When it comes to your Wedding Day, timing is the key to keeping everything running smoothly! That’s why making a wedding day timeline is essential. Creating a timeline is the single most important thing you can do if you are feeling at all anxious about your Big Day. And let’s face it, it is a big day after all.
Need some help? Check out these tried and tested ideas that will help your wedding day go without a hitch, but of course, our experience team at Laguna will be more than happy to advise on a great timeline
1: Think Logistics!
Before you start making your Wedding Day timeline, there are a few important decisions you’ll need to make. Ask yourself the following questions. If you’ve already got the answers, you’re probably ready to start scheduling…
- Where will you be getting ready? Will it be at your ceremony location or somewhere else such as a separate hotel?
- Are you planning on having your ceremony and reception at the same location? If not, you’ll need to consider travel time when planning your wedding timeline.
- Will you be putting on transport for your wedding party members and/or guests? This is something to think about as it can cut down on travel time.
- Are you planning on having photographs taken before the ceremony or would you rather wait until after you’ve said, “I do”?
- How long will your ceremony last? If you’re unsure, ask your officiant.
- Are you planning on having receiving line?
- How many speeches, toasts or special dances are you organising?
- What time is your reception party expected to end? Have you checked closing times with the venue?
- Are you hosting an after-party or parties?
Once you can answer these questions, you’re good to go!
- Start from Scratch.
Your wedding is unique, so Googling other people’s timelines will probably be a wasted effort. Instead, start with a blank page and use your ceremony time as a starting point. Create a list of all the events that need to take place before the ceremony (such as getting ready and having photographs taken) and determine how long each of these will take. You can then start to map out your wedding day agenda.
- Start as Early as Possible
Your Big Day will be a big day. Literally. With a full-packed day ahead of you, there is no such thing as getting ready too soon – especially if you are planning on having photographs taken before the ceremony. Rushing is the last thing you want to be doing on your Wedding Day, so if your ceremony starts at 4pm, we recommend that you start prepping around 9am. This may seem a little O.T.T, but it can take about 90 minutes for a bride to get her hair and make-up done (that’s without adding the time it takes for your bridesmaids to get ready). And of course, if something does happen to steer you slightly off course (cue Maid of Honour having a bad hair day!), starting early will give you enough time to fix it without the rest of the day being affected.
4: Feed Them on Time
The last thing you want are “hangry” wedding guests, so try not to keep your guests waiting too long for dinner. Remember that your guests will have likely been up early getting ready for your Wedding Day and will be looking forward to a decent meal. When planning your timelines, always look for your caterers advice on ideal times to serve each course as well as the ideal gaps in between courses. Also think about how you schedule the meal, the speeches and the dancing part of the evening.
- Add some Buffers
Planning a wedding takes a lot of thought and there are likely to be some small but important details you forget to add into your timeline. (Have you thought about eating breakfast, yet?)
When you are creating your timeline, think about the things you’ll need to get done on the day which are not directly part of your wedding. This might include taking a shower, feeding your pets or keeping in touch with the babysitter. Make sure that your schedule allows for lots of buffer time and of course, allow time for unexpected events such as heavy traffic or other delays.
Remember the most important thing is to enjoy your Wedding Day; and the more time you create, the more fun you’ll have!
Laguna are experienced Asian wedding caterers at a range of wedding venues. Get in touch with us today.