Now before I go any further, I must have seen this blogs' photo a hundred times, and I have just clocked that the bride has two glasses of bubbly lol! Go on girl! ... such a beautiful couple (gush)... any-who ... planning a smooth running wedding.
Big disclaimer here; we do not profess to be experts or wedding planners in any way, but, we would be amiss if we didn't pass on some nuggets of information that we have come across in shooting weddings. We're there all day and we get to see EVERYTHING, including the bits that couples wish they had done differently.
It Goes Quick!
If there is one thing that couples that have done it will be unanimous in telling you, it is that the day goes FAST. All the people that you don't often get to see that you want to spend time with, all the excitement, activities, things to eat, see and do ... its a recipe for one of the best, but fastest days of your life.
Whilst your instincts may be to cram as much into the day, with as much to see and do as possible, and that's totally understandable! We did the exact same thing even knowing what we do, before we went; 'hang on a minute, we've just done it', and decided to reign it back in. It might not be the right approach for you, unless you are REALLY good with time keeping.
Don't get me wrong, we're not saying don't plan loads into your day, on the contrary; we often tell our couples that the more there is for people to interact and engage with, the more fun they will have and that will reflect in the photos. But there's a difference between having a lot going on in your day planned well, and having a lot going on in your day with no room for maneuver in your itinerary.
Here's an example
The best way I could think of to demonstrate what can go wrong in planning your itinerary was to put a dummy one together. I have only done up to evening guests and haven't gone into what the groomsmen are up to, just for demonstration purposes, and you should get the gist anyway. But before I go any further lets see if you can spot any problems with this timeline of events ...
Did you get anything? This timeline is heavily reliant on everything starting bang on when it is scheduled to do so.
Firstly let me tell you, that getting 10+ bridesmaids plus yourself ready in 3 hours, whilst apparently is doable, is going to be a mission.
Planning 30 minutes travel to the ceremony with not a single minute to spare doesn't allow for traffic, or your prep running over.
Group photos with 100+ guests... we discuss this in depth with all of our couples anyway, about getting whats important for them during the formal shots and what will be captured throughout the rest of the day anyway. But the more group shots you have, the longer it will take, the longer it takes, the more people wander off... you get the idea.
And the rest should really speak for itself and you get the point. The more things run behind from the beginning, the harder it is to catch up, you can't get those hours back. It can get the point (and we have seen it!) where parts of your itinerary, simply doesn't happen, or you don't get to see or experience it for yourself, even though you've paid for it, which sucks!
So, the point of our advice here; allow room in your itinerary for things to run over a bit. Not hours worth, just a bit. If you have a big guest list and large bridal and/or grooms party, expect it to take a bit longer to get ready.
It's all well and good if you want a busy day, filled with lots to do, I fully support that. But don't let it become so rammed without margin for error, that you end up stressed and disappointed on whats supposed to be a really special day for you.
There's LOADS more I could go into with planning for a smooth running day, the benefits of a toastmaster, wedding planner, communication with your suppliers and venue but I'll leave this one here for now and save those for another blog. Until next time! :)
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