Right On Time: Part One

Call me a geeky bride, but as a self-proclaimed lover of checklists, to-do-lists, and, well, lists in general, creating our wedding day timeline has been one of my favorite tasks throughout the entire process! Of course, I haven’t done it all on my own, and have worked closely with our DJ, hair and makeup stylist, and day-of coordinator to ensure the perfect timing throughout the day.

Here, our current timeline, which I’ll share in two parts, along with some notes about why we made the choices we did. Enjoy!

Pre-Ceremony

8:15 AM
Hair and makeup styling begins

(We’re starting early to accommodate a large bridal party, but my stylist will be on hand right until we leave in order to provide touch-ups as needed.)

11:30 AM
“Getting ready” photos begin

1:00 PM
Wedding party heads to “first look” location

1:30 PM
Photographer and videographer arrive at “first look” site for the big reveal

(As I’ve mentioned before, we’ll do a “first look” to ensure that the majority of our photos are taken while my hair and makeup styles are fresh, and so that we can share a special private moment before the ceremony.)

2:30 PM

Church available to vendors

2:30 PM
Reception site available to vendors

(The two above items are extremely important to your vendors, since they'll need to know when they can begin setting up and how much time is available. Don’t forget to ask the coordinator at your venue!)

2:45 PM
Bride, groom and wedding party arrive at church for more preliminary photos

3:00 PM
Guests begin to arrive, and are greeted by the groom and groomsmen

3:15 PM
Prelude music begins

3:30 PM
Time to walk down the aisle!

Have you worked out your pre-ceremony timeline yet? What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in trying to put it together?

(Photo Credit: Gardens of the World)