Why Have a Schedule?

Why have a schedule?

A schedule determines getting the best out of all your vendors. 

A good wedding venue will have someone from their team work with you on organising the timeline and then on the day, they make sure everything goes to plan. Should any issues arise on the day, the venue function managers/planners will solve problems for you because they’ve worked with you on your timeline in the planning process.

At the best venues, most times you won’t even be aware there was an issue as the team at the venue has solved it before you’ve even had to worry about it.

How to create a schedule for your wedding day: 

Where to start?The best place to start is your highest priorities for the day. 

As a couple – what are the things you’ve most been looking forward to for your wedding day? 



For example, say you’re really looking forward to a fine dining experience at the reception (we happen to know an award winning Caterer – just saying), and you’ve worked out with your photographer that you definitely want sunset photos. If your catering team is banking on you sitting down to eat at 6pm on a Summer’s evening, this will present quite a conflict between your photographer and your caterer. Or you may be really excited about your cars and want to include an afternoon drive to celebrate getting married. An afternoon cruise will be delightful, but there will also be other vendors to consider to include a trip in the schedule.

Some points to think about:



• What photos do I want? (see this blog here for more detail on this)credit: EL Simpson Photography
• When will I be eating? 
• When will my guests be eating? 
• When does my hairdresser guarantee to be done?
• When does my make-up artist finish? 
• Has the floral artist said when they are delivering the goods? 
• How long does it take the bride and bridesmaids to get into her dress? 
• How long does the ceremony go for? (particularly watch this one if you have a religious ceremony)
• Will my videographer need some of my time for things like reading letters or opening presents? 
• Do we want to take some time as a couple to be alone, slow down and soak up the moment?
• How many group photos with family and close friends do I want?

Make a list



It may seem like a no-brainer. But having a physical or digital list you and your vendors can work off can save you a lot of stress on the wedding day itself. Having everyone know what their duties are with a set of tasks they can refer to, definitely helps to avoid a bombardment of questions when you’re trying to get your hair and make-up done and it just makes things run a whole lot smoother in general.

Work from the seasonal changes

If you’ve got your heart set on saying “I do” in the early warm sunshine, consider what time this would be and work your way back from there. A sunrise wedding is incredibly romantic, however if you and your partner are not used to rising earlier than when the sparrows do, having a ceremony on a Summer sunrise may have its challenges. Some hair and make-up artists will require a

couple hours on each person and consider you and your bridal party will likely need to eat before the ceremony. 



Conversely, if you and your partner want sunset photos, your timeline can be worked out from the time the sun sets back to include what you’d like to do before this. When you add in this time, (including photos with family members and your bridal party, making sure you have eaten and had something to drink as well as having time to chat with your guests after the ceremony) you can have more of an idea of when the ceremony will best fit within the day. 

The schedule is for your best wedding day

Ultimately, this day is about you and your partner. A good wedding planner is there to guide you through a timeline that encompasses what your priorities are for the day. 

The process won’t be overwhelming when you have the right team of vendors supporting and working with you. Still looking for that Dream Team to help you make your wedding wonderful? Contact us – we’d love to show you how we can help you have the wedding day you’ve dreamed of.