Wedding Timeline Challenges: Mistakes and Lessons from a 2021 June Real Wedding

Let’s delve into some common wedding timeline mistakes with a real-life example from a wedding that occurred in 2021. Despite being the hottest day of the year, many of the challenges faced during this event could have been avoided with a more thoughtfully planned timeline. In this post, we’ll dissect the original timeline and explore alternative approaches that could have made the day smoother and less stressful. 

11 am – Detail Shots (1 hour)
12-1:30 Bride Getting Ready + Bridesmaids Photos (Markie)
12-1 Groom’s Excursion (Jake) 
1-1:30 Groomsmen Getting Ready
1:30-1:45 Ceremony Details
1:45 Guests Seated
2:00 Ceremony
2:20 Alone time
2:30-2:40 Marriage Certificate
2:40-340 Couples Portraits, Family Portraits + Wedding Party
340 Grand Entrance
345-415 Meal
415-435 Toasts
435 Cake Cutting
440 First Dance
445 Father/Daughter Dance
450 Mother/Son Dance
455 Shoe Game
505 Anniversary Dance
515 Bouquet + Garter Toss
6:25 Romantic Photos (Sunset would be 9:11 pm)
700 Sparkler Exit Send Off

This may appear to be a typical 8-hour timeline, a format commonly seen in weddings. However, this specific wedding encountered numerous challenges that prompted reflection. In hindsight, there are eight key adjustments I would have made to enhance the overall experience.

Details, Excursions and the absence of a first look 

Challenge 1: Excessive downtime occupies the initial part of the day. Although I appreciate allocating time for capturing intricate detail photos, a total of 2.5 hours dedicated to details and getting ready is excessive. 

The Resolution: My revised suggestion would be for the photographers to arrive at 12 pm and efficiently capture both the intricate details and getting ready moments within the first hour. By 12:55 pm, the bride should be ready to step into her dress, followed by a dedicated time slot from 1:00 to 1:30 pm for the Bride’s VIP portraits. These VIPs should encompass the bridesmaids and any other family members or friends the bride wishes to include in the portraits. 

Challenge 2: Allocating only 15 minutes for Ceremony Details during guest arrival time poses challenges. Some guests may enter early, occupying seats and leaving belongings in the ceremony area. This can lead to unwanted objects in your ceremony photos, requiring time-consuming editing to remove them later.

The Resolution: Ensure the ceremony space is arranged before the photographers arrive. If you’re handling the setup, consider arriving extra early or completing your hair and makeup first thing in the morning. Opting for on-site hair and makeup touch-ups is a wise choice. If you have a coordinator or team assisting, they should prioritize setting up the ceremony space before the reception area. Instruct friends and family to follow this order when setting up: Ceremony Space, Cocktail Space, Reception Space.

Challenge 3: The groom’s excursion is scheduled too close to the ceremony, leading to unforeseen delays and rushed preparations. Despite being in a small town, the lack of preparation caused issues. 

The Resolution: To address this, consider starting the groom’s excursion earlier in the day, perhaps with a Groom’s Breakfast followed by a fun activity like golf, bowling, or arcades. By scheduling these activities before your arrival at the venue, you can ensure ample time for both groups to prepare without feeling rushed. If both you and your future spouse are getting ready at the same location, stagger your arrival times accordingly. For example, you and your bridesmaids should arrive at 11:00, followed by your future spouse and groomsmen at 11:30.

Challenge 4: The absence of a first look resulted in a cramped schedule for couple, family, and wedding party portraits during the cocktail hour after the ceremony, depriving them of the chance to enjoy this time with other guests.

The Solution: To avoid this scenario, I would strongly suggest considering a first look session to capture the couple’s portraits and wedding party photos beforehand. If you’re adamant against a first look, I would recommend prioritizing the wedding party and family photos before the ceremony to alleviate time constraints. However, this venue’s layout may require creative positioning due to the lack of a hidden area near the bridal suite that would prevent the groom from seeing the bride.

Licenses, Dinner + Reception Challenges

Challenge 5: Scheduling the signing of the marriage certificate between the ceremony and portraits interrupts the newlywed bliss and can disrupt the flow of your day.

The Solution: To maintain the momentum of your celebration, I suggest arranging to sign the marriage license at your head table following your grand entrance and/or first dance. The optimal sequence would be: ceremony, couples portraits (including family/wedding party portraits), grand entrance, first dance, and then signing the marriage license. While you’re signing the license, two members of your bridal party (excluding witnesses) can assist by preparing your meals.

