What to pack in the baby bag for a wedding night

Pack for five hours, not two

A wedding card might say eight o’clock, but anyone who has been to a Pakistani wedding knows the evening can easily stretch past midnight. The baby bag needs to cover several feeds, a few nappy changes, at least one spill, a nap and a drive home in the dark.

Pack the night before, when you can think clearly, and keep the bag by the door with the outfits. Wedding evenings tend to start with everyone rushing.

Decide, too, who carries it. At a wedding both parents are pulled in different directions, and a bag left on a chair at a round table is easily moved or buried under shawls. A small cross-body bag for the essentials, with the bigger bag in the car, is often easier than one large bag you have to guard all night.

Clothes

• One complete spare outfit, not just a top. Choose something that still looks nice, in case the wedding outfit is ruined early.
• A spare bodysuit or vest, because nappy leaks reach the layer underneath first.
• A footed sleepsuit for the drive home, such as the Sky Blue Teddy & Stars Footed Sleepsuit, which opens at the front for changing a sleepy baby.
• A cardigan for an air-conditioned hall.
• For winter or outdoor events, an outer layer such as the Grey Bear Hooded Jumpsuit, which zips on and off quickly.
• Spare socks. They disappear at weddings.

Outfit rescue kit

• Two large bibs, one for dinner and one spare.
• A muslin for your shoulder and one for the baby’s lap.
• A small pack of wet wipes just for clothes, separate from the nappy wipes.
• A plastic zip bag for anything wet, stained or sticky, so it doesn’t touch the clean clothes.
• A small stain pen or bar of soap, if you like to treat spills on the spot.

Feeding and comfort

• Feeds for the whole evening, plus one extra, since dinner will be later than planned.
• A nursing cover or large shawl if you breastfeed and want privacy in a busy hall.
• Snacks and a spoon for an older baby, as wedding food may be too spicy.
• A favourite soft toy and a dummy if they use one.
• A light blanket for naps in the pram.

Adjust the bag for each event

• Dholki: a comfortable spare and a sleepsuit, since these nights at home often run late and the baby will be ready for bed before you leave.
• Mayun: a spare you don’t mind turning yellow, and wipes for turmeric-covered hands and cheeks.
• Mehndi: an extra top, because mehndi, oily food and sticky sweets are all likely.
• Baraat and walima: a cardigan for the air-conditioned hall and a spare that still looks smart for photos.
• Outdoor winter events: the outer layer and a hat for the walk from the car, both taken off indoors.
• Summer events: a thin spare outfit, since a sweaty baby usually needs a change halfway through.

Pack it in layers

Put the things you need quickly, such as bibs, wipes and a muslin, in an outside pocket. Keep the spare outfit and sleepsuit rolled together in one zip bag inside, and the nappy kit in another. In a dark hall with loud music, being able to find the right bag by feel saves a lot of rummaging.

If you are attending several events, restock the bag each morning rather than the evening of the next event. For the outfits themselves, see our guide to kids’ outfits for a Pakistani wedding.

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