Warning: A bad timeline can be worse than a terrible DJ

{Quick post} I just had a consult and emergency fix with a bride getting married in Chicago on Saturday. She was having a meltdown because her venue isn't helping her with her wedding day time line (this is normal- it isn't their job to do so), her church has no wiggle room with time, and the way the venue told her the evening will flow doesn't work with the hours that she has her photographer and videographer on site. Also, she only had one stylist coming to do hair and makeup for 2 moms & 7 girls and the ceremony is at 2pm. That's right- they'll be starting at the crack of dawn. Yep, I'd be having a meltdown too.
I can not stress enough how important a well thought out timeline is. Sure, sometimes we have to veer off of them, but planning ahead for a smooth day that works with all your vendors for the hours you are paying them for and that keeps you and your wedding guests having a great experience will save you from unecessary stress. Make sure your timeline is inclusive of the entire day (wake up to clean up) and covers all the bases, from each point of view (wedding party, guests, vendors, and venue). It's a puzzle, but a few missing pieces messes the whole darn thing up. Lastly, make sure it actually works- have someone review it!

Wedding Planning Problem & SolutionGetting it all covered

I just got off the phone with a wedding pro. We were chatting about her wedding last night, and she mentioned that while it was a great wedding, it wasn't going to be completely documented because key things happened well after the photographer and videographer were scheduled to leave, amongst some other things.
The Problem: A proper detailed plan wasn't created.
The Result: The cake cutting, parent dances, and choreographed wedding party dance aren't on film. The top tier of the cake got left out all night. The couple had to pay $1000 overtime labor and site fees to the venue because nobody stayed that evening to clear out the centerpieces and rented linens, oh and the band wasn't done breaking down until an hour and a half after the doors were to be locked.
The Solution: A wedding day plan other than what was delivered to you by your venue coordinator on her BEO needs to be developed to incorporate everything involving your wedding. It should:

}Coordinate everything that is supposed to happen, every tangible item that you're bringing (with what/where to do with it), all the vendors, as well as a BEO summary.
}It should begin at the start of the day- set-up... thru the end of the day- breakdown; the 5 W's rule should be followed on your plan.

If you have a professional wedding planner, she's already doing this for you and you need not be worried(just ask, she shouldn't be offended)! If you're going DIY, start your plan in the beginning of your planning and develop it as you go.
Questions? Leave a comment!

My favorite reception timelineThe Celebration Timeline

The thing is, there are so many hundreds of ways to have your reception run. And while no 2 weddings are even remotely similar, and this timelime will not work for every wedding, I do have this one particular timeline that I love to use when possible.

Dare I spill my guts? I vote yes. Before I tell you though, I want to explain why. I developed this particular timeline after:
1. Experiencing so many weddings where the guests (especially the bride & groom) just were not ready for the party to end because the dinner portion of the evening took up so much of the time that the reception included.
2. Another never ending issue- having to get all the traditions packed in before the photographer & videographer left, without rushing through them.
3. Breaking up a packed dance floor 4 times in an hour to do one of the traditions.
4. Do you like to be interrupted 4 times during a nice dinner out with all your friends? No? Me Either. So why do it at your wedding? Stop the constant flow of interruptions!

Let me say this though; most of my awesome and amazing clients (yep, they ROCK. Every last one of them) don't do every wedding tradition. Bouquet tosses and garter tosses are few and far between. Same goes for big exits. So like I said- this timeline isn't for everyone. But it works quite a bit for us! If you do use it, let me know how it goes.

Guests seated
Newlyweds introduced
Newlyweds welcome & thank guests
Father of the bride toast
Best Man & Maid of honor toasts
1st course
Cake Cutting (guests remain seated, have the cake somewhere everyone can see it or roll it in)
2nd course
3rd course (cake)
Call guests to dance floor for 1st dance
The special All Guest dance (VERY IMPORTANT)
First break for slow song - 2nd dances (let your music professional make the call on when this should happen- they know how to read the crowd).

Notice this- all the traditions are done by the 1st slow song and because you did the all party song immediately after your 1st dance, the photographer and videographer caught video of everyone on the dance floor.
Yeah, you see why I love this timeline?

If I see this happen one more time I'll scream

I just got back from a wedding. I was not the wedding planner. Apparently, nobody was. I have 2 things to say and then I promise I won't bring it up again.

ONE: Mothers of the brides should not have to work at their daughters weddings. Tonight I saw this poor woman doing everything. Including controlling the drunk Maid of honor, the brides sister. She also was responsible for lining up the wedding party (3 times), releasing the tables (are you kidding me?), and moving ceremony flowers to the reception. I'm sure she was also responsible for packing up the car with the 40 boxed gifts at the end of the night.

