If there’s one thing you can count on during a wedding day, it’s that something unexpected is going to happen. Whether it’s a wardrobe malfunction, a missing boutonnière, or a last-minute décor hiccup, even the most perfectly planned day can throw you a curveball. That’s why having a solid wedding planner emergency kit isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a must.
Because let’s be honest, as the planner, you’re the go-to person when things go sideways. If a groomsman forgets his tie, the bride’s dress needs a quick stitch, or the schedule suddenly shifts? Everyone’s looking at you to make it right.
In this guide, I’m sharing everything you should pack in your wedding day emergency kit, plus a few tips to make sure you’re ready for anything that comes your way.
Why Every Wedding Planner Needs an Emergency Kit
Even with a perfectly planned timeline, things can go wrong. A bride’s dress strap could snap, a groomsman might forget his socks or a sudden rainstorm could require a last-minute venue adjustment. While these situations may seem minor, they can feel like disasters in the moment—especially for couples who want their day to be perfect (read: every single one).
Plus, having an emergency kit isn’t just about being helpful—it’s about reinforcing your reputation as a professional. Couples trust their wedding planner to stay calm, organized, and prepared for anything. When you can step in with a quick fix before they even realize there’s an issue, it builds confidence in your abilities. Your preparedness will leave a lasting impression, which in turn makes clients more likely to recommend you to others.
As someone who spent over a decade as a wedding planner, I can tell you that being proactive rather than reactive is what separates great wedding planners from the rest. So let’s get into the specifics of what you need to have in your wedding planner emergency kit!
Items to Include in Your Wedding Planner Emergency Kit
Somehow, your wedding planner emergency kit needs to be stocked with everything you need to handle last-minute fixes, beauty touch-ups, wardrobe malfunctions, and unexpected venue issues. While the exact contents may vary depending on your planning style, client needs, and venue setup, here are the must-have items every wedding planner should carry:
1. Wardrobe and Fashion Fixes
Even the most carefully tailored outfits can run into issues on the big day. Be ready with:
- Mini sewing kit (with needles, thread in common colors, and safety pins)
- Double-sided fashion tape
- Stain remover wipes
- Lint roller
- Hem tape
- Dress weights
- Extra earring backs
- Clear nail polish (to secure accessories!)
2. Beauty and Hygiene Essentials
More than just attire, your clients and their wedding party will appreciate having last-minute beauty touch-ups and personal care items at hand. I like to include:
- Blotting papers
- Setting spray
- Lip balm and lipstick in a neutral shade
- Hairspray and bobby pins
- Deodorant wipes
- Body spray
- Mints or breath spray
- Hand sanitizer and wet wipes
- Tissues
3. First Aid and Medications
Wedding days are long, and unexpected health needs can arise. In my experience, you’ll definitely want some of these in your wedding planner emergency kit:
- Pain relievers (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin)
- Band-aids and blister pads
- Antiseptic wipes and antibiotic ointment
- Allergy medication
- Tampons and panty liners
- Cough drops and lozenges for last-minute sore throats
4. Tools and Fix-It Supplies
From broken decorations to venue mishaps, having the right tools on hand in your wedding planning emergency kit will help make sure that you’re prepared. Include:
- Multi-tool or mini screwdriver
- Zip ties and floral wire
- Scissors
- Tape (duct, masking, and clear)
- Super glue and hot glue gun
- Extension cords and power strips
- Command hooks and removable adhesive strips to avoid damage at venues
5. Snacks and Hydration
Long wedding days mean long hours without breaks. Keep yourself (and your couple) fueled with:
- Granola bars or protein snacks
- Bottled water
- Straws
- Small candies or gum
6. Miscellaneous Must-Haves
Finally, these items may not fit into a specific category, but they’re lifesavers in a pinch:
- Notebook and extra pens
- Your wedding planning binder (head here to see what should be included!)
- Phone charger and portable battery pack
- Small flashlight
- Extra boutonnieres, corsage pins, and ribbons
- Umbrellas
By keeping these essentials in your wedding planner emergency kit, you’ll be fully prepared to handle any minor mishaps that come your way.
Want a full, detailed checklist to make sure your wedding planner emergency kit is fully stocked? Download my Wedding Planner Emergency Kit Checklist, your complete guide to stocking (or restocking) your wedding day essentials. Grab your copy here!
Wedding Planner Emergency Kit Must-Haves for Your Team
We’ve talked a lot about what you need for your couple (and their decor!), but as a wedding planner, you’re not the only one who needs to be prepared on the big day—your team does too. Whether you have assistants, coordinators, or associate planners supporting you, ensuring they have their own wedding planner emergency kit can make all the difference in how smoothly the event runs.
