Wedding-Day timelines are critical!

I'm not a wedding planner (Although there are some amazing ones out there who I'm happy to recommend if you ask), but one of my awesome clients recently talked about being inexperienced and planning her own wedding on her blog.

When I got married, I planned my own wedding and had almost no experience with attending a wedding (Then I started photographing them and the amount of weddings I attended multiplied tenfold). I have to say my biggest suggestion is to write out a timeline for the day. Create one for both the bride and groom.

A few weeks before the wedding I will sit down with all of my clients and talk about this timeline. As a photographer when I know what to expect I have a much better chance of catching a great moment. Any major player in the wedding should get a copy of this timeline, or at least the part just before, after and during the time they are involved.

Start out whenever the wedding plans start. Is that the rehearsal? The day before when you get back into town? Etc.

Then as you write out each event that makes up the day (Waking up (Think about where each of you will stay the night before), makeup, hair, etc) write out what you will need for those events.

Write out the things that will be all day at the top (Photographer, DOC) and then as other things show up, put them on the time line (DJ, Cake, Flowers, table numbers, linens, etc.) Put a blank line by them and then fill it in when you contract a vendor or find an item to fill it.

Think about the little things. Like if you get dressed at the reception location, but are making a great escape by limo, who is going to gather up the clothes you changed out of? Who is going to get the gifts? Who is going to clean-up? Where are people going to park? How do they get from one location to another.

As you continue planning, you'll add to this master plan and find new blank spots. By the time your wedding day get's here every one of those spots should be filled and you can hand the list to your DOC, planner or whoever is taking over your responsibilities. Then the day will go smooth.