Wedding Emergencies and How to Handle Them

So you've planned everything perfectly and you've pictured how your wedding day will go exactly as you wished. You've crossed everything off your checklist and delegated every task to your bridesmaids, but lo and behold! The rain started pouring heavily despite the weather reports predicting otherwise, your co-worker spilled some wine on your dress, and your formerly-single cousin suddenly brought along her new (and uninvited) beau to your dinner reception.

Before you start to panic and scream internally, take a deep breath. Don't worry, with our help, you'll be able to handle all these wedding day emergencies in no time. Today, we're sharing some practical tips and tricks on how to handle every possible wedding day SOS and get the wedding of your dreams back on track.

Emergency #1: Wedding dress emergencies

Everyone will agree that there is so much beauty in a wedding dress. But just like everything else, this gorgeous, delicate, and exceptional piece of clothing can't be shielded from every hazard. With numerous possible emergencies in mind, we've summarized some quick solutions to fix the most common wedding day wardrobe malfunctions.

1. Stains

Different stains require different treatments. It's advisable to ask your designer beforehand about the recommended treatment for your dress, as well as the recommended method of steaming or ironing it. With that information in mind, you will know the best thing to do if your dress happens to be in danger.

Here are some simple tricks: for water-based stains like red wine, act fast by dabbing the stain with a clean cloth, and do not ever rub it as this will only make things worse. After it dries, you can cover the remaining stain with chalk. We don't recommend using a hairdryer to dry the fabric, as it will cause the stain to spread throughout your dress.

For oil-based stains like perfume or salad dressing, you should dab the fabric with talcum powder or cornstarch for around 10-15 minutes until it absorbs the blot well.

Other possible difficult stains are makeup and ink spots. For spilled ink, spray a piece of cotton with hairspray and lightly rub it on the stain. While for cosmetic stains, it's best to treat the area with some club soda on the spot and sprinkle it with a pinch of salt, then let it dry. Don't forget to cover any remaining stain with chalk. Lastly, the dreaded chewing gum. If you accidentally get chewing gum stuck on your dress, apply ice cube to the area and scrape it off after the gum hardens.

2. Dress straps coming off

The ultimate, must-have emergency item for every bride is a sewing kit. Make sure to prepare threads in different colors that match not only your dress, but also your bridesmaids' and relatives' dresses, as well as your groom's and groomsmen's suits. If there's not much time left before the wedding, fix the ripped part with safety pins. However, you have to be careful when using safety pins because they won't be able to hold the broken straps for too long.

If you're wearing a strapless dress and you feel that it might slip off because you've lost weight since the last fitting, make use of double-sided tape. Tape it around the bust line of your wedding dress and get ready to enjoy your special day without unfortunate events.

3. Torn fabric

No matter if it's your veil or your dress, torn fabric is a really big deal. If there is no time for you to sew the fabric back together, just handle it like the straps above; use safety pins, masking tape, or double-sided tape, as these fixes will give you a quick and reliable solution.

4. Zipper and button malfunctions

There are four things that can help you to fix this problem: a graphite pencil, candle, bar soap, or lip balm. Rub the teeth of the zipper with one of these four items and slowly glide the zipper again. You can do this a few times until it runs fine. However, before doing this, make sure that there is no thread stuck along the fastener.

For misbehaving buttons, you can use safety or bobby pins, though it would be much better if you could take some time to sew the buttons back on. This way, you won't need to worry about the buttons coming off anytime soon. Another tip is to always bring some lace and ribbons or a scarf. You might not know when you'll need them to save you from a wardrobe malfunction.

Emergency #2: Outdoor wedding emergencies

Outdoor weddings have a charm of their own. But whether you're dreaming of beach nuptials or a casual potluck in your backyard, there are plenty of external elements that could make your celebration go wrong. Fail-proof your alfresco wedding with our handy fixes to the most common outdoor wedding problems below.

