How can your ensure that your wedding day goes off without a hitch? Well, Amy Hardin, an Arkansas wedding planner extraordinaire, shares her four keys to a successful wedding timeline:
1. Everything is going to take longer than you think it should. Knowing that up front and building in extra time in your day will save you a ton of stress in the long run. For example, if your hairstylist tells you it will take three hours to do your wedding party’s hair and makeup, plan for four hours. Remember, it takes time for equipment to be set up and get warmed up if the hair and makeup are coming to you, and after a fun night at the rehearsal dinner, there’s a chance one or two ladies might sleep through their alarms.
2. The less running around town you have to do on your big day, the better. This means that, if at all possible, only change locations once. Talk to your stylist about coming to your hotel suite or your home and see what your ceremony provides in terms of “getting ready” rooms.
3. Make sure everyone has a copy of the timeline. There should be personalized itineraries for the groomsmen, bridesmaids, family and any other group that has responsibilities on wedding day. Your wedding coordinator can help you construct and distribute these. They can be e-mailed two weeks before, but a hard copy should be given to each person when they arrive in town for the weekend.
4. Be sure to leave yourself an hour to relax before walking down the aisle. So don’t scoff at your photographer and planner when they want to start photography three hours before the ceremony, whether you are seeing your fiance prior to the wedding or not. You aren’t going to be subjected to three hours of “say cheese.” Those first two hours are filled with all of the bridal party and family shots you have on your photo list as well as a first look if you are doing one. That last hour is for you to breathe. While your guests are arriving you can get off of your feet, grab a snack and some water and do hair and makeup touchups. You’ll be walking down the aisle before you know it, so don’t skimp on some time to prepare yourself!
Your wedding coordinator will work with you to build a timeline for your day that you are comfortable with, or you can thoughtfully create your own, but it’s important to be realistic based on both the size of bridal party and the contracted number of photography hours you’ve paid for (as well as the time you’ve been allowed in each venue). This is a key part of planning your event, so make sure you tackle this task several months before the big day!
You can use Arkansas Bride’s Bridal Toolbox, which has cool printable planning worksheets, for help with staying organized in other ways.
Amy Hardin is a wedding/event planner and co-owner of Arkansas’ Details Weddings & Events. She occasionally shares her expert advice on the Arkansas Bride Blog.
