Put together a full wedding timeline and wedding reception schedule with our tips. Take away the stress of planning your wedding.
Weddings can be stressful. That is why it’s so important to plan everything in advance and set the timeline. You should know by heart what goes after what and when. All the timelines are different and don’t have to follow a specific standard but should include some of the features. So here are some awesome tips for you to create the best timeline for your big day.
1. Let everybody know the agenda
All your vendors, family members, close friends should know the agenda well and help you in the process. Your wedding planner should be responsible for keeping the timeline and make sure everything follows the plan but you still have to keep an eye on a schedule.
2. Start your wedding timeline from scratch
You don’t have to make your wedding similar to your friends’ or relatives’ wedding. There is no standard for a timeline. Make a list of all the events that you want to include to your timeline (preparations, photoshoots, the first dance, dinner, cake, etc). Put the estimated duration for each of them. Now you can put them in the right order but you should take into account all the other factors like logistics, weather, your caterer’s and photographer’s working hours and more.
3. Think in advance
Although you may put 4 pm as a start for your wedding it actually starts a lot earlier. Start as early as possible. You need to do lots of things. Plan all of this beforehand.
4. Talk to the experts
Hire a wedding planner or manager to help you deal with all the troubles a wedding can bring you. He/She will also help you get in contact with all the other vendors and control all the wedding day timeline for you.
5. Add some extra time
You will have to do so many things on your wedding day. Your wedding planner should help you with all of them but it’s still lots of stress. You can’t guarantee everything goes step by step and everyone will be on time. So allow yourself some rest in between and have some extra time planned in case of emergencies.
6. But don’t tell the guests about it
It’s a good idea to put the earlier time on your invitations so that even if your guests are late they are actually on time. Moreover, it will give them more time to socialize. But don’t make this gap too big, your guests will get hungry and annoyed. Also have some ushers to help those who arrived late.
7. Don’t forget about the photographer
You should have a specific timeline to know when you need a photographer. Do you want him to be there for the whole night? Or just for some parts? Remember you pay for his hours of work. So if you want him to be there till the dessert, be sure you know when the desert will be served.
8. Don’t leave your guests hungry
This surely depends on how you choose to serve the meals but be sure not to leave your guests hungry awaiting for food. Make some breaks between the servings for dance or speeches but don’t make them too long. The dinner should be served no more than an hour later after the beginning of reception.