Yet another timeline thread :)

futuremrshp

Hi all-- I'm trying to finalize some things with both the hotel coordinator and the photographer (and DJ!).  Please let me know if there is something I'm missing for the day of (pre-ceremony, etc).  And with regards to the 'gap' for the ceremony and the cocktail hour/reception, they are at two different places, so it takes into account of time and distance.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

8am -10:30am:  Wake up, eat, shower, make sure things are on
point for the morning; check weather, make sure clothes are all there

11:15:  someone order lunch  J

12:00-  Lunch gets there—everyone eat up!

12:00 – Hair and make up
people arrive/set up

12-1:30:  Hair and make up done simultaneously

1:30 – photographer arrives,
takes pictures of us finishing up

1:45 – florist should
arrive (?)

1:30-1:45 – bridesmaids get
dressed

1:45-2:10 – bride gets
dress (corset back will take a while); pictures, etc

2:10-2:30:  Picture of all of the girls together and
individually with bride

2:15 – guys should be
leaving hotel for the church  (in FOG's car)

2:30 – girls leave the
hotel for the church (in limo)

2:30 – guys arrive at
the church, hide away

2:45 – girls arrive at
the church

3:30 – ceremony begins

4:00 – ceremony ends

4:10 - photography at
the church

5:00 – cocktail hour
begins/bar opens

5: 00 – photography at
park

5:45 – bridal party back
at hotel for part of cocktail hour

5:50/6:00 – doors open
for the reception for guests

6:00/6:10 – the bridal
party intro

6:00-7:00—bar closes (?)

6:10 – first dance/bridal
party dance/everyone dance (?)

6:30/6:35 – food
blessing and dinner begins

7:00 – bride and groom
go around to tables to talk and thank folks for coming

7:00 – the bar opens
back up (?)

7:20/7:30 – toasts

7:35/7:40 – spotlight dances

7:45 – couples dancing (?)/dance
floor opens

8:45 – cake cutting

9-11:00 --- dancedance
dance

Edit to adjust font and spacing... sorry.

southernbelle0915

I understand there may be travel time between the time the ceremony ends the time cocktail hour opens, but an HOUR? Did you choose a reception venue that's an hour from your ceremony venue? That's asking WAY too much of your guests. If it's closer, what's the actual drive time? Add actual drive time to 4:00 and that's when your cocktail hour should open. If you can't do that because contract/reasons, push your ceremony to 4:00 or so.

Regarding pre-ceremony stuff, a couple of thoughts:

- How are people going to each lunch while getting their hair/make-up done? I would have BMs arrive at 11, get settled/set up, and have lunch delivered at 11:30. That way lunch is totally done and packed up before you start on hair/make-up (and wrappers and food plates aren't in your photos/getting ready room.

- People should be dressed before your photog arrives.

- I would use the 1:30-1:45 time slot for pics of people fussing with your gown/tying up your corset so you have more time for pics with your BMs/your family/etc.

A couple comments on other stuff:

- Your guests need the option of sitting down during cocktail hour. If the reception doors aren't open, do you have enough seats for them elsewhere?

- Why is the bar closing? People should be able to get drinks with dinner.

futuremrshp

Thank you so much!  Thank you thank you thank you!

Re: the gap --- duly noted and we will adjust!  And no, the distance isn't that far away.  We're taking into account distance, travel and tourist season (DC metro area during cherry blossom season.)  Traffic's a pain.  But like I said, we shall adjust... if they are stuck, at least when they come, dinner will be starting relatively soon in the line up.

Thank you for the advice about the Bridemaids and make up and stuff, I'll move that up to 11.  And excellent point about the wrappers and stuff being in photos (gah!). 

And with regards to cocktail hour, yes, plenty of places to sit, stand, etc... (sorry that wasn't clear).  And with regards to the bar closing, that's why I had the question mark.  We have it for 4.5 hours and I think the math got messed up a bit.  They need to move the bar from the outside to the inside of the ballroom, which requires some time for it to be closed down to disassemble and reassemble.  The coordinator said that he didn't want it open when people were giving toasts, but I think the timing got messed up.  Thank you for catching that.  We want people to enjoy!   

[Deleted User]

futuremrshp said:

Hi all-- I'm trying to finalize some things with both the hotel coordinator and the photographer (and DJ!).  Please let me know if there is something I'm missing for the day of (pre-ceremony, etc).  And with regards to the 'gap' for the ceremony and the cocktail hour/reception, they are at two different places, so it takes into account of time and distance.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

8am -10:30am:  Wake up, eat, shower, make sure things are on
point for the morning; check weather, make sure clothes are all there

11:15:  someone order lunch - see if you can order this a day in advance with a schedule delivery time, then one less thing to worry about on your big day  J

 

12:00-  Lunch gets there—everyone eat up!

12:00 – Hair and make up
people arrive/set up

12-1:30:  Hair and make up done simultaneously

1:30 – photographer arrives,
takes pictures of us finishing up

1:45 – florist should
arrive (?)

1:30-1:45 – bridesmaids get
dressed

1:45-2:10 – bride gets
dress (corset back will take a while); pictures, etc

2:10-2:30:  Picture of all of the girls together and
individually with bride

2:15 – guys should be
leaving hotel for the church  (in FOG's car)

2:30 – girls leave the
hotel for the church (in limo)

2:30 – guys arrive at
the church, hide away

2:45 – girls arrive at
the church

3:30 – ceremony begins

4:00 – ceremony ends

4:10 - photography at
the church

5:00 – cocktail hour
begins/bar opens

5: 00 – photography at
park

5:45 – bridal party back
at hotel for part of cocktail hour

5:50/6:00 – doors open
for the reception for guests

6:00/6:10 – the bridal
party intro

6:00-7:00—bar closes (?) - don't close the bar until the end of the night, people will want to refresh their drinks for dinner, even if you have any type of beverage at the table

6:10 – first dance/bridal
party dance/everyone dance (?) - Only do first dance, save other formal dances you want to do for after dinner, let your guests eat, they will be happier then.

 

6:30/6:35 – food
blessing and dinner begins

7:00 – bride and groom
go around to tables to talk and thank folks for coming

7:00 – the bar opens
back up (?)

7:20/7:30 – toasts do this as dinner finishing up or before dinner starts if they will be quick. This way guests are still all seated & the room quiet.

7:35/7:40 – spotlight dances

7:45 – couples dancing (?)/dance
floor opens

8:45 – cake cutting Consider moving this up a little, especially if you will have kids there, guests with kids will probably start leaving around 8:30 as well as eldery guests tend to leave early.

9-11:00 --- dancedance
dance

Edit to adjust font and spacing... sorry.

Just a few suggestions in bold, but have to say overall it looks great & love that you thought of ordering lunch to feed bridal party so they aren't going all day without eating.

mlg78

I wouldn't do the bridal party dance. Most bridesmaids and groomsmen hate having to dance with someone they don't know well and most guests hate sitting through it. It's awkward. And what is the "everyone dance"?