Creating Your Wedding Day Timeline
If you ask any wedding planner, one of the critical keys to a successful wedding day is the timeline. Creating it, and sticking to it will be a game-changer. Below are my tips for doing just that.
Start with your ceremony time and work around that.
Make sure to build in travel time between the ceremony and reception site, if necessary.
Put EVERYTHING on your timeline, from the makeup and hair schedule, to delivery time and quantities of rental items, to when your photographer is slated to leave. Having everything in one place makes it easy to refer to on the day of.
The three things that will dictate your timeline the most are the ceremony tradition, whether you’re doing a first look or not, and the order of the formalities (ie cake cutting, first dances, and toasts). All of these things are optional but having one or all will impact the flow of your day.
Include the contact info for all of your vendors on your timeline. You never know when you’ll need it.
Before you share a copy with those in your ceremony, confirm the details with all of your vendors. Make sure everyone has the same information.
Give a copy of the timeline to anyone involved in the ceremony in any way.
Personally, I think printed copies are easiest for the day. You don’t have to rely on Wi-Fi for anything, and you can make notes/adjustments as needed.
If you don’t have a wedding coordinator or planner, the DJ/musician, the caterer, and/or the photographer will likely be the ones to manage the timeline so ensuring they are all on the same page is crucial.
Lastly, if this is all too much, Home Town Events offers a timeline-creating service :) Check it out here, and reach out with questions at chelsea@hometownevents.biz