Why Your Team Needs Their Own Kits
As the lead planner, you’re constantly pulled in multiple directions. If your team has their own smaller emergency wedding planner kits with the essentials—safety pins, stain remover, pain relievers, bobby pins, and a wedding-day timeline—they can handle minor emergencies on their own. This means fewer interruptions and a more seamless event execution.
Beyond just having the right supplies, your team also needs proper training to know how to handle last-minute challenges. A well-prepared assistant should be able to:
- Anticipate potential problems before they arise.
- Handle common issues like boutonniere mishaps, timeline adjustments, and quick wardrobe fixes.
- Manage their responsibilities without needing constant direction.
Having the right team and ensuring they know how to step in proactively is a game-changer for wedding day success.
How to Train Your Team for Wedding Day Preparedness
A strong, organized team doesn’t just happen—it’s built with clear roles, structured training, and a defined system for delegation. If you want to streamline your staffing process and ensure every wedding runs smoothly, you need a wedding day staffing framework that sets expectations and empowers your team.
That’s exactly what I cover inside my playbook Wedding Day Staffing Formula for Wedding Planners. If you want to feel confident delegating tasks, reduce stress, and create a team that makes every event seamless, check out the Wedding Day Staffing Formula for Wedding Planners to get the exact framework I’ve used to build a highly effective wedding day team. Positive reviews and testimonials are invaluable when it comes to attracting future clients and building your reputation as a wedding coordinator. But in most cases? You do need to ASK.
Wedding Week Preparation: Beyond the Emergency Kit
Before I let you go, I want to say this: while having a wedding planner emergency kit is essential, the best way to prevent day-of disasters is to stay ahead of potential issues before the wedding day even arrives. The final week leading up to the event is when last-minute changes happen, vendors need final confirmations, and unexpected challenges can pop up. Having a structured wedding week preparation process ensures that everything runs smoothly and reduces unnecessary stress.
How Wedding Week Prep Prevents Last-Minute Chaos
Wedding week is not the time to be scrambling to finalize vendor contracts, adjust timelines, or double-check rental deliveries. If you're rushing to confirm details at the last minute, it increases the chances of mistakes, miscommunications, and preventable mishaps on the wedding day.
A well-organized wedding week workflow allows you to:
- Confirm all final details with vendors ahead of time.
- Ensure contracts and payments are squared away before the event.
- Check and organize rental items and decor so nothing is missing.
- Finalize team assignments and wedding day schedules for seamless execution.
With a clear system in place, you’ll eliminate unnecessary stress and be fully prepared before the wedding day even begins.
Add Kit Restocking Into Your Wedding Week Workflow
One often-overlooked step in wedding week prep? Restocking your emergency kit.
The last thing you want is to arrive at a wedding only to realize you’re out of stain remover wipes, safety pins, or double-sided tape—items that you (and your couple) will definitely need! To ensure you’re always stocked and ready, build emergency kit maintenance into your wedding week workflow:
- Review your emergency kit checklist early in the wedding week.
- Restock any items used from previous weddings.
- Check expiration dates on first aid supplies, pain relievers, and beauty products.
- Ensure your team’s kits are stocked and ready to go as well.
With a wedding week workflow that keeps everything organized—including your emergency kit—you’ll be more confident, less stressed, and fully prepared for any situation that comes your way.
Not sure where to start when it comes to planning your wedding week workflow? Grab my Final Prep: Coordinating The Wedding Week Playbook—your step-by-step guide to executing a seamless, stress-free wedding week. With a proven system for finalizing vendor details, organizing schedules, and ensuring nothing gets overlooked, you'll feel confident and in control before every event.
Are You Ready for Any Wedding Day Emergency?
Like I said at the beginning, a wedding planner emergency kit isn’t just a convenience—it’s a necessity. From wardrobe malfunctions to vendor delays, being prepared ensures you can handle any situation with confidence. Things WILL come up on a wedding day. The more you plan ahead, the smoother every event will run.
But having the right supplies is just one piece of the puzzle. True preparedness comes from strong systems, workflows, and a well-trained team.
To make sure you and your team are fully prepared, here’s what to do next:
- Download my free Wedding Planner Emergency Kit Checklist to stock your kit with essentials.
- Need help training your team? Check out my Wedding Day Staffing Formula for hiring and scheduling assistants.
- Streamline your wedding week workflow with my Final Prep: Coordinating The Wedding Week Playbook.
When you have the right tools, team, and strategy in place, you can handle anything wedding day throws your way!