TWO: If you aren't going to do anything else, give your DJ a timeline that says when you want everything done by. You should not have 1/2 your wedding guests already gone by the time you do your best mans toast. And another 1/4 gone before you have your cake cut. I am not kidding- only 10% of the wedding guests were left for the cake cutting tonight, and the couple had to fork over another few hundred dollars to keep the photographer an extra hour because everything ran so late.

I forgot my camera

I know! I can't believe it either. My camera is always in my bag. Last night, I attended a wonderful event that theknot.com hosted and I didn't get a single photo. I did walk away with a new friend; a fellow wedding planner who rocks (Hi Shannon!), a great coffee mug (which I am using this very moment), and some inspiration (very cool draping at this event).

Alright, I need to go finish up the timeline for Krista's wedding next week, and confirm with the caterer, and give a heads up to the venue coordinator, and order the flowers, and send out a contract, and schedule 3 appointments, and ...it's going to be a busy day!

Ciao for now!

Goodness! I can't believe I haven't made an entry since Memorial Day! It really is amazing how time flies by; whether its because you're having fun, or working so much that you don't notice the sun coming up and going back down again.
When it comes to your wedding, time is not always on your side. So being prepared is crucial. What's the best way to manage your time and everything else for your wedding day? (Besides having a wedding planner of course) Create a timeline. Start with 1 hour increments and fill in the blanks. Ceremony start time, reception end time, limo pick up time, when the photographer is arriving, your hair appointment, etc. As you start filling in the blanks you'll be able to break it into a more detailed timeline like the one above. On your timeline, make columns so you can put notes in, contact info, and be sure to leave space to add things that you "almost forgot". Once your timeline is complete, you'll have a really great document to keep you calm and cool when you think everything is going wrong. You'll know exactly who is where and when and what they're doing. Most importantly, make your schedule reasonable. You can't get your hair done at 3pm and expect to be walking down the aisle 20 minutes later. be forwarned, it takes time to build a good timeline. My wedding timelines are usually 3 to 4 pages long, have every wedding detail noted, all vendors contact information, and take me 4 to 6 hours to create.
Todays tip: Buy bins with lids to fill as you're planning your wedding. One for the reception, one for the ceremony, one for the rehearsal dinner, etc. As you purchase items, put them in the box and keep an inventory sheet on top. That way when wedding day comes you won't have to sort through everything. You can deliver each box to the appropriate location and not worry that something is missing!
Todays Link: http://www.floridacasinonights.com/ These people know how to turn a rehearsal dinner into a PARTY! I finally got to attend one of their events as a guest and I was totally shocked by how great a time I had. I'm not a poker playing kind of gal- but for some reason when there's no real cash to lose, it is just so much fun!

Usually the first item on a to-do list when planning a wedding is the budget. Having a budget from the get go will enable you to put money in categories that are a priority to you, ensures that you're calling on vendors and venues that are right for your wedding (high quality, reputable, and in your budgeted price range) , and that you're going to have enough money at the end (2 weeks prior to the wedding) to pay for them all. So what's the 1st thing brides & grooms usually cut? Videography. What's my 1st response to this, "I suggest we hold off on removing that category for now". Here's why:
Out of all my weddings, the couples who do get videography, tell me it is the one thing that they are most glad they did. Why? They didn't get to see everyone "oohh and aaahh" at the 1st site of the reception. " The whole thing was a blur, it was over so quickly"
Out of all my weddings, the couples who did NOT get videography, tell me it is the one thing that they wish they did. " I wish I could have seen my nephew walk down the aisle, he was so excited" "I heard my 90 year old Aunt Dottie was dancing to Eminem, I wish I could have seen that" "I wish I could hear my best mans speech one more time"
A professional wedding video is not the same as cousin Joe's. That is unless cousin Joe has 2 cameras, a wireless lapel mcrophone, capability and 40+ hours to edit 12 hours of video down to 2, and add your favorite music, and won't mind working through your entire wedding ceremony and reception rather than enjoying it. Oh, and you'll be sure to forgive him for missing your 1st dance while he got a drink at the bar.
Tip: provide your videographer with everything they need to provide you with an awesome document of your big day BEFORE the wedding. This includes your song choices, your invitation, the wedding day timeline & floorplans, photgraphers name, and details/notes sheets.
Todays photo: This is the cover of Bonita Living. It's the annual wedding issue of a regional magazine here in SWFL. Many regional magazines and publications do wedding issues in May & June. They can be a great resource, so check your local newstands. Weddings by Socialites was featured in this issue (click to read: www.esocialites.com/Press.html )!
Todays links: www.AMCvideo.com See what wedding videography is these days. Also growing in popularity, wedding cinematography www.lifestoriesny.com