How to Create a Wedding Timeline

  Now that you have all your vendors, let's talk about organizing the Wedding day itself. "The big bad Itinerary." Try not to make this any harder than it really is. The itinerary is meant to help you have an overview of the day. If everything goes off exactly as planned, GO, Buy a Lottery Ticket, because obviously the Universe is with you, You will no doubt win. OK, back to reality! Your itinerary will help you, your Bridal Party, and Family know where they need to be and when you need to be there so you will not be running around that morning trying to find Great Aunt Jane for family pictures. How to put together an Itinerary? Start backwards from the end of the reception with major chunks of time, you can fill in details once you have the major times set. First thing you must do is find out when the reception must end. When do you absolutely have to be out of the reception hall? Once you have that information you will have to give yourself time for tear down, unless you have made arrangements to do it the next day. You should give yourself at least two hours to tear things down, whether you are doing it or you have hired someone to do it for you. If you are at a Reception Hall within a Hotel they usually cut the party off at midnight which then allows their staff to clean up and your group to tear down. The Hotel is not responsible to tear down your Decor, that is your responsibility. You will have to put all rentals back in the boxes they came in. Linens do not have to be folded, usually they are put into laundry like bags to be returned. CAUTION: Make sure you know how the linens and other rental items are to be returned. Are they going to pick them up or are you responsible to return them? Also, be careful if they have to sit for a day before getting them back to the rental place put them in a cool dry place. If you throw them in the garage after the big outdoor tent wedding, 80 degree temperature and 90% humidity, they will mildew and you may be held responsible for the added cleaning fees! Now you know when it ends, you have an open bar for four hours (even if you have a limited bar this is the general amount of time), one hour is cocktails, bar will close for an hour then re-open for three more hours. Let us say that you shut the night down at midnight minus three hours, you are at 9 PM that the dance floor is opened. You will want to give yourself an hour to an hour and a half for dinner and cake. This will also depend upon the number of people being served and whether it is plated or buffet. Buffet will take a little longer so ask your caterer. They will have a good idea of their ability to get people fed. So for argument sake, it is a plated dinner and we give them an hour for dinner and cake. That brings you to 7:30 PM for dinner to start. This gives you a little cushion. 7:30 minus time to allow for guests to enter and be seated, your Bridal Party Introduction and "For the First Time Ever, We Introduce Mr. and Mrs...," your big entrance to the dining room and the one hour worth of cocktails. 7:30 minus one hour and a half brings you to 6 PM. Are you getting how to do this? 6 PM the Cocktail hour begins. The ceremony is in the little town you grew up in that is 20 minutes from the Reception. You have to give your guests time to get from the ceremony to the reception. Uncle Bob drives slow, give them a half an hour to drive. No doubt, people will mingle after the ceremony, you will have them throw rose petals at you when you exit the Church. The ceremony will take thirty minutes (You know this because you asked the Minister how long it will take.) 6 PM minus thirty minutes to drive, 5:30PM minus a half an hour to mingle, pictures, throw petals, now you are at 5 PM minus thirty minutes for the ceremony, Ta Da, 4:30 ceremony start time. Now here comes the tricky part. Make a list of everything you need to get done that day: Hair, Make up, pictures of getting dressed (Are you getting dressed at home or are you getting dressed at the ceremony venue?) Are you seeing each other before the ceremony? I will say at first some girls are definite on this but I will tell you honestly seeing each other before the ceremony makes life so much easier. You can get all you pictures done. Also the moment you see each other can be quite touching. This moment will be yours! You will have time to talk and share how you are feeling. It will probably be the last time in the day that you get a private moment together. Talk with your photographer, they will have a timeline of how long it takes them to get things done, incorporate his timeline with yours. Usually 4:30 wedding will start pictures at 1 PM, which means you have to be dressed and at the location ready to go at 1PM. Family will need to know when do they are to be there for pictures. 3PM should do it. Hair and make up appointments should be made with plenty of time to get EVERYONE done and back on time. Talk with your stylist on how long things will take, judge from there. ADVICE: Cut the cake when you are introduced, it can then be cut and ready to serve. Toasts: Start the Dinner First, have the first toast during the Salad course. Second Course Dinner served then have the 2nd toast. Don't make your guest just sit there starving to death waiting to eat. They will be focusing when the food is coming not on the beautiful sentiments from your Maid of Honor and Best Man. OK, you have the tools now start scheduling. Oh yeah don't freak out when you run ahead or run behind, that is a wedding! You can find some great tools at www.weddingwire.com So, you are getting married. Keep it in perspective. Enjoy the moment!

Simple Elegance Events and Wedding Designs serving Central Illinois Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement: Event Planning entrepreneur Margaret Moore with Simple Elegance Events and Wedding Designs publishes information you can use at http://www.aweddingtodreamof.com/blog/