We all know that planning a wedding can be a lot of work! You spend months, sometimes more than a year, planning every little detail that will go into the big day. Having a solid plan alongside your vendors can help give you a stress-free wedding day. Here are 4 tips to help get you stay on track and rock your wedding timeline.

Tip #1 // Remember the little details too

When thinking through your wedding day timeline, don’t forget to consider all the small things. Many times these details are what end up being time-consuming when you add them all together. Are you doing a gift exchange between the two of you? Are you wanting to do a first look with a loved one? Does your dress or suit have a million buttons? Scheduling the appropriate amount of time for each of these things will keep you from falling behind on schedule. At the end of the day, you want to spend wedding day relaxing and enjoying the festivities.

Tip #2 // Make family portrait time efficient

If it’s not well organized, capturing family portraits after the ceremony could be the biggest timeline drainer of the day! Provide your photographer with a detailed list of the groups you need for family portraits. When I work with my couples, I go as far as collecting names for smaller groups and key individuals, to make sure we move fast and efficient. This way your guests can go enjoy the cocktail hour, and you two can catch a breath, sip of water and a smiling break too!

Consider designating a family member(s) as the point person. They can help your photographer track missing people and keep members in the area until they are finished. Reminding family the night before about formal photos could also save you your sanity (whether it’s you, or the designated family member).

Tip #3 // Consider a first look

First looks can be fun way to have a private moment together prior to the wedding day whirlwind. While they’re not for every couple, there are a lot of benefits to seeing each other before the ceremony, and it’s something good to consider. You two can get rid of some pre-ceremony jitters (or tears!), while getting ahead of the game in your couple’s photos. This also helps you get to your reception even quicker, since we won’t have to spend as much time after the ceremony taking photos!

Sometimes couples are concerned that having a first look will make walking down the aisle less emotional, and I promise that’s not the case. It may not be the first time you see each other, it’s in a different light and a different moment. But no worries if you’ve decided to skip the first look. Your photographer can always focus on capturing that first look moment during the ceremony, and plan enough time for couples photos afterward! 

Tip #4 // Make a day-of emergency kit

Even the most carefully planned timeline can have a little hiccup or two. Don’t let small problems such as a little dirt at the bottom of a dress, or a missing button on a shirt become a bigger problem than it really is. This is where having an emergency kit can alleviate stressful moments! Things like small scissors, band-aids, bobby pins, sewing kit, Tums, stain remover pens, lint roller, and safety pins will give you some relief if an emergency pops up. Throwing in a bottle of water and some granola bars can also help if someone starts to feel a little light headed. Here’s one of my favorite wedding essentials packing list as fun but handy resource too.

Wedding planning, and sometimes even the wedding day, can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be.

Finding a group of vendors that you feel confident in and excited about is really important – a strong group of wedding professionals can really bring your vision to life, and help the day go as smoothly as possible. Hope you found these tips helpful, so you can rock your wedding timeline and have a stress-free, memorable day. Have additional tips? Share below!