So you’re wanting to organise a timeline schedule for your wedding day?
There's 101 things to organise on your big day and without a proper schedule it becomes so easy to feel overwhelmed. So let me help you flesh out a solid timeline for your perfect wedding ahead of time so we keep away the horrid creeping anxiety of “OMG, I have no idea what’s happening! And why on earth are the caterers coming at dawn when we planned to sit-down dinner at seven?!” well and truly at bay.
Importance of a Wedding Timeline
A timeline isn’t just helpful for you, it can really help everyone from the venue's staff to vendors that you’re working together with to pull off this event. It will also help the guests too. Having everybody on the same page is a real lifesaver and also a timesaver!
What’s the best part of doing some major planning ahead of time? It means your only job during the ceremony and reception will be to enjoy yourself and revel in every moment! In my experience, the more planning couples do before their big day, the more their wedding runs like clockwork. So take all that weight of responsibility off your shoulders by having everything set in motion way before your wedding.
Big tip: Try your best to be realistic when allocating time to each specific section. You don’t want to be feeling rushed for time in completing any steps. It's always better to have a little bit of extra time than not enough. So don’t overlook any step. As an overview of most weddings, your timeline will most likely include:
Wedding Day Timeline Breakdown
Bride prep photos
Groom prep photos
Guest arrival at ceremony
Bride arrival at ceremony
Ceremony commences
Ceremony concludes
Group photos
Family photos
Bridal party photos
Couple portraits
Guests to be seated at reception
Bride and groom to enter reception
Cutting the cake
The first dance
Speeches
Father/daughter dance
Sunset portraits
Meals
Dancing
Exit
ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CREATING YOUR SCHEDULE, INCLUDE…
Getting Ready
This step often will be a longer process if you have a larger bridal party or if everyone is getting their hair & makeup done. One thing you can do if you’re not an early riser and you have your ceremony in the afternoon is to hire multiple makeup artists and hairdressers. This can really speed up the process. If you’re planning on having photos taken during this step it’s best to get your makeup and hair done last. That way you’ll still look fresh when the time comes for the ceremony.
Making sure to coordinate a time with your photographer so they can capture the groomsmen getting ready is often overlooked. When planning out your schedule ahead of the wedding, make sure to contact your makeup and hair artists to work out an estimate of how much time they’ll need to complete their work on your whole wedding party. And make sure to then add a little padded time so that getting ready can be completely stress free.
During The Ceremony
Some couples overlook what time of year they’re getting married. Meaning they don’t think about what time the sun will set. So by considering this when you’re thinking through the timeline of your ceremony you’ll be able to make the most of getting the best photo opportunities for your wedding.
For a summer wedding I highly recommend having your ceremony later in the afternoon. (especially for outdoor ceremonies), as you will have the best lighting for your photos. A big plus is your guest won’t burn and sweat away in the sun, which can happen if you book your ceremony for midday.
Are you having a winter wedding? It’s definitely best to have the ceremony much earlier than in the summer. That way you won’t lose all the light for your photos. If all of your events are happening indoors or at night, you don’t really need to be concerned about when the sun sets.
Also I highly recommend leaving about one and a half hours to two hours free on your timeline between the ceremony and the reception. You don’t want to leave your guests hanging around for too long before the big party starts. If you’re unsure how much time the ceremony will take, talk to your wedding planner or whoever is in charge of events at the venue. They can help give you an idea of how much time to notch out for your ceremony so you can be prepared.
Taking Portraits
Don’t forget to include portrait taking time in your schedule. A general rule of thumb for me is 10-15 minutes for a group photo (More if you have a large bridal party), 10-15 minutes for any family photos (Try keep these photos to close family, as wider family can always be taken later), and finally around another 45 minutes for the portraits of the bride and groom. Some photographers can get photos done quicker than 45 minutes, but I'd say this is a good estimate to ensure you have plenty of time and guarantee the best photographs.
If you’re wanting your photos taken outside, remember the later in the day the better. (again due to the sunlight). It's crucial that you take into account the travel time on your timeline too. These small but very important details are often overlooked. For example; If you’re going from the church to a venue quite far away, you’re not going to feel like taking portraits after you’ve been stuck in traffic for hours.
I also recommend planning ahead by Googling any pesky construction or roadblocks on your way. Or if there are any special events taking place nearby that might affect traffic. Trust me you’re going to want to do this. I’ve heard of disaster stories of brides getting stuck in traffic without reception because the football was on. Things to consider are marathons, parades, even protests. If you’re getting married in the city, always allow an extra 15 minutes for travel just in case to account for traffic.
You might be interested in taking your portraits to an offsite location. In that case you should also factor in driving time with traffic, time to park, the walk from the carpark and the time it could take to find an uncrowded spot to shoot them.
During The Reception
Making sure everybody is on the same page is vital, so include as many details for your reception on your timeline as possible. I like to take my couple out of the reception for 10 minutes or so to snap a few portraits of them while the golden light from the sunset wraps around them. So find out exactly when the sun sets on your big day and schedule that in too.
Since you may not be completely sure when the reception will end (What will everyone merry who knows how long they will dance for!), consider getting your photographer to complete all of the formalities at the start of the night.
This is a great option if you paid for a smaller package or don’t need the photographer to stick around all night long. Some couples love the idea of a sparkler exit or confetti exit. Or sometimes even fireworks before the night is over.
Making sure you plan when this will happen ahead of time, your photographer will know exactly when they can leave the event without missing anything important.
Finally, Make sure not to freak out if everything doesn’t go exactly to plan on your wedding day. ( You can’t control the weather.) It’s always okay to be flexible. Sometimes those moments that don’t go exactly to plan become some of the best happy memories of your celebration.
Everything works out in the end, whatever it is we can always make it work. If you’re feeling unsure just speak to your photographer, and the rest of the staff so everyone can make last-minute changes if need be. Just make sure you’re leaving yourself plenty of buffer space throughout your schedule, so you have time to enjoy yourself, drink all the champagne with your mates and big hugs with your family. Now with your timeline in hand, you’ll be able to just sit back, relax and get the very most out of your special day!
Have you got any extra tips? Leave them in the comments below to help other couples plan their perfect wedding. In the meantime check out more inspo www.nicholsweddings.co.uk
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