Essentials You NEED In Your Wedding Coordinator Bag

Any Wedding Coordinator knows the importance of their Emergency Kit. 

Unexpected challenges arise and our job is to fight fires in the background, ensuring guests and, most importantly, the nearly-weds do not read any sense of panic from us.

Enter: A Wedding Coordinator’s Emergency Kit.

Think Mary Poppins and Hermoine’s Undetectable Extension Charm all rolled into one.

​Every Wedding Coordinator will have their own list of holy grail items - which have likely proven life-saving time and time again… This post unveils some of the must-have items we carry to make our job that little bit easier…

Before we can get into the items you need in your emergency kit, it is crucial to highlight the importance of the vessel in which you choose to carry these items

Consider where this bag will be going - up stairs, in fields, down country paths - and buy accordingly.  It might be wise to buy something with wheels for ease of transport, and lots of pockets for easy access and organisation. Alternatively, you could get a collapsable hand truck - which is great if you think you’ll need to be moving lots of bits about, as you can’t always rely on the other vendors to have one (or lend it out!).

Don’t be afraid to spend some money on it - it will probably be to your benefit after all.

Now you’ve sorted your large bag (which will hold most of your emergency kit and will stay stowed away for the majority of the day), you need to consider what you’ll use to carry the necessities around with you. We’d recommend a cross-body or bum bag - both can be discreet and keep your hands free from clutter.

All that’s left to do is fill them…

1. Personal Hygiene Kit

Whether it’s the bride or groom, wedding party, or you, someone will need things out of your personal hygiene kit. 

The most popular items are easily spray deodorant and oil blotting sheets - these are must haves!

​You’ll also want to carry a hairbrush, comb hair spray, hair bands and bobby pins (in different colours); tissues, mints, and floss; eyelash glue and tweezers; lip salve (tube not tub!); tampons and sanitary pads; suncream and aloe gel; nail files, clear nail varnish (can help prevent chips from worsening or tights from laddering) and nail varnish remover; body tape (you won’t believe how useful this is), cotton buds, hand sanitiser and baby wipes.

    2.  First Aid Kit
We always hope that we won’t need to delve into our First Aid Kit, but, more often than not, someone needs something…

The most popular items in the First Aid Kit are definitely blister plasters.

You’ll also want painkillers (I stock a mixture of Anadin, Ibuprofen, Kwells and Pepto-Bismol); hayfever/allergy relief tablets; 4Head stick; insect repellant and bite cream; and a standard First Aid Kit including: plasters (hypoallergenic), antiseptic wipes, eyewash, instant ice packs, heat retaining foil blanket, gloves, first aid tweezers, first aid scissors, micropourous tape and burn gel sachets.

    3.  Repairs Kit
Whether it’s a broken heel, a drop of prosecco or a stretched strap - your repairs kit needs to be able to handle all circumstances.

Our most popular item is absolutely the sewing kit - proving time and time again why we have it in our Emergency Kit. From minor repairs to outfit malfunctions, we ALWAYS reach for this.

​You’ll also need an assortment of safety pins and pearl pins; fabric scissors; Tide stain pens and chalk pens; a mini tool kit (including pliers, screwdrivers etc.), utility knife and super glue; twine, cable ties and fishing wire; an assortment of batteries; glass cleaner wipes; and an assortment of black duct tape, gaffer tape, scotch tape and double-sided tape (you never know which you’ll need for a quick decor fix).

    4.  ‘Just In Case’ Kit
Your ‘Just In Case Kit’ will be home to things that you’ll reach for less-frequently, as it’s going to include things that other vendors tend to have provided or are on hand, but it would be catastrophic if no one had one…

Top prize here goes to the bottle opener. Imagine you’ve ordered 40 bottles of corked wine and there’s no corkscrew… Here you are to save the day (again!).

You’ll also need water and snack bars (whilst you should be able to obtain food and water on the day, you need these things on hand if you don’t have a lot of time); ivory and blue ribbons (in case the bride needs a quick bouquet fix or has forgotten her something blue); white/black cards and white/black pens (for last minute messages or seating adjustments).

    5.  Miscellaneous Items
The miscellaneous items are pretty crucial and come out fairly regularly. You’ll want to make sure you split these between your large and small bags according to how frequently you’ll use them (i.e. lighters definitely need to go in your small bag).

Of the miscellaneous items, the lighters (make sure they’re mini tube lighters to [1] fit in your small bag and [2] reduce the chance of burning your fingers), cross-body phone strap and (fully-charged) portable charger (and 2 cables) prove so useful time and time again.

​You’ll also want to find space for a portable wireless speaker (the bride may have forgotten to bring one for when her and her bridesmaids are getting ready) and an extension chord (to ensure there’s room for everyone to charge their phones, curl their hair, and boil the kettle); a lint roller; bin bags; a torch; at least one clear or white umbrella; a handheld steamer; spare shoes (for you and the some white flip-flops for the bride); your trusty clipboard; and some spare black socks for the groom/groomsmen.

Your Emergency Kit will probably need to be tailored as per the wedding’s location, climate and theming, but the basis of it will remain the same. 

As a Wedding Coordinator, you need to be able to adapt and handle unforeseen circumstances - and this is all down to the preparation. You’ll have done everything you can before the day… now it’s down to the communication and problem-solving skills of you and your team. A well-equipped Emergency Kit can make all the difference in producing a seamless and memorable day.

Be sure to share your Emergency Kit Essentials with us in the comments below.

NB: Make sure you are regularly checking the expiry dates on products like hygiene items, medications and food. It’s no good having something with you if you can’t use it.

Written by Siobhan Tinnion
​Events & Marketing Manager