Bride Survival Kit 101: Everything to Include in Your Wedding Day Emergency Kit
Keep yourself looking and feeling fresh on your wedding day with a wedding survival kit - here's what you need to include
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People often talk about how your wedding will be the best day of your life, and it certainly is. Something they don’t always mention - it’s also a long day!
With this in mind, a bridal emergency kit is as essential as the wedding cake and confetti, in our eyes. Typically known as a bridal party survival kit, we like to call it a wedding party survival kit, as not all weddings have a bride - and grooms and the wedding party in general need a survival kit just as much.
- Wedding Survival Kit Checklist
- Ready-made Wedding Emergency Kits
- DIY Wedding Survival Kit
- Wedding Survival Kit FAQs
What is a Wedding Day Survival Kit?
A wedding party survival kit is a Mary Poppins-style bag filled with all the little things you need to keep you looking and feeling your best right until the very last dance of the night.
As much as we'd love everything to go perfectly on the day, there's always a chance that you'll get a blister or a headache, a button will fall off or your mascara might smudge. Your wedding emergency kit includes everything you might need to solve any problem that arises, from broken nails to rubbing shoes, errant hair extensions to smudged lipstick.
What is in a Wedding Survival Kit?
If you're wondering exactly what you should include in your survival kit then this is a comprehensive list with all our bridal emergency kit ideas...
Essentials:
- Painkillers
- Safety pins
- Tissues
- Face wipes (to tidy up eye makeup smudges)
- Mints or a small bottle of mouthwash
- Plasters/blister plasters
- Tampons/sanitary pads
- Indigestion tablets
- Dental floss
Hair and Beauty:
- Perfume
- Cotton buds (eco-friendly, please!)
- Mini deodorant
- Hairspray
- Dry shampoo
- Hair pins
- Lip gloss/lipstick (buy a matching one to the one your makeup artist is using)
- Concealer
- Waterproof mascara
- Setting powder
- Oil blotting sheets
- Nail file
- False nail glue
- Nail polish to match your nails
- Clear nail varnish (to stop runs in tights)
- False eyelash glue
- Cotton buds
- Anti-chafing stick (we love Body Glide under dresses in the summer)
- Small hair brush
Clothing and Accessories:
- Needle and thread
- Safety pins
- Boob tape
- Stain remover wipes
- White chalk (to mask light stains)
- Crochet hook (if your dress has lots of buttons)
- Gel pads for feet (Scholl Party Feet get consistently good reviews)
- Spare pair of flat shoes (for sore feet in the evening)
- Spare tights
- Small pair of scissors
- Lint roller
Additional Extras for Your Bridal Emergency Kit Bag
While these aren't essentials, they'll be much appreciated on the day:
- Power bank
- Hydrating eye drops
- Lip balm
- Snacks
- Copy of the day's itinerary and timings
- Hair straightener or curler for evening touch-ups
- Sunblock
- Hand warmers (if you’re marrying somewhere cold)
- Insect repellent (if it's midge season)
Groom Survival Kit
The groom might run into a calamity on the big day too, so we’re sure he’d appreciate a groom’s emergency kit made up for him too.
- Shoe polish
- Extra pair of shoe laces
- Chewing gum
- Lint roller
- Hair gel/spray
- Comb
- Deodorant
- Spare button, needle and thread
- Spare cufflinks
Wedding and Bridal Party Emergency Kit
Whether for your wedding party, or guests in general, having a wedding emergency kit with a selection of essentials is always helpful - whether you place it in the bathroom for guests to dive into, or make one up for each member of your wedding party, these are the goodies we’d include…
- Painkillers
- Plasters
- Deodorant
- Makeup wipes
- Hairspray
- Dry shampoo
- Mints
We think it’d be excessive to buy lash and nail glue for every member of your wedding party, so perhaps they can use yours if one of them has a beauty related emergency.
The same goes for power banks and snacks - while it would be nice to buy one for everyone, it’s not essential!
DIY Wedding Survival Kit Bags
Keep scrolling to find our favourite bags for your DIY bridal emergency kit...
1. Bride Embroidered Pouch - Elizabeth Scarlett
If you just want a small pouch with a few of your absolute essentials then this one from Katie Loxton is a great option. It's covered in sweet embroidered motifs and it's a stunning blue velvet which could count as your something blue!
- Expert take: If you're planning on keeping makeup items in here then you'll be happy to know it's machine washable so you don't need to worry about any stains.
2. Wifey Club Tote Bag - Etsy
If you’re going all in with your emergency kit, including flip flops and hair tools for touch-ups, you’ll need a bigger bag, like this customisable tote, big enough for all the larger essentials.
- Expert take: we especially like the size of this bag as it will be useful for going forward in married life, whether you use it for your honeymoon or to do your shopping.
3. Large Bridal Cosmetics Bag - My Made Yours
We love this simple yet stylish wedding day kit bag in a neutral cream. Personalised with your name and your wedding year, this is perfect for everyone who needs an emergency kit on the big day. Made Yours has tonnes of other matching items that could go alongside this to create a cute set too...
- Expert take: This wedding survival kit bag measures 16cm x 25cm, so before you buy the contents to go inside, make sure they’re going to fit!
Ready Made Wedding Survival Kits
No time to gather all the goodies? Not to worry, ready made wedding survival kits are available, with all the essentials...
1. Big Day Beauty Kit - Selfridges
If you're a nearlywed that's into your beauty then this is a kit you'll want to keep nearby. It contains mini's of some of our favourite beauty products for top ups throughout the day as well as a cleansing balm to take the day off when the time comes...
- Expert take: we love that this kit comes with a mini Delina fragrance, a classic wedding day scent that you'll fall in love with. Plus, the total value comes to a whooping £232!
2. Minimergency Kit - Pinch Provisions
This mini bridal emergency kit really is small bit mighty with a grand total of 21 little essentials to solve most calamaties on your special day. From spare earring backs to antacids and a deodrant towlette, it really does have everything.
- Expert take: we love that this contains so many essentials but still looks super chic in a cream bag with pearl details.
3. Groomsman Survival Kit - Men's Society
If you're a groom looking for a kit then we can recommend this one. While you might need to add to it with a few of your must haves it's a great starting point. You'll find a comb, shoe cleaning cloth and even a toothbrush and toothpaste to keep your breath minty fresh.
- Expert take: if your planning to be hands free on your big day the gift this to your best man instead.
Wedding Survival Kit FAQs
Whether you're a nearlywed to be or helping someone get down the aisle, these FAQs should help you curate the perfect kit...
What should be in a bridal emergency kit?
Your kit should be packed with all the essentials to fix any little hiccups on your special day. We suggest thinking through what you might need by category for example, beauty touch-ups, health helpers, wadrobe fixers and any electronics like portable chargers.
For a comprehensive list head back up to our wedding emergency kit essentials list.
Who carries the bridal emergency kit?
Carrying your own emergency kit just isn't practical so we recommend asking one of your bridesmaids, your maid of honour or even a wedding planner. You'll want to choose someone who is calm, organised and will be nearby.
How big should a bridal emergency kit be?
A small to medium toiletry bag should be fine. You want to choose somethig that is portable yet fit for purpose.
When should you start putting your bridal emergency kit together?
We suggest starting two to three weeks before the wedding so you have time to buy any extra bits you might need.
Can I buy a ready-made bridal emergency kit?
Sure thing! If you'd rather by a bridal kit then we have listed some of our top picks above. They also serve as a great starting point to help you build your own personalised kit.
Now you've got your emergency bridal kit sorted, why not check out our guide for the best wedding bathroom baskets?
