What is an OH SHIT KIT? It's the bag filled with all the important items you might find yourself needing on your wedding day. Think of it as your emergency preparedness kit for your wedding day.
What to put in your OH SHIT KIT
I took my years in the theatre, a stint in event-planning, and the combined ingenuity of Megan and (seemingly the entire Offbeat Wed community) on this post, and I compiled the Mother of All “Oh Shit!” Kits stock lists. Here it is — all in one place, for your handily-wedding bliss — and I promise that they can all fit into a regulation medium-sized toolbox — I have done it with my own hands!
“Oh Shit!” kit #1: The ultimate wedding survival kit
- Vodka — a flask of it can calm some nerves, clear out poison ivy and jellyfish stings, help shine metal things, and help preserve your flowers. Marshmallow vodka = just as good, but you don't have to make that face when you drink it.)
- Washcloth or rag
- Extra underwear
- Tampons and pantiliners — as another Tribesmaid said, stick it to an inner seam to catch sweat
- Condoms and lube
- Travel first aid kit
- Band aids
- Advil/ibuprofen — it's an anti-inflammatory, so if someone twists an ankle it'll do much more good than acetaminophen or ASA.
- Pepto bismol caplets
- Over-the-counter allergy medication (non-drowsy)
- A high-carb snack (like a granola bar)
- A high-protein snack — like a handful of nuts in a bag, or some jerky
- Mints (for sugar, and breath freshening)
- Bleach pen/stain remover
- Tiny tube of Superglue
- Clear extra-hold aerosol hairspray — horrible for the environment, really good for makeup and hair malfunctions, and for stopping runs in stockings
- Kleenex
- Blotting papers
- Makeup removing pads
- A wee makeup touch-up kit with your wedding day make-up
- Compact mirror
- Tweezers
- Glue and extras for false eyelashes (if you're using them)
- Q-tips
- Moisturizer
- Chapstick and/or lipgloss
- Safety pins (various sizes)
- A razor
- Nail clippers
- Fashion tape — a double-sided super-strong and sweat-proof tape originally intended to tape your dress to your breasts, but it's really good for hemming, and garment repairs.
- Sunscreen
- Bobby pins
- Sewing kit — including a thimble and a pair of scissors
- If your dress has snaps, beads or hooks, bring extra.
- Deodorant
- Travel Febreeze
- Lint roller (or packing tape)
- A lighter (this lighter case is also a bottle opener!)
- Heel protectors and moleskins
- Breath strips
- Dental floss
- A toothbrush — if you don't use it to brush your teeth, you can buff your shoes
- Drinking straws — save yo' lipstick
- Multitool with needle-nosed pliers — good for fixing jewelry, glasses, and stuff like that.
- Small notebook
- Phone charger(s)
- Flash drive
- List of all vendors and important people, with contact numbers and notes on when/why to contact them.
“Oh-Shit!” kit 2: Decormergency
- Black duct tape
- White duct tape — it's totally a thing!
- Clear packing tape/Scotch tape
- Command Strips with hooks
- Binder clips — various sizes
- Sewing kit with scissors
- Clear vodka — to get out stains and nerves
- A lighter — to light candles, burn off fluff (careful!), etc.
- Safety pins — various sizes
- A length of thin nylon rope — you wouldn't believe…
- Super glue
- Bleach pen/stain remover
- Liquid white out
- Sharpie
- Pens — black and blue; non-ballpoint is most versatile
- Pencil
- String
- Multitool with a corkscrew, screwdriver, and knife
- Lint roller
- An extension cord
- AA and AAA batteries
Tips for both kits
- Assemble them a few days before the wedding, save your receipts and return whatever you don't open if you won't use it.
- List the contents of the kit clearly on the OUTSIDE of the container.
- Tell EVERYONE where it is, and make it visible enough for them to see it in an emergency.
- Bring it with you from where you're getting ready! Don't forget it — it's no use to anyone if it's not where the party is!
Okay guys, back me up: what'd I forget?