1. The rain pours, mercilessly

For an outdoor wedding, this is a major problem that should be thought over seriously. For light showers, you might want to prepare umbrellas for yourself and your guests. However, if it's raining cats and dogs, you might want to consider having a backup venue, indoors. The indoor venue should be prepared on the day with, at the very least, simple decoration. Treat it not only as a "backup venue", but as a venue that you will love and not be disappointed with if you really have to move your guests inside. If renting another venue is simple impossible with your budget, just embrace the pouring rain as a memory you'll cherish for years.

2. Bugs are eating the guests alive

For outdoor weddings held in summer or spring, this might be a possible scenario. But don't worry, we know some ways to tackle this. First, you can always visit the site in advance so you'll have a rough idea of what you're up against. Second, you can have the space sprayed with bug repellent several times before your big day, starting from two weeks before the wedding until the morning of your wedding ceremony. Third, consider putting torches to keep insects at bay. Lastly, you may want to stock up on unscented bug spray, itch relief pens, and hand fans.

3. The children won't behave

With a spacious garden and tall trees to hide behind, your wedding venue might look like a playground for children, and they won't stop running and screaming at your party. Be prepared for this by planning a children's corner in advance. Small bags of crayons and papers, and a handful of Lego blocks can go a long way. If possible, you may hire a child-sitter who can stay in the kids' corner and watch over them.

4. The weather melts your makeup

We're sure you'll want to look good throughout the day, so if you worry that the weather will melt your makeup, here are some things you can do. First, make sure that your makeup artist knows that your wedding will be held at an open-air venue. Rest assured that as a professional, your makeup artist should know what to do: use waterproof mascara and eyeliner, good primer, no oil-based foundation. Second, assemble an emergency makeup kit consisting of translucent powder, an eyebrow pencil, and eyeliner in a mini pouch that you can bring to the venue.

5. The autumn chill suddenly kicks in

If you can feel the air getting cold, you don't shivering until the celebration ends. At night, your party might be too chilly for your guests as well, so we suggest preparing heaters around the venue or simple, warm blankets for the guests to snuggle in if your wedding is a more casual one.

Emergency #3: Wedding decoration emergencies

We know just how passionate brides can be about their wedding theme and decoration, and having decor-related emergencies on the wedding day can leave them in a meltdown. But panicking will not change anything, so you need to keep a clear head, assess the issue at hand, and delegate what needs to be done. To prepare you for this, here are some common wedding decoration mishaps and the ways to handle them.

1. Wilting flowers

The reception hasn't even started yet, but your flowers have already turned brown under the heat. Brown is a pretty color, but not on flowers. The way you can tackle this is to pick flowers that are sturdy enough to stand the heat in the first place, so that they won't wilt so easily under the sun. Flowers like lily, gerbera, sunflowers, and dahlia are safe options, while flowers like gardenias and tulips might not be the best picks for outdoor parties. Or better yet, you can consult your florist on which flowers would be best for your party's venue and theme.

2. Plus-ones

Sometimes your guests show up with more plus-ones that you predicted, thus the lack of chairs. Should this happen, immediately coordinate with your caterer and decorator for more food and seats. Don't throw a fit and shoo your guests away; chances are, they came with good intentions.

3. Burned-out candles

When your decoration involves candles, there's a chance that they might burn out before your night ends. To avoid this from happening, you might need to do a little trial and error. Purchase different kinds of candles and test out how long each one lasts. Then, you can use that calculation to buy the approximate number of candles needed to last long enough. An easier move is to ask your trusted decoration vendor to help keep your night lit up until the very end.

4. Unpredictable weather

You might be prepared to face the rain should it come on the day of your wedding, but are you prepared for this: when your guests ran to the indoor shelter, they unwittingly brought along some wet and very noticeable mud stains. Ask your decorator or planner to prepare some mats so your guest can wipe their feet, thus keeping the reception site clean.

