Want to know the big secret to a successful, stress-free wedding day? It’s the timeline, my friend. The lack of a timeline (or even an unrealistic one) can make or break your day. I can’t emphasize enough the value of knowing when events will occur, people will arrive, vendors come and go, and how long everything will actually take.

If you can anticipate all of the moving parts ahead of time and answer any question before someone has it, this will save you unnecessary anxiety and problem-solving on your wedding day. Let the wedding planner handle logistics, the day flow like clockwork according to your timeline and you take in the beauty of your wedding decor, drink champagne with your loved ones, and make out with your hubby.

IMPORTANCE OF BEING MINDFUL OF TIME

Trust me when I say everyone will appreciate you for being organized, even if they don’t know that it is because of a timeline. Your bridal party will be thankful to know exactly how long their hair and makeup will take so they only have to wake up early if they absolutely have to. Your photographer will appreciate having enough time to take every photo on your shot list. Your guests will enjoy the open bar and photo booth while you sign the marriage license & take photos during cocktail hour. Your caterer will appreciate being able to have the food ready and hot on time for your guests. Your family will appreciate having tasks delegated so they don’t have to work and can just party on the dance floor with you!

CONTRACTS

Consider how many contracts you are signing and vendors you are paying for your wedding day to come together. Each one involves a time commitment of some sort. In order to get the most value out of each service, you want to ensure that vendors are coming and going at the most ideal times. Let me give you a couple of examples:

Venue-

You need to create your timeline around when your venue allows you to come and go. If you have the space for the whole day, this makes it easier for vendors to come and set up with ample time before the ceremony. However, if you have a time constraint of any kind, you need to communicate carefully with each vendor to ensure they have enough time to set up before your guests begin to arrive. Same goes for clean up after your wedding. Can the rental company, florist, and clean-up crew come the morning after, or does everything need to be out with the floor swept by 10pm? These details make a big difference.

Photographer-

More than likely, you have agreed to pay your photographer for a certain number of hours. If a typical photography contract is for 8-hours, you likely won’t be able to get both getting ready photos in your cute robes and your sparkler exit photos. Photographers are always willing to add extra hours, but if you want to stick to your 8-hour contract, you are going to have to choose what is more important to you. This is one of the many reasons you need to create a detailed timeline and to decide when you want vendors to arrive and leave.

WHAT YOU VALUE MOST

An organized timeline is really just a gift to yourself. And it all comes down to what you value most. You get to choose how much time you want to spend where. If you want a short and sweet ceremony, or more time on the dancefloor, or an extended reception with a late-night snack, you can make it happen! A timeline also keeps everyone on the same page. Your planner, DJ, and photographer will all be aligned. Your family and friends will know when to arrive. It helps everyone, but mostly you. If you can know before the day even starts that everyone knows where to be when and what to do when they get there, You. Will. Have. Peace. Of. Mind.

That is what I want to give you, peace of mind. You deserve it. You are worthy of it. And you want to look back and remember every special moment of your wedding day, without any hiccups.

Building timelines is what I do best! If you hire my team, we will help you build a custom detailed timeline outlining when you wake-up, eat, drink, party, pee-you name it! I truly believe that an organized, detailed timeline is your secret sauce for the wedding day! Take the time to build and refine it before your day arrives.

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