If ya didn’t know, planning a wedding is tough shit. I mean, it’s a big event with a lot of people, and there are a lot of little events to plan out during the day of your big event. So, making sure things are seamless is a process, to say the least! The biggest factor, though, in creating a smooth, stress-free wedding day will be your wedding timeline. That’s why I wanted to give you my 3 favorite tips for the smoothest wedding day ever. 

The majority of the time, your wedding photographer (if you’re still trying to find your perfect match I do happen to know someone!) and wedding coordinator, if you have one, will work together to plan out events that keep the evening flowing without you thinking too hard. 

When planning your wedding timeline, they’ll be focused on crafting a day that is as easy to navigate as possible. They’ll want your input, too, so knowing a few wedding timeline tips beforehand is the perfect way to help them out. 

So let’s dive into my top 3 tips to help you plan a smooth wedding timeline!

3 Tips for a Smooth Wedding Timeline

1. Have a first look

I know, I know. We all love the sappy idea of seeing yourself’s as bride and groom, soon to be husband and wife, for the first time when the bride walks down the aisle. 

But, hold that thought!

Really, if you haven’t considered utilizing a first look, let me drop a little rationale as to why you may want one. 

The biggest thing is time. Having a first look creates a huge amount of leeway later in the day for the formal photos, like family and bridal party, which means you can get those out of the way earlier. In addition, it’s also one of the only times throughout your wedding day that you may be alone, one-on-one with your future spouse. That may seem like a crazy thought, but it’s true! So, sharing that special moment prior to your ceremony can be amazing (spoiler: you’re still going to be emotional during the ceremony, regardless if you’ve seen each other beforehand or not!)

Having a first look is my personal favorite wedding timeline tip as it creates so much time at the reception for you and your friends + family to simply enjoy the party you spent hours planning. I, for one, would want to dance my ass off if given the opportunity. 

2. Create a shot list for family photos

This may or may not be something you’ve thought about, but chances are your mom has. What she hasn’t thought about is how it can affect your wedding day timeline.

Family photos can be one of the most stressful times of any wedding day. Why, may you ask? It’s just because there are a lot of people with big opinions who want to be included in pictures. 

Family, amirite!?

That said, if you come in ready to go with a handy shot list, no one can say anything about who needs to be included. The best approach is to get through all the family pairings you planned out via the shot list, and at the end, if there’s time, you can include any unplanned shots from there. This keeps things moving and mitigates mom asking about Great Aunt Deb to be included when she can’t even be found!

Plus, they’ll be time during your reception to mingle and get any pics with those family members who weren’t in the “formal” ones!

Bonus wedding timeline tip: do all your formal family photos after the ceremony. Your DJ can make an announcement and all of the people are likely already together, so it’s a great time to do so.

3. Give yourself time to actually enjoy your wedding day

Yes, this needs to be said! I’ve seen so many couples create a jam-packed wedding day timeline only to tell me afterward that they wish they had fewer activities and events planned throughout the day so that they could actually stop and relish on the special occasion. 

This is one of the easiest wedding timeline tips to remember, though: just don’t overdo it! 

This mostly applies to the reception hours of your wedding, but giving yourself time to mingle with your guests, dance on the dance floor, take a pint at the pub–whatever you want to do, having time where nothing is scheduled on your wedding timeline isn’t a bad thing! You don’t want to participate in activities that feel like chores on your wedding day. 

You don’t have to do a bouget and garter toss; you don’t have to have an anniversary dance; you don’t even have to have a cake cutting, dammit! 

Think about the things that are important for your wedding day and include those. Then, keep your wedding day timeline open to enjoy the festivities!

Your wedding timeline should be what you want, always remember that.

Seriously, don’t let anyone tell you what you want for your wedding day! It’s totally cool to get opinions on what to include in your wedding timeline, but never forget that it’s your f’n wedding!

Hopefully, some of these wedding timeline tips will be helpful for you when planning out your own wedding. If you use any of these I’d love to hear about how it helped your special day feel more relaxed, and if you personally have any other timeline tips feel free to share them!

For even more helpful wedding resources, check out my blog or head to some of my faves below:

• Ways to Incorporate Family in your Wedding

• The Rise of the Microwedding

I wish you the best of luck in wedding planning,

xx Peta