Your wedding should not be an impromptu event. The key to planning a well-organized wedding day is a well-planned timeline. We have a few tips for creating a wedding day timeline.
Conceptualize Your Plan
Think about your ideas for your big day and conceptualize a master plan. Every event you want to occur on your wedding day belongs on a chronological list. Notate spaces in between for preparation and travel. The more detailed the better. While you begin a wedding timeline with a basic outline, it should always become a detailed itinerary. Your timeline will be broken down into blocks of time: prior to arrival at the venue, getting ready at the venue, the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception.
Prior to Arrival on the Wedding Day Timeline
Before you arrive at the venue, you will have a few things to do. You should always organize your dress and accessories the day before. Have all of your tasks and errands accomplished before your wedding day. This is not a day to wake up to stress and scrambling to get everything together. That will only lead to misplacing and forgetting things. Begin your timeline with a nice breakfast. Connect with your wedding party to make sure they are following the plan. You should have a designated meeting location to gather and prepare. Some brides rent a house for the night before to have the wedding party together the next morning for a brunch and a small toasting.
Transportation on the Wedding Day Timeline
Depending on the size of your wedding party, you might plan to arrive in a limo or a party bus. Some couples adhere to old tradition that prevents the bride and groom from seeing each other prior to the wedding. If you want to step away from tradition, you could choose to ride together with the entire wedding party in one bus. Regardless of the arrangement, allow enough time for travel. Depending on the distance between your meeting location and the venue, you might need a little more time for travel.
Arrival at the Venue
Arriving at the venue a couple hours in advance will give you a window of time to meet inside of your designated suite with your hair and makeup artist. If you choose to have your photographer and videographer follow your entire day for a full documentary of your wedding day, you will probably arrive with your camera crew. If your photography is commencing at the venue, the photographer should meet you upon arrival to capture the moment. You should take several pictures with your wedding party. While you are getting ready inside of the suite, your entire vendor team will be setting up in the venue.
The Ceremony
The procession will kick off the long awaited moment. Depending on the rituals you add to your ceremony, this main event will last about 30 minutes to an hour. Some couples have special readings and prayers. Some add a handfasting ceremony, a sand ceremony or a unity candle ceremony. You could choose to add other important events that would increase the duration of the ceremony.
Cocktail Hour
You will make your exit down the aisle with applause and escape with your photographer for an hour of wedding photography and a private toasting with your new spouse. This time period is called the cocktail hour. During the cocktail hour, your guests will mix and mingle, and enjoy drinks and appetizers.
Reception Events
Guests are invited to dine in the ballroom
Grand entrance and first dance
Welcome toasts from the parents of the bride or the hosts
Dinner is served
Best man and maid of honor speeches
Father and daughter dance
Cake cutting ceremony
Bouquet toss and garter toss
Grand exit
Notes About the Wedding Day Timeline
Consider whether you will be having your ceremony and reception at the same venue or different locations. If you will be hosting the events at separate locations, you will need to include blocks of time on your wedding timeline for transportation between places. Choosing a venue with a ceremony space and a reception ballroom provides an advantage when you do not need to factor in additional travel time between locations. Once you have a basic idea about how much available time you have, you can start planning your wedding day timeline at the venue.
Crystal Ballroom at Sunset Harbor
Let your wedding day timeline unfold at Crystal Ballroom at Sunset Harbor, and create your magical moments in a ballroom designed just for you. Crystal Ballroom is an all-inclusive wedding venue with an in-house design team, planners, and a day of event coordinator package to make your dream wedding come true just the way you plan it. Walk the red carpet to the fairy tale that awaits you at Crystal Ballroom.
