Planning a wedding can be stressful, but having a well-thought-out wedding day itinerary can help ensure that everything runs smoothly on your big day. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips and ideas for creating a wedding day itinerary.
1. Start with the ceremony time.
The first step in creating a wedding day itinerary is to determine the time of your ceremony. This will serve as the anchor point for the rest of the day's events. Then work backward from that point.
2. Add in travel time.
If your ceremony and reception are in different locations, be sure to include travel time in your itinerary. Consider how long it will take for your bridal party and guests to travel between the two locations and build that time into your schedule. Also, consider travel time between places you want to take pictures. Travel time can eat up a lot of the day if it isn't planned effectively.
3. Consider hair and makeup appointments.
If you and your bridal party are getting hair and makeup done professionally, be sure to factor in enough time for everyone to get ready. Allow at least 45 minutes to an hour per person.
4. Build in buffer time.
Wedding days are often unpredictable, so it's a good idea to build in some buffer time to account for any unexpected delays or emergencies. If you don't need the buffer time it will be a good chance for you to sit and breathe, which you may not have a lot of chance to do throughout the day.
5. Plan for photography and videography.
Be sure to schedule enough time for your photographer and videographer to capture all the important moments of your day, from getting ready to the reception. If you are going to be reading letters before the ceremony, that is a common thing that is overlooked and not specified on the itinerary. You will want to determine if you are going to read your letters separately from each other or together. If separately, keep in mind that your photographer and videographer will want to capture both the bride and groom so you won't want the readings to happen at the same time.
6. Schedule the reception events.
Plan out the order of events for your reception, such as the first dance, speeches, and cake cutting. Be sure to allow enough time for each event and factor in time for guests to eat and socialize. Your DJ should be able to provide you with a guideline for this.
7. Consider transportation.
If you're providing transportation for your guests, be sure to include the pickup and dropoff times in your itinerary.
8. Communicate the itinerary with vendors and bridal party.
Once you have your itinerary finalized, be sure to communicate it with your vendors and bridal party. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page and knows where they need to be at each point in the day. Also, consider hiring a day of coordinator or a friend to be the keeper of the schedule. This will help everyone stay on schedule and ensure that your bridal party and vendors don't have to bug you about what is on the schedule.
In conclusion, creating a wedding day itinerary can help ensure that your big day runs smoothly. By starting with the ceremony time, adding in travel time, considering hair and makeup appointments, building in buffer time, planning for photography and videography, scheduling the reception events, considering transportation, and communicating the itinerary with vendors and the bridal party, you can create a well-organized and stress-free day that you and your guests will enjoy.