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If you want your guests to walk away from your wedding saying, 'wow, that entire day flowed so smoothly' — then you need to start working on your wedding day timeline template. Because the best, most breezy feeling weddings are nearly always planned to the nth degree. Hour by hour, sometimes in ten minute blocks. And all to achieve that free-flowing vibe we all crave.
The actual planning of a wedding involves working with a lot of different vendors, suppliers, and individuals. All of whom, in the most likely scenario, work separately from each other. Creating or supplying something they specialize in. But on the big day, each one of these vendors needs to come together to create your wedding day. And you'll find that often some suppliers cannot function without the help of one another. This is where the wedding timeline template comes in.
By putting together a comprehensive, detailed and clear wedding day schedule for both your ceremony and reception. You'll be ensuring that every one of your vendors knows exactly where they should be, and just as importantly, where everyone else should be at all times.
At Wedding Planning Assistant, we understand the value of careful event planning. And that the cost of having a professional wedding planner can feel daunting. Which is why we offer all of our wedding planning tools completely free. Including our editable wedding day timeline. A game-changing tool that'll revolutionize your planing, and help you feel more confident in everything coming together on the day.
PLANNING . WEDDING — is easy to remember and even easier to use.
We share why you and your wedding team need to embrace an editable, online wedding planning timeline, and the benefits it can bring.
Ask any married couple about their big day experience, and one of the first things they'll say is undoubtably, 'it all went so fast'! Because it does! One minute you're preparing for the first look shot, and the next you're having your last dance and waving goodbye. It all goes by in an instant. And if you're not careful, some moments can be wasted.
The benefit of using an editable wedding day timeline is that you can walk through your entire day, before it actually happens. You can map out what will be happening, hour by hour, maybe even 15 minutes by 15 minutes. Which is crucial when trying to get the most out of your precious time.
Photography is a good example of a task that often has to be planned, even if you shots to feel spontaneous. The first look, couple portraits, bridal portraits, family portraits, and group shots all have to be scheduled in at some point during the day. Because without scheduling, your photographer will be frantically pulling you, and your loved ones aside randomly throughout the day, just to get the shots they know you'll want. And if they don't manage to, or they don't come out how you imagined, you're going to be pretty upset.
This is why an editable wedding day itinerary is so useful, as it allows you to judge where in the day certain photography sessions can be squeezed in. Based on the time between one event and the next, and where certain events are taking place. This level of planning will give you the confidence that every wedding photo you want in your album will be captured. And it'll give your photographer the time they need to take them.
Not every couple wants, or can afford to include a planner in their wedding budget. Which is understandable, especially when you consider the wealth of free wedding planning tools available online. But, on your actual big day, you shouldn't feel like you're micromanaging the event. You need to be relaxing, enjoying the day and not be bothered by any issues. Which will be nigh on impossible without putting together a clear itinerary for your vendors.
On the day, vendors will be arriving and setting up at multiple different times, and sometimes at various locations. They'll need to know where they should be, when, and see details about other suppliers that relate to them. By including all of that information on your wedding timeline checklist, you'll be supplying them with the information they need, and in turn allow yourself the chance to focus on enjoying the day. It's you who's getting married after all!
Unless you're eloping, a wedding is nothing without its guests. Yes, it’s about tying the knot, but it's also as much about sharing a day with the people you love the most. About creating something for them that showcases your personality, and welcomes them into your world. A large part of doing that well is thinking beyond the key, main event parts of the day. The ceremony, the first dance and the cake cutting. And thinking more about the moments in between the moments.
Those times when guests are moving from ceremony to cocktail hour, the time they're spending at cocktail hour itself. What will their experience be like travelling from space to space? Can it be improved with maybe some live music? Or interesting decor items? During cocktail hour, will you have time to take portrait shots properly? Could you get family photos done before the ceremony? To avoid taking yourselves, and loved ones, out of the cocktail hour experience.
By mapping out a clear wedding itinerary, featuring every important event of the day. You will start to see where gaps can be filled, or better experienced.
An editable wedding day itinerary makes the task of wedding planning super simple, and quick. Helping you to create something you feel genuinely proud of. Because it can be challenging to extract ideas from your mind, and actually visualize them on a blank piece of paper — where do you start!
