What time should I begin my wedding day? How much time will it take to get my wedding day hair styled? How much time do I need for my wedding day makeup? Should the photographer take pictures of the bridal party before or after the wedding ceremony/ When should the bridesmaid arrive? There are many important questions to consider as your wedding day approaches. A well thought out planned schedule of your wedding day will help take the stress away and will go a long way to make your wedding day a success.
As you start to lay out the schedule and plan your wedding day, the experts suggest you put your wedding day plan together by first working backwords for the pre-ceremony activities and after the wedding ceremony go forward with activity tasks.
When putting your wedding day schedule together, take into consideration of travel time, loading your car, time to eat, and time to chat with parents, siblings and other family, special friends, and your bridesmaids. You would rather have the time celebrating your special day with those that have been special to you, than running around feeling stressed and worrying about your wedding. A common recommendation for contingency reserve is leave around 20% of extra time for each task milestone.
Creating a master schedule is an extremely helpful approach. You should lay out the day with all the tasks that need to be done and at what times. This schedule would be helpful and should be shared with the wedding party and all the wedding vendors that are part of your wedding ceremony and wedding reception and lets the photographer and videographer that they have the floor or shoot. The schedule once put together, alls you have to do is follow the schedule and not worry. The schedule can be created a number of different ways, if can be created using an Excel Spreadsheet, Google Docs, a software wedding timeline package, or created using a Word Document off of a computer, or typed off a typewriter (the old fashioned way).
The schedule should be detailed, illustrating every task for your wedding day, down to the minute or five minute interval of your wedding day, beginning with the moment you wakeup and ends with the bride and groom leaving the wedding reception and then off to the hotel or to the airport and on to the honeymoon.
Include along with your master schedule pertinent information such as the phone number of all involved in your wedding day including your bridal party contacts with home phone, work phone, cell phone, home address and social contact numbers such as email, facebook, or twitter or skype. You may just never know, the day of your wedding may be just the day your bridesmaid's car decides not to start and would be helpful if you have on hand her address for someone to go pick her up.
Also have a wedding vendor contact sheet, if there are any questions, or should you have to add or cancel a meal for a last minute wedding guest. Also include in the schedule directions on how to get to the ceremony site, the wedding reception, a hotel, and where is the local pharmacy in the event someone in the wedding needs to pick up a prescription or to pick up a throw away camera or batteries.
When you create your wedding day schedule you can always be certain, that you must look perfect and your appointments with manicurists, hairstylists, and makeup artists, and attaching adornments to your hair will always take longer than expected. You also have to think of other matters, maybe you have a few hundred wedding favors to pack into a couple of cars, you need your bridal emergency kit, a sweater and extra comfortable shoes, your honeymoon luggage, and honeymoon itinery, and maybe you have gifts for your grooms parents or a special aunt or uncle or special friend.
You also may need time for a photographer at your house putting on your wedding dress with your mother looking on and then photos of you in your dress looking in a mirror and looking out a window. You may need time for a couple of phone calls for your florist, decorators, and wedding cake baker, to confirm time of delivery. You may need time to thank your brides on how special they have been and give them bridal favors.
The experts recommend to schedule your hair appointments and makeup to begin seven hours before the wedding ceremony if you are getting bridal party photographs before the wedding and if the photographs are not taken before the wedding and after the ceremony the hairstylist and makeup artist appointments can be performed four hours before the wedding ceremony. You want to be sure the photography and videography are not rushed, you want the best product possible.
You also want to include from a 15 minute to 30 minute freshen up period before the wedding reception, to possible change your clothes into a wedding reception dress, to exchange a gift with your honey, to say a little prayer, to check your phone messages, and to use the bathroom. Make sure all your important wedding vendors such as your photographer, videographer, caterer, reception hall, and all involved in your wedding get a copy of your wedding day schedule so they know what you are up to at different moments of the day.
Before your wedding day, try not to stay up late the night before the wedding and avoid drinking too much alcohol and coffee and get a good nights sleep so you are rested for your big day. Your wedding day should go something like this schedule.
Wedding Day Schedule
8:00 - Rise and shine, stretch walk, relax, talk with family or with bridesmaids staying over, make one cup of coffee and eat a light breakfast.
9:00 - Pamper yourself by taking a bath or by taking an extra long shower, don't forget to shave, exfoliate your face and hands, moisturize every inch of your body.
10:00 - It's beauty treatment time, whether it's at the brides house or beauty salon, it's time for the bride and her bridesmaids to get prettied up for the big day, first is a manicure, next hair trimmed, teased, tossed, and styled, then followed up by wedding day makeup.
12:00 - Time to grab a bite to eat, have something light and yummy whether it be a health bar or a delicious salad, make sure you have the bridal emergency kit ready, have a sweater and comfortable shoes, honeymoon luggage packed, wedding favors ready, wedding vendor tips ready and load everything into one of your parent's cars, and gifts for any wedding guests.
12:30 - Try to use the ladies room one last time, you are about to put on the wedding dress and this is the last opportunity to get refreshed and take one last look in the mirror to check on the beautiful you.
12:45 - The floral bouquets and photographer should have arrived, it's time to let others take over. Listen to the photographer instructing and getting a few pictures of you getting into the wedding dress and looking into the mirror and another picture of you looking out your window.
1:30 - After you are all dressed up, you meet with your bridesmaids giving a generous speech on how they have been special to you and giving them your thanks and giving them their bridal favor gifts.
2:00 - It's Cinderella time, time for the brides and bridesmaid to get picked up by the limousines and begin their journey to the wedding ceremony, to be there a half hour before the wedding ceremony is to begin.
