Having a well-defined wedding day timeline is your roadmap for a flawless and stress-free wedding day. Its wedding-day importance is only second to your nuptials! However, before you are able to get down to the nitty, gritty details of drafting it, you must first answer some fairly important questions. Questions like how long your hair and makeup will take? Are you having a receiving line? Transportation time from the ceremony to the reception? These questions and many others will influence the flow of your wedding timeline, and subsequently, addressing them is a critical step in crafting your day. In addition, despite having a relative basic structure, wedding timelines are unique to you documents. As many factors are considered when constructing your timeline, it must be customized to meet your logistical needs.
01. HAIR, MAKEUP & GETTING READY
QUESTIONS
Where will you be getting ready? How long will beauty services take for all involved?
CONSIDERATIONS
→ Typically, bridal hair and makeup will require about an hour for each with bridesmaids and family requiring an additional 30 minutes for each service. However, it is wise to reconfirm these times with your makeup artist and hair stylist.
→ Bridesmaids and family should have their hair and makeup completed first. By doing so, they will be ready for your getting ready shots.
02. PHOTOGRAPHER
QUESTIONS
How many hours do you have your photographer? Are you having a first look? What time is sunset? How many family and bridal party images are your photographer capturing and in what location? Are these occurring before the ceremony or during the cocktail hour?
CONSIDERATIONS
→ If you are wanting golden hour images, be sure to research the sunset time based on your location and time of year.
→ Allocate 15-30 minutes for the first look and 2-3 minutes for each family photo.
03. TRANSPORTATION
QUESTIONS
If occurring in different locations, what is the travel time from the getting ready location to the ceremony? From the hotel to the ceremony? From the ceremony to the reception? How are you and your guests being transported from one location to another? Will you be providing transportation for your wedding party members and/or guests? If so, this could make traveling more seamless and less time-consuming.
CONSIDERATIONS
→ If these events are occurring in different locations, you will have to allocate for extra travel time and possible traffic.
→ In addition, it is a good idea to research any other local events that might be concurrently occurring on your wedding day as this could require that you add extra travel time due to increased traffic.
04. CEREMONY & RECEPTION
QUESTIONS
What is the start time of the ceremony and how long will it last? Are you having a receiving line? Are you having a cocktail hour? If so, how long do you expect it to be? Are you having a grand entrance & exit? How many people are making a toast? Are you having a grace before dinner? Are you doing a first dance and parent dances? Are you tossing the bouquet / garter or doing a special cake-cutting?
CONSIDERATIONS
→ You may want to consider visiting your guests during the dinner hour instead of doing a receiving line at the church if you are expecting more than 150 guests at the ceremony.
→ Reserve a moment to sign the marriage license.
05. YOUR VENDORS
QUESTIONS
When will your vendors have access to the reception venue and/or the ceremony? Ask your vendors how much time to allocate for setup and tear down. What time is the venue requesting that all guests and vendors be gone?
CONSIDERATIONS
→ Your vendors are working hard for you so they will need a break and a bite to eat as well! It is recommended to schedule vendor breaks during the time that dinner is occurring.
→ Reconfirm how much time you have contracted for each vendor and plan your timeline accordingly.
Now that you have addressed these questions, it is time to map these events into your timeline. To facilitate a stress-free wedding day, it is recommended to start your day early. By doing so, you are eliminating the possibility of feeling rushed or stressed. In addition, despite the meticulous attention in constructing your timeline, unexpected or forgotten details will always be likelihood. Therefore, allow for extra time throughout your day as a buffer.
Finally, have confidence in your well-crafted wedding day timeline that you have created and share it with your vendors and venue!
