So you are just about to get married? Congratulations! I am sure it will be the most exciting time and the beginning of an adventurous journey. I understand you must have dreamt of a perfect, stress-free wedding day, but for that to happen you need to plan ahead of time. That being said, one of the keys is setting a definitive schedule in order to ensure your event runs smoothly. To help you, I have created this simple wedding planning guide.
Break down the entire wedding day
When it comes to wedding planning, timing your day-of events is everything. It is essential to have an efficient plan to enjoy the day thoroughly with your loved ones. Therefore, break down everything into an organised timeline that helps to keep everything on track. I would advise you to make it more detailed to let you have more clarity.
Steps for preparing a wedding timeline
Keep in mind that the wedding timeline will be unique for every couple. So be sure to work on yours based on your own schedule. There are some standard timelines that I will share below that will definitely help your big day run with ease.
1. Start your preparations at the earliest, especially if you plan to have an intimate videography session before the ceremony. Be ready and dressed at least 40 minutes prior to leaving. This will allow the videographer to focus on capturing some beautiful moments. If your bridesmaid is also getting ready, don't forget to factor in that time as well. Ensure to reach the ceremony location a few minutes in advance.
2. After the ceremony, keep the family photos for a limited duration, you will also have an opportunity for photos with your guests at the reception, especially the candid and fun ones at the dance floor.
3. Invite your guests for the cocktail hour while you two and your bridal party can escape for some post-ceremony session with the videographer. This will give you a much-needed break. If the ceremony and reception are planned in different locations, don't forget to factor in the traffic time.
4. Grand entrance and cutting the cake
Timings will work great if you go from your grand entrance right to cake cutting (if you are following the tradition). Check the catering services timings to avoid the food being served at the same time to avoid distractions.
Time to take a breath and enjoy a fabulous dinner with your loved ones. As the dinner wraps up, the best man and maid of honour can offer toasts followed by speeches with a set time limit. During your wedding planning, contact your speakers and recommend them to stay within the time limit typically not more than 2-3 minutes.
6. Set aside time from the reception to have the golden hour filmed. This offers incredible natural lighting infused with beautiful cinematical flair.
7. First dance and party
Following your first dance, invite all your friends and family members to join you at the dance floor. 1-hour of videography coverage is an excellent time to capture beautiful moments of you having fun with family and friends.
Add some buffer
Make sure the schedule you have planned allows for cushion time as there are going to be little details that you may forget.
Remember your videographer
Think about the time you are going to spend with your videographer. If you have paid them for a fixed number of hours, then you need to plan strategically and decide what all you wish to cover during the shoot. Be sure to chat with your videographer to figure out a plan that works best for you.
Have a clearly formatted wedding run sheet with timelines, and share it with key family members so that they can keep an eye on the time and enforce the schedule. Also, don’t hesitate to consult with your videographer, they will help you pull off an amazing timeline!
If you are looking forward to hosting an Adelaide wedding and are in the process of wedding planning, let me know. I would be happy to assist. If you wish to see how your story would unfold, then watch this beautiful video below.