Explore More Wedding Industry Resources
- 7 Steps For Crafting The Perfect Wedding Timeline (+ Tips For Every Wedding Venue)
- Why You Need To Create A Client Journey As A Wedding Planner
- Is Month-of Wedding Coordinator A Niche? The Truth About This Wedding Planning Service
- How To Prepare For Your First Wedding As A Wedding Planner
- What Does A Wedding Coordinator Do? Here’s Everything They’re Responsible For
- 5 Signs You’re Running Your Wedding Planning Business Like a Hobby (And Not a Profitable Business)
- 2025 Wedding Trends (For Wedding Planners!)
- 4 Smart Ways to Scale Your Wedding Planning Business This Year
- Creating Wedding Planner Packages for Your Business: How To Find the Best Way To Position Your Offer
- 6 Things You Need to Include In Your Wedding Planner Pricing Guide
- Here’s What Every Wedding Planner Needs To Include In Their Wedding Design Proposals
- Wedding Planner Pricing: How Much Should You Charge As A Wedding Planner? Learn How To Figure Out Your Price
- Wedding Planners – Should You List Your Wedding Planner Pricing Packages On Your Website?
- Day of Coordination: The Pros and Cons as a Wedding Planner
- How To Sell Your Wedding Planning Services: The 7 Stages Of The Sales Cycle
- Full-Service Design vs. Design Lite: Which Should Wedding Planners Offer?
For More Wedding Planner Business Secrets Follow Me On Instagram
Raise your hand if you’ve ever gotten a message so long, you needed a snack halfway through reading it. 🙃
This week, we’re talking about THAT kind of client (or inquiry).
The one with 67 questions.
And unlimited access expectations.
And zero boundaries.
In this week’s podcast episode, I’m giving you the tools and scripts you need to protect your time, your energy, and your business (while still showing up like a professional).
Comment 184 and I’ll send you the link to listen (and let you know the threads post that stopped me in my tracks last week).
#candicecoppola #weddingindustry #weddingpros #weddingpro #weddingindustryexperts #weddingpodcast #weddingbusiness #weddingindustryeducation #weddingplanner
I love living here—but every now and then, a sunset like this one stops me in my tracks!
The kind of moment that makes you pause and remember:
*This* is the whole point.
Not just building a business.
Not just hitting the next milestone.
But building a life that feels like this.
Next week, I get to share this place—my home—with 11 incredible women I have the honor of coaching. And I hope this sunset gives them what it gives me:
Perspective. Peace. Possibility.
🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
#ialmostforgot #chasingsunsets #barbadoslife #caribbean #coachingretreat #lifeonpurpose #weddingproinsiders
Tariffs. Rising costs. Vendor pricing shifts. 😬
This week’s episode of The Power in Purpose is unlike anything I’ve done before because honestly? This feels like an emergency.
With new tariffs being applied across nearly all imported goods, the impact on the wedding industry is hitting everyone. Florists, planners, rental companies, caterers, DJs… no one is untouched.
So I called in someone who really knows what’s going on behind the scenes: my husband Jason (yes, his very first appearance on the pod 🎙️), who has deep expertise in logistics, shipping, and global trade.
Together, we’re breaking down:
👉🏻 Why these new tariffs are happening (in plain English)
👉🏻 How they’re driving up pricing for vendors + clients alike
👉🏻 What you should be saying to your clients right now
👉🏻 How to advocate, advise, and guide through economic uncertainty
Here’s the thing: you don’t have to have all the answers. What matters most is transparency, honesty, and your ability to help clients adjust and adapt.
Comment “183” and I’ll DM you the link to listen.
#candicecoppola #weddingindustry #tariff #tariffs #weddingindustry #weddingbuzz #weddingpros #weddingpro #weddingindustryexperts #weddingpodcast #weddingbusiness #thepowerinpurposepodcast #weddingindustryeducation #weddingplanner
Does the “wedding tax” really exist - and have weddings gotten too expensive? 😳
As an industry, let’s have an open and transparent conversation about costs… and trust. I’m breaking this down on this week’s episode of my podcast, The Power in Purpose, and I’m inviting you to join.
I’m asking/answering questions like:
👉🏻 Have costs risen too high?
👉🏻 Why are so many couples “venue poor”?
👉🏻 Have we lost trust with couples - and what can we do to gain it back?
👉🏻 Do vendors really charge more when they hear the word “wedding?”
👉🏻 Are we losing our hospitality as an industry?
👉🏻 How can we be more transparent?
And a whole lot more.
Comment 182 below and I’ll send you the link to this week’s episode.
#candicecoppola #weddingindustry #weddingpros #weddingpro #weddingindustryexperts #weddingpodcast #weddingbusiness #weddingtax #thepowerinpurposepodcast #weddingindustryeducation
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