Three Wedding Day Timeline Killers and How to Stay on Track

In order for your big day to go off without a hitch, communication, prior planning, and a wedding day timeline are key.

While a wedding is romantic and magical, it is also a big event with a lot of moving parts. From the moment you wake up, there’s somewhere you need to be. Today, we’re sharing three key hangups that throw off the wedding day timeline. When you take these into consideration, your wedding day is sure to be hiccup-free.

Unhurried hair and makeup

You can’t rush perfection… and you certainly don’t want your hairstylist or makeup artist to feel hurried while they’re enhancing your natural beauty. On your wedding day, you should feel absolutely gorgeous-- that’s why it’s important to plan ample time for hair and makeup on your wedding day timeline.

A 15-minute delay may seem like no big deal, but that delay is just the first piece in a domino effect that will impact the entire day. Those 15 minutes will likely mean a delay in pre-ceremony photography, which means you may not get all of the photos you want (and paid for!), and if your stylists are also scheduled for your wedding party or parents, someone may not get the full treatment they wanted.

When you’re scheduling hair and makeup on your wedding day timeline, ask the stylists for an estimate on the amount of time needed-- then build in a buffer.

A Ceremony that Starts at Just the Right Time

While hair and makeup running late is a no-no, ceremonies are actually almost guaranteed to begin later than the time on the invitation. We all have friends and family members who can never seem to arrive on time. That’s why we plan a start time of approximately 15 minutes after the time printed on the invitation. You want all of your guests to be in their seats, not sneaking in moments before (or after) you’ve walked down the aisle. In this case, we’ll plan for a fashionably late start time!

After the ceremony, a whole new flurry of events occurs simultaneously. Family and the wedding party are ushered away for photographs as guests make their way to the reception. Caterers begin serving canapés and cocktails as guests wait for the newly married couple to make their entrance.

Make sure your wedding timeline is distributed to your vendors and family members so Grandma Ruby doesn’t get swept up with the crowd headed to the reception. Your wedding photos will be treasured family keepsakes for generations to come-- proper communication ensures everyone is in the right place at the right time!

Never-Ending Toasts

A well-timed, well-planned wedding toast is a sweet, sentimental gift to the bride and groom by two of the people who know them best. Your person of honor has likely been there through all stages of the relationship and can give extended family members and friends a glimpse into your past and present, with warm wishes for the future.

That’s the best-case scenario. But we’ve all been at those weddings where the mic is opened up to anyone who wants to talk. And we know what happens next. An overly-sentimental sorority friend ugly cries for a few minutes. Drunk Uncle Mike makes inappropriate jokes. And the rest of the guests start to look longingly at the door as you consult the clock. The terrible toasts are cutting into dance time and your fairytale exit is creeping up fast!

With proper communication and planning, you can avoid a string of never-ending toasts. When you talk with your persons of honor about their speeches, ask them to stick within a time-limit. Five minutes is a perfect amount of time for some sentimental stories and well wishes. Be sure they know that they are the only two people giving toasts and give them instructions on what happens next. Will they hand the microphone off to the newlyweds? The master of ceremony? Or will they announce that it’s time to hit the dance floor?

You deserve a fairytale wedding that’s perfect from start to finish. When you’re in the moment, a few minutes’ difference may not seem like a big deal-- and for you, they shouldn’t! That’s why it’s important to choose a venue you can trust to stick to your schedule.

 At Mill Pond Estate, our job is to make your dream wedding a reality. Once you set a plan for your wedding, we’ll gently guide you through the day so you can be fully present emotionally and physically without having to worry about checking your wedding day timeline or keeping others on track. 

Trust us to work with vendors, family members, and guests for a wedding day that goes off without a hitch. From the first vendor’s arrival to the grand exit and beyond, the team at Mill Pond Estate is here to carry out your plans so you can focus on enjoying the day and celebrating with those who love you!

We look forward to being a part of your big day! Book a tour at Mill Pond Estate, Tampa’s newest wedding venue.