and slightly rip it. It was so minor that I never fixed it, but had it happened before the ceremony I definitely would have taken the time to sew it.

Band-Aids

These are great for minor injuries obviously, but more importantly they are good to have on hand in the event your shoes have given you blisters. Avoid this by taking the time to break in your shoes well before your wedding day. If you aren’t able to do that though, band-aids are good to put on the back of your heel and minimize rubbing.

Deodorant

No one wants to feel stinky on their wedding day. Deodorant is especially good to have on hand if you are getting married outside in the summer. It helps keep sweat and body odor at bay.

Pads/Tampons

These are not only great for you to have for yourself, but people in your bridal party or even some of your guests might thank you for having feminine supplies on hand. Some people go as far to create an emergency basket in the bathroom for guests, but I think just keeping some extras in your emergency kit is enough.

Bobby Pins & Hairspray

I recommend doing a hair trial prior to your wedding day to test that your hairstyle holds all day. Sometimes as you are dancing all night though that fancy updo can become a down-do pretty quickly. Stock up on cheap bobby pins and hairspray to make sure your hair stays perfect all night long. These are great to have for your bridal party as well if they plan on doing their hair.

Sunscreen

This is a must-have if you are having an outdoor wedding or plan on taking photographs outside. You do not want to look like a bright red tomato in all of your photos. Try different sunscreens out before your wedding day though to make sure you use one that doesn’t leave any sort of white residue that would show up in pictures.

Stain Remover Pen

Accidents happen, so have a stain remover pen close by if they do. I was extremely nervous to be eating dinner in my wedding dress, but having a stain pen in my emergency kit put my mind at ease a little bit. Fortunately, this is one I didn’t need but glad I had it!

Ibuprofen

Headaches or any sort of body pain seem to strike at the absolute worst time. Don’t let those stop you on your big day by having ibuprofen or any sort of other necessary medications on hand. Other medications you might want to have could be antacids, allergy medication, or anti-nausea.

Scissors

A small pair of scissors can be great when you come across a last minute tag left in a dress somewhere. If you have stray threads, scissors will also take care of those right away. You never know when you might need to cut something, so it is good idea to have a small pair in your kit.

Straws

If you are like me and more prone to spilling things on yourself, straws can be a lifesaver when sipping on anything while in your wedding dress. Straws also help make sure your lipstick stays in place.

Blue Pen

You never know when you will need a pen and they take up very little space. Whether it is writing a quick note to your spouse-to-be or even signing your marriage license, make sure you have a pen on hand. A blue pen can also be a great idea for a last minute “something blue”. I had my bridesmaids write little notes to me on the bottom of my shoes using a blue pen or you could have someone write something on the inside of your dress.

What items did you end up absolutely needing on your wedding day and which ones could you have done without? Let me know in the comments!

Wedding Photography Credit: Asheville Wedding Photography