We’ve been photographing weddings for over five years now – so we’ve literally seen hundreds of weddings. Good, bad, awesome, more awesome – having a good wedding day timeline and schedule planned out makes a BIG difference. Need some help with your wedding itinerary/schedule or timeline? First check out our big post – here with a sample timeline that you can start with. Then read the five tips below on how to create your own wedding day schedule to perfection.
1. Until your reception – don’t plan blocks of time smaller than 30 minutes.
It’s simple really – everything you put on your schedule for the day takes up a 30 minute block. Doing this ensures that you don’t have a micro-managed schedule – but it also makes sure that you only list the MOST important things. Everything else is small – and you should keep that in mind. It’s not that important. See the sample wedding schedule here.
2. Make enough time for your photography/videography.
You hired badass photographers right? So make sure you give them enough time to make all of the AMAZING that you hired them to make! Don’t leave it up to chance. Scheduling your photography is as important as making time for your ceremony. Seriously – and we’re not just saying that because we’re photographers. We’re saying it because we want you to end up with the best photos in the history of photos.
3. Allot time for travel – REALISTICALLY.
Look – it doesn’t take “5 minutes” to go from where you’re getting ready to the venue. It takes 10 minutes to just walk out the door!
4. Spread things out over the entire reception.
You don’t need three or four hours of only dancing. I know – you have the entire evening – that’s great. So space out the events during your reception. Don’t do the cake cutting, the speeches and toasts, the bouquet toss and the garter toss in the first 20 minutes after dinner. Spread them out over the evening.
5. Make your schedule, plan everything – and then accept that things are going to change.
Look at your wedding day schedule as a template to operate from – and be flexible. Be okay when a few things run over, or you spend an extra fifteen minutes because you just… wanted some time alone with your new spouse. Remember – it’s your day and you can choose to be cool, and have a great time – or well… be a lame uptight slave to some made up important schedule they posted on one of those wedding industry websites.
Need more help? Check out our sample wedding day timeline, here.
All Photography by LeahAndMark & Co.
Venue: Summerour Studio