TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR WEDDING ITINERARY
There are so many plug-and-play wedding schedules online–and while they help the bride come up with a loose wedding day itinerary, they aren’t always catered to what the couple wants or needs on their big day. At all three of our venues at Main Street Events, we have run into plenty of wedding schedule issues and have had to problem-solve with our team to figure out how to get the day back on track. These are just some of the solutions we have come up with to help couples have a smooth and seamless wedding day.
A Fall Wedding at The Barn at Riverbend captured by Nick and Lexie Photo +Film
Find out when the sun goes down
A walk at The Barn at Riverbend captured by Deana Coufal Photography
A great place to start when mapping out the wedding day is to google what time the sun is predicted to go down. This way you can start planning the wedding schedule backward. This method can be super helpful for brides who can’t hire a wedding planner or who don’t know where to start with a more detailed wedding itinerary. Luckily, nature provides a natural flow for the wedding ceremony to turn into an unforgettable reception if you just follow its lead!
Planning the reception around the sun can help the party flow better–no one wants to dance while the sun is still out! This method can also help with the cost of the wedding as well. If cocktail hour starts after a 4 pm ceremony, you might be adding a couple of extra hours to your bar package since wedding guests want to drink until the send-off, which usually isn't until 10 pm or so. Starting cocktail hour about four hours before the send-off is usually safe for your guest’s enjoyment and your wallet.
This is also an important aspect to consider for outdoor Summer weddings. No couple wants their guests to be hot and miserable while they walk down the aisle. Planning a ceremony at 6 pm instead of 5 pm can make all the difference to your beloved guests.
Make a priority list of all the scheduled events
A wedding day almost never sticks to the wedding itinerary exactly, so make sure you know what scheduled events are non-negotiables and communicate this to your planner or whoever is in charge of the schedule.
If you want to make sure you get to dance with your guests for two hours, be sure to prioritize your time at the end of the night. If you don’t care too much about a cocktail hour being exactly an hour, let the vendors and planner know that isn’t something to stress too much over. Just make sure you get to really enjoy the events you’ve been looking forward to and imagining as part of your day.
Be in communication with your photographer and DJ
Your chosen photographer and DJ might have the perfect suggestions to make your wedding schedule seamless. So, be sure to utilize their professional talents in any way you can. These two vendors are the ultimate combination that makes the entire wedding day flow. The photographer knows every single detail that needs to be photographed and the DJ will keep the party moving. Trust them with the schedule. This is not their first rodeo!
Be considerate of your guests when creating the wedding schedule
Yes–this is your day. And yes, your happiness is the most important ingredient to a great wedding. But, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be considerate of your guests and their time.
This is especially something to be conscious about with Friday night weddings. Since most people work 9-5 jobs it’s important to consider the start time of a ceremony on a Friday night. Scheduling the ceremony for 5 pm on a Friday may be inconsiderate to guests, especially since most people need time to go home and get wedding-ready before making it to the ceremony on time. Not only is this inconsiderate to guests, but it might delay the ceremony–which is not great for the wedding party since you have an itinerary you’re trying to follow. Giving guests a nice hour or hour and a half work-day cushion could make the day flow better and leaves everyone in a better mood to party at the reception. No one likes being rushed!
If wedding planning is overwhelming and you don’t know where to start–just take a couple of deep breaths and ask a friend or family member who has already been through this process to sit down with you. Just get started with a loose layout of the wedding day, and know adjustments can always be made along the way.