Photo: Wild Heart Co
So you need a schedule?
Things are getting down to the wire in your wedding planning process. You realize vendors, wedding party, and guests need to know what is happening and when. We often find couples overlook the importance of a well-made timeline. Many think highlight moments occur organically, but well-executed events have a timeline to back them up! Your wedding coordinator should be creating your timeline, but we’re hopping on to lend our advice.
Have you considered…
Hair/makeup need time. If you have a bridal party, hair and makeup is a process that needs a clear plan. (Right, ladies?!) If you have a large party you will likely need multiple artists so a few members can be done simultaneously. You need to communicate to your hair/makeup artists beforehand at what time your party needs to be ready by. Your photography timeline will determine this (more on that later). It never hurts to give artists a time that is a earlier than your absolute finish time!
Photography timelines can vary. Photographers have different timeline preferences, so it’s important to communicate on what helps them work best. Your photographer should have an arrival time for the day and you can create a timeline working forward from there. Questions to consider: is your photographer bringing a second shooter? Are you having a first look or not?
Determine the sunset time. Many people forget about this key element! Let’s say you want to begin your ceremony at 5PM and the sun sets at 5:30PM. It will be dark by the time the ceremony concludes! With that timeline, a first look would be necessary unless you want portraits in the dark.
Include activities that are important to you. Talk to your fiancé about what matters the most to you! During the event you can choose various activities like parent dances, bouquet toss, sparkler exit, etc. You can also choose to omit things you don’t like. It’s your wedding day so you should do what makes you the happiest! The key part is notifying your vendors ahead of time what you plan to include. This way, your coordinator and DJ can work together to ensure everyone is ready for the next moment. If the father/daughter dance is approaching but Dad is taking a bathroom break, your vendors will hold until he returns.
Plan dinner time according to the meal. Talk to your caterer about how much time the meal will take to serve and eat. If you’re having a buffet, you need to allot enough time for guests to go through the buffet. If you’re having a plated meal, you need to allow enough time for servers to deliver the meal to tables. PS- plated salads ready for guests at tables is a great way to give them something to eat while waiting for the main course!
Give yourself extra time. You never know what might happen on wedding day. It’s real life, so things don’t always go perfectly. Give yourself extra time to breathe and relax. If something unexpected comes up, your vendors have cushion time to fix the issue.
All this said, your day-of timeline should be specific to you and your needs. Your coordinator should be walking you through this process to make sure your timeline is perfect for you! Timelines create a great framework so you can maximize on what’s most important to you and your fiancé. Happy planning and we can’t wait to see your timeline at your final meeting!
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