5. Everything is fine, but you don't like how it looks

During your meetings with vendors, everything looked great on paper. However, when you saw your venue on the wedding day, it didn't turn out as well as you've imagined before. Too many flowers, too much décor, clashing colors. This is why a good amount of research is essential before the planning. If this happens, immediately talk to your decorator for suggestions on how they can fix it; cutting down on flowers, taking out some colors, rearranging props, or any kind of fix to help your venue look better.

Emergency #4: Bridal beauty emergencies

Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life, and as you can imagine, beauty blunders on your wedding day can lead to complete chaos. But don't let the stress get in your way, as we've listed down seven common wedding day beauty emergencies plus the genius quick fixes to tackle them.

1. Waking up on your wedding day with puffy eyes

Put two metal teaspoons in the freezer for around 15-20 minutes as you drink a giant glass of detoxifying lemon water. When the spoons are frosty enough, lay them on your eyelids face up with the rounded part in full contact with your lid. Let them stay there for a few minutes. If you don't have any teaspoons ready, wrap ice cubes in a paper towel and gently place them on your eyelids.

2. Having uncontrollable hiccups

Try to swallow repeatedly, then drink a glass of water while plugging your ears.

3. Spotting a huge acne

The best thing to do is to have your dermatologist come over and inject the pimple with cortisone, making it shrink immediately. However, if that's not an option, try to conceal the redness by dabbing white minty toothpaste and leave it on for as long as possible. If you simply don't have the time, try using a concealer that doubles as an acne remedy, and tap a little powder from time to time to tone it down.

4. Dealing with running mascara

Use a wet tissue tip to remove the mascara, then touch up your under-eye area with concealer, foundation, and setting powder.

5. Coping with sunburn

Avoid hot showers. Instead, freshen up your skin with cool showers to soothe the skin and redness, then apply some aloe vera. Lastly, ask your makeup artist to use airbrush makeup and get a spray tan to even out the color.

6. Tackling chipped nails

Re-polish your nails and apply a topcoat. Let dry for one minute, then apply cuticle oil over the entire nail bed. This trick will smooth out the polish and lock in the topcoat, cutting drying time in half.

Emergency #5: Health-related emergencies

What can be more stressful than getting sick or feeling unwell close to or on your wedding day? Let's check out all the common health emergencies you might face and how to handle them to help you feel better instantly.

1. Pallid or reddish skin from stress

All stressful conditions can cause a number of skin problems like pallid skin or even redness, and weddings are no different. To correct this situation, take a deep breath, relax, and use a small amount of nasal spray on your flushed skin.

2. Irritated eyes

If you're not having enough sleep, you will probably wake up with puffy red eyes. When this happens, rinse your eyes with sterile eyewash and cover your eyes with a gel eye mask or simply use spoons that have been put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

3. Food poisoning

This is a nightmare for every bride or groom-to-be. If you have diarrhea, you should take some medication and limit your meal consumption straight away. You have to remember to keep your body hydrated by drinking water only. For food, you should eat a specific carbohydrate diet based on your condition and avoid fried meals. For diarrhea, the suggested diet is B-R-A-T-Y, which stands for Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast, and Yogurt.

4. Cold and flu due to bad weather

The best way to avoid this sickness is by routinely consuming vitamin C and getting enough sleep to ensure that your immune system is steady before your wedding day. However, if you caught one on your wedding day, you should take a cold and flu remedy that doesn't cause drowsiness. After that, limit your drinks to warm drinks, eat food that contains lots of antioxidants and vitamins, like fruits and veggies, and use a damp towel to wipe your nose to avoid the redness. For the best results, always bring your concealer to cover your pale or red skin.

5. Other virus-based sickness

The easiest way for a virus to travel from one body to another is by touching what an infected person just put down. To avoid this, you must remember to wash your hands multiple times if you are coming back from any public transport or place, especially before eating. If you are faced with chicken pox a few days before the wedding, it will be disastrous. To minimize the itch, you cam use a remedy made from oatmeal and baking soda, and to reduce the redness you can apply fresh aloe vera gel or some tea tree oil when the red dots have started to dry. These remedies, however, need to be accompanied with over-the-counter medication in order for you to heal better.