By gifting yourself a free wedding day timeline template, you're already one step ahead of the game and within seconds closer to having a coherent wedding template. Rather than trying to picture what pivotal events will be happening throughout the day, everything is there for you, ready to customize.
Sold on the idea of taking your wedding planning online, and embracing every benefit an editable timeline example can bring? Amazing! Here's how to create the best itinerary for your big day.
We may have mentioned how useful wedding timelines are at showing where, and when, gaps during the day can be filled. But they are just as useful for freeing up time, and allowing for any eventuality.
On your wedding morning, you deserve the opportunity to get ready calmly, and enjoy the experience with your closest friends and family. Don't deny yourself this rare privilege by giving yourself an unrealistic schedule for hair and makeup. Bring your timeline forward an hour, or two, if that means you'll feel more chilled, and able to slip into your wedding dress in a more relaxed manner.
By bringing your start time forward, you could also give yourself the chance to capture a few portraits with your photographer. Getting couple shots, and even photos with family members and the wedding party pre-ceremony, is a great way to give yourself spare time later in the day.
If you've only got your photographer for a limited number of hours, it's a good idea to be really strategic with their time. Decide on the shots that are most important to you, and those that are not. Maybe you don't actually want them there while you're getting ready, and actually, it would be better if they just took portraits with you before the ceremony. If their time constraints mean they can't be with you at the end of the evening for your sparkler exit, or to capture you in your getaway car, factor that into your wedding reception timeline. Set aside 10 or so minutes while your photographer is present, to re-create any moments they won't be there for. Just to ensure no part of your wedding story is missing from the album.
Just because the wedding invitation states that the ceremony start time is 5pm, that doesn't mean everyone will be ready and in their seats at that time. Many of your guests will be seeing each other for the first time in ages, and they'll be desperate for a little chit-chat. Meaning they won't be rushing to find a place straight away. There could also be traffic in and out of your ceremony venue, which may delay not just the bride and groom, but many of the guests too.
These things happen, and they are part of a traditional wedding. It's almost impossible to predict what exactly could go wrong on the day, but you can allow time for eventualities.
It's tempting to make the start times for every event during the day earlier than they actually are. Like you do with those friends who are always late. But you'll only be disrupting the vibe of the day, and if things are running smoothly, guests will be waiting around for no reason. Instead, predict the points during the day when you believe there could be a delay, and add a buffer of 5 to 10 minutes to those moments. That should help to soak up any eventuality.
Once you've finished putting together the perfect wedding day timeline, share it. The beauty of using an online itinerary maker such as ours is that you can create a project, and then invite others to contribute to it. Which is ideal when the members of your wedding team are spread far and wide, or if you just want to ensure everyone understands the plan. Whether that's members of your family, or various vendors.
Send your timeline out to anyone it concerns way ahead of the wedding day, and be sure to print multiple copies out. That way, everyone knows where they are supposed to be and when. If you don't have a planner, or wedding coordinator, it's a good idea to ask someone, or maybe two members of your getting-ready gang, to become an expert on your schedule. To almost know it off-by-heart, just so there's someone present who can direct guests and vendors with confidence.
Having them there to keep an eye on the clock and track the schedule will certainly help in producing a stress-free wedding for you.
Within our service, we offer the convenient feature of exporting your meticulously crafted wedding timeline to both Excel and PDF formats. This versatility allows for easy manipulation and customization in Excel, where you can adjust and refine details as your plans evolve. The Excel format is particularly useful for collaborative planning, enabling multiple stakeholders, like your wedding planner or family members, to contribute and stay updated. On the other hand, the PDF export provides a clean, professional-looking format, ideal for sharing with vendors, venues, and other partners involved in your big day. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and works in harmony towards executing your perfectly planned wedding. With these export options, managing and communicating your wedding timeline becomes a seamless and efficient process, contributing to the smooth and successful realization of your dream wedding.
In conclusion, a wedding timeline template, especially one as versatile as an Excel template, is an indispensable tool for managing the myriad of tasks and events that occur in the days before the wedding. It provides a clear and organized framework for both the wedding program and the lead-up to the big day, ensuring that every detail is accounted for. By utilizing such a template, couples can navigate the complexities of wedding planning with ease and confidence, making sure that nothing is overlooked in the hustle and bustle of the final preparations. This organized approach not only alleviates stress but also contributes to the seamless execution of a memorable and joyous celebration.
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