Challenge 6: The timeline allocated only 30 minutes for dining, which is insufficient for guests to enjoy their meal and be ready for toasts. Most people dislike being photographed while eating, and vendors also require a break. With such a short window, there’s a risk of guests still queuing at the buffet, eating, or not fully engaged when toasts commence. Delaying events to accommodate eating during the reception, can disrupt the schedule, especially in venue-constrained situations.

The Solution: Extend dinner time to a minimum of 60 minutes and schedule toasts later in the event. Remember: it’s easier to move events earlier during the reception, than it is to delay them. Consider integrating toasts into the reception “activities” after special dances but before opening the dance floor to everyone. Additionally, avoid spontaneous speeches by pre-selecting VIPs willing to give toasts, preventing potential awkward moments, such as unexpected and unrelated anecdotes from well-meaning but unpredictable relatives.

Challenge 7: The tightly packed schedule of events during the reception leaves little room to truly connect with your guests. With everything squeezed into a single hour, there’s no opportunity for relaxed dancing or meaningful conversations with those who mean the most to you.

The Solution: If extending the reception isn’t feasible due to venue constraints, prioritize activities that genuinely reflect your preferences. Consider omitting activities like the shoe game, which, while entertaining, may not leave a lasting impression. Focus on creating moments that truly resonate with you and your guests, ensuring a memorable and enjoyable reception experience.

Romantic Portraits + Send Off Challenges

No Issue: The 6:25 romantic portraits. Despite initial concerns, the venue’s location nestled within a valley, surrounded by “small” hills, proved to be advantageous. Although the sunset was scheduled for 9 pm, the hills unexpectedly generated a false sunset, bathing the surroundings in stunning golden light around 6:30 pm. 

Challenge 8: Although the light was enchantingly golden by 6:30 pm, it didn’t reach the desired darkness for sparklers at 7 pm. Despite entering what photographers term “blue hour,” complete darkness wouldn’t set in until well after 8 pm, even with the faux sunset created by the hills.

The Resolution: While many envision stunning sparkler exits, there are plenty of equally magical alternatives for leaving your reception. If your venue requires departure before 30 minutes post-sunset (typically before 9:30 pm in summer), consider skipping the sparklers and embracing alternatives like streamers, bubble machines, confetti made from seasonal local leaves, or simply enthusiastic jazz hands. 

A Revised Timeline with First Look

Considering all of these factors, my suggestion would be to choose a first look and revise the timeline as follows:

8 am – Groom + Groomsmen set out on Groom’s Excursion (breakfast + bowling), Bride + Bridesmaids meet with Artists for Hair + Makeup
11 am – Bride + Bridesmaids arrive at Venue. Setup crew begins with Ceremony Space, then Reception Space.
11:30 am – Groom + Groomsmen arrive at Venue. 
12 pm – Photographers arrive, MOH hands over detail basket (rings, shoes, invite suite, etc.), one photographer photographs ceremony space while the other photographs details. Immediately following detail shots: Bridal Prep/Refresh, Candids, etc. 
12:30 pm – Bridesmaids get into dresses, prep flowers (towel off/empty water), Groom + Groomsmen get dressed
12:55 pm – Bride gets into her dress
1:00 pm – Groom set up for first look, Bride follows as soon as Groom is ready
1:15 pm – Couples portraits
1:30 pm – Wedding Party + VIP photos
1:45 pm – Couple + Wedding Party head back to bridal suite to prep for ceremony and Photographer(s) capture reception space details and candid images of guests arrival
1:55 pm – Guests are seated
2:00 pm – Ceremony begins
2:20 pm – Ceremony Ends, Couple exits for just married portraits (10 minutes) and any additional VIP or Wedding Party Portraits. Guests are ushered into the reception space for cocktail hour.
2:50 pm – Grand Entrance, followed by first dance and marriage license signing at the head table. Cocktail hour continues for an additional 30 minutes following the marriage license. 
3:30 pm – Dinner is announced and the buffet opens (or plated meal is served). 
4:30 pm – Bride and Groom cut the cake, and the VIPs give toasts. 
4:45 pm – Special combined dance is done and the dance floor is opened to everyone. 
7:30 pm – Romantic portraits 
7:50 pm – Bouquet & Garter Toss (optional)
8:00 pm – Send off

To be honest, I’m not particularly fond of overly detailed timelines. I understand that many coordinators rely on them to ensure everything runs smoothly on your big day. However, if the thought of micromanaging every minute fills you with dread and you’re ready to place your trust in your photographer, let’s break free from the constraints of a strict timeline together. Take a look at our blog where we discuss the five essential elements you need to include and how to encourage the rest of the day to unfold naturally.