Unlocking the Secret to a Stress-Free Wedding Day: Crafting a Seamless Timeline
What Timeline Mistakes You Should Avoid
We know that wedding timelines can be hard to keep up with, however, it’s there to help you through every step of your planning. You may think you have everything all covered, but, is it really?? So, having an idea of how you want your day to unfold is key. And, a wedding timeline will really help you have the wedding of your dreams. Read these mistakes below and try and prevent them from happening to you on your wedding day.
These are 7 Wedding Timeline Mistakes Couples Make!
1. Waiting until the last minute
As soon as you've decided in what order you want events to occur (first dances, then appetizers, then dance party, then entrées) and roughly when you'd like them to happen, show the wedding day timeline to your day of team. Share this information at least two weeks before the wedding so that you can work out any kinks well ahead of time.
2. Skimping on primping
Be sure to allow plenty of time for hair and makeup. While your aestheticians will try to give you an accurate time estimate for when you should expect to be done, it's common to run over, especially if someone wants a few tweaks to her look or a late addition shows up. "To avoid this stress early on the big day, simply add a half hour to the scheduled ending time for these services," Busada says. That way if you finish before that 30-minute cushion, you'll have a little extra time for fun, candid photos of the bridal party.
3. Leaving anything to chance
This goes for a wedding with 50 people or 500 people. No matter how intimate or low-key your big day maybe, you should still give the day a lot of structure. Your parents, bridesmaids, and vendors will need to know what's going on at each turning point. So don't think that you'll just naturally transition from dinner to dancing to cake-cutting. You have to create a timeline and have someone keeping an eye on the clock to ensure the night doesn't disappear before you know it.
4. Not listening to the pros
If the photographer asks for more time to take shots of the wedding party during cocktail hour, follow her lead. She probably wouldn't mention it unless it was really needed. "Don't forget to take your vendor team's experience and advice into consideration. "They've done this hundreds (if not thousands) of times."
5. Dismissing traffic
It always seems like traffic jams pick the worst times to show up... Couples getting married in metropolitan areas should allow extra time to get from venue to venue. Busada suggests an extra 10-15 minutes for travel, including any locations you are stopping by to take photos.
6. Ignoring forces of nature
Be sure to check out when the sun will set on your wedding day, especially if you're hosting an outdoor wedding. This will impact when the ceremony begins or ends, as well as where and when you take photos. "The best time for these photos is from 10 minutes prior to sunset and up to 10 minutes after sunset," Busada adds.
7. Spreading things out too much
If your goal is to get everyone on the dance floor, think about combining or front-loading some of the events like cutting the cake and tossing the bouquet. Otherwise, the dance party is being frequently broken up and guests may lose their momentum. If you take care of these things early on, then guests can have fun for the rest of the evening. If it's in your budget, hire a planner for day of service to cover any loose ends you might foresee happening.
Are You About to Make These Wedding Timeline Mistakes?
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Last Updated: February 12, 2019 | June 3, 2021 | October 18, 2021 | April 25, 2022 | June 6, 2024