2:30 - You arrive at the wedding ceremony venue and proceed directly to the holding room before the ceremony, time for last minute touches up (make sure your bridesmaid is your spot checker should anything be out of place on your dress, face, or hair.
3:00 - Your biggest moment in your life has arrived, you and your bridesmaid, ring bearer, flower girl assemble in front of the aisle, take a deep breath and relax, a relaxed bride is a beautiful bride, time to take everything in, watch as your best friends walk down the aisle, it;s your turn, take a final breath, you grab your dad's arms, all eyes turn to you, smile, stay relaxed, walk steadily and slowly (for great picture), and look straight to the man of your dreams, time to enjoy your wedding and new life.
To keep you organized for your wedding day, you may want to create some wedding day schedule something like the ones below.
Date
Bride and Groom's Name
Pre-Ceremony Schedule
Start Time Task Points of Contact
8:00 Wakeup, Freshenup & Breakfast
9:00 Moisturize & Bath
10:00 Hairstylist Appointment Beauty Salon - Phone
11:30 Makeup Artist Makeup Artist - Phone
12:00 Lunch & Load Up Car
12:30 Freshen Up
12:45 Floral Bouquets Arrive Florist - Phone
Photographer Arrives Photographer - Phone
Start Putting on Wedding Dress
1:20 Meet with Bridesmaids
2:00 Limousine Arrives Transportation - Phone
2:30 Arrive at Church Church - Address - Phone
3:00 Ceremony Begins
Date
Bride and Groom's Name
Ceremony Schedule
Start Time Task Remarks
2:30 Processional Music
3:00 Groomsmen Enters Side Door
Officiant Walks to Altar
Bridesmaids Walk to Front
Ring Bearer Walks to Front
Flower Girl Walks to Front
3:10 Processional Music Bride
Bride Walks up aisle with Father
3:15 Opening Remarks
Officiant Sermon
3:30 Readings
Officiant Rite if Marriage
Bride & Groom Exchange Vows
Couple Lights Unity Candle
Traditional Music
3:45 Concluding Rite
4:00 Bride & Groom Sign Wedding Registry
4:05 Recessional Music
Bride & Groom Walk Down Aisle
4:10 Bride & Groom on Receiving Line
4:30 Groomsman Moves Church Decorations
5:00 Photography Session
Date
Bride and Groom's Name
Wedding Reception Schedule
Start Time Task Points of Contact
2:00 Caterer Arrives Prepares Food Caterer - Phone
Rentals Arrive Begin Set-Up Rental Services - Phone
2:30 Wait-Staff Preps Tables & Linen Caterer - Phone
2:45 Flowers Delivered Florist - Phone
3:00 Tables Decorated Decorator - Phone
4:30 Bartender & Bar Supplies Prep Bartender - Phone
4:45 Wedding Cake Arrives Baker - Phone
5:20 Slide Photos Setup Photo - Phone
5:30 Photobooth Setup Photobooth - Phone
5:45 Installation Ready Caterer
Picture of Reception Photographer
6:00 Cocktail Begins
Wedding Guests Arrive
6:45 Bride & Groom Arrive
Bridal Party Arrives
6:50 Guests Seated at Table
7:00 Bar Closes Temporarily
Welcome Speech
7:10 Food Service Begins
8:00 Speeches & Toasts
8:15 Music Begins Musicians - Phone
8:30 Wedding Cake Cutting
8:45 Bride & Groom First Dance
8:55 Dessert & Coffee is Served
9:10 Bridal Toss & Garter Throw
9:30 Bride & Groom Depart for Honeymoon
11:00 Bar is Closed
11:15 Music Ends
11:30 Gifts moved to Parents
Wait Staff Cleans Reception
Date
Bride and Groom's Name
Wedding Day Bridal Party Contacts
Bridal Type Name Address Phone
Bride Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Groom Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Maid of Honor Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Best Man Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Bride's Mother Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Bride's Father Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Bridesmaid #1 Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Bridesmaid #2 Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Bridesmaid #3 Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Groomsman #1 Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Groomsman #2 Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Groomsman #3 Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Ring Bearer Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Flower Girl Name 123 Main Street (123) 456-7890
Date
Bride and Groom's Name
Wedding Day Vendor Contacts
Wedding Vendor Name of Business Phone
Ceremony Location Name (123) 456-7890
Address
Time 3-4:30
Wedding Reception Name (123) 456-7890
Address
Time 6-11
Caterer Name (123) 456-7890
Decorations Name (123) 456-7890
Florist Name (123) 456-7890
Hair Stylist Name (123) 456-7890
Makeup Artist Name (123) 456-7890
Bed & Breakfast Name (123) 456-7890
Hotel Name (123) 456-7890
Ceremony Musician Name (123) 456-7890
Reception Musician Name (123) 456-7890
Disc Jockey Name (123) 456-7890
Photographer Name (123) 456-7890
Videographer Name (123) 456-7890
Transportation Name (123) 456-7890
Wedding Cake Name (123) 456-7890
Rental Supplies Name (123) 456-7890
Bartender Name (123) 456-7890
Calligrapher Name (123) 456-7890
Pharmacy Name (123) 456-7890
Airlines Name (123) 456-7890
You also may want to create directions to your wedding ceremony, wedding reception, and you may want to include directions to your local pharmacy. The directions could be created using Mapquest or Google Maps off your computer or draw them yourself and male copies or have your Calligrapher create some. There are a number of websites you can use too to create maps. Some websites that can help you include www.ccarto.com/freeweddingmaps , www.weddingmapper.com , www.distinctivedirections.com , and www.snappymap.com .
So create your wedding day schedule to make your life easy and share your schedule with all those involved in setting up your wedding and in some cases you make the bridal party and wedding vendors lives easier too.
So congratulations to the happy couple and I will see you on the other side!
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