Is my timeline crazy?

My only concern here is that it looks like most of your day revolves around photo-taking. You’re doing a first look, yet you’re also missing most of your cocktail hour AND missing some of your reception for more photos. It’s all up to you of course but I would just think you may want to skip/condense some of the photo taking so it doesn’t feel like that’s all you’re doing all day. Maybe skip the post-ceremony couples photos (you’ll have plenty from your first look) and just enjoy cocktail hour?


Also, when are you doing your makeup?

Your timeline seems fine to me. For lunch, I would consider Panera, salads, wraps, or something a little lighter and less carby.

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Yeah I've noticed that too, which is probably because I had just had a conversation with my photographer so of course that's what she thinks about. I would like to scale it back some. We both have small families so I don't feel like we need to spend hours and hours doing posed portraits. I'll definitely bring this up once I've had a meeting with the coordinator since she will have a more well rounded view of the day.

As for makeup we are all doing our own, so I was going to do mine before I get my hair done. All of us are comfortable with makeup and not hair so that was going to kind of be a "whenever you think you need to" situation. Do you think that'll backfire?

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Oh good call on the lighter food! I was just thinking easy but that is just as easy and will definitely feel better!

If seeing it on paper makes you feel more comfortable, I think it's a great start. Especially since you're working with a DOC, starting 6-months in advance, I'd just stay open to the timeline continuing to evolve right up to the week of the wedding. Things will change -- be open to it! The one thing that jumps out at me is that at 10:30 all four parents and other relatives are scheduled to "set up the tables." I have no idea what that will actually entail, but given that your mom is getting her hair done right before that, and "first look" photos involving parents and others are right after that, I'd potentially talk with your DOC about hiring someone to take care of the tables. I think you have your VIPs on really tight timelines as it is. I was the MOB. My daughter and I got our HMU done together, beginning at 7 am and were back at our house about 10:30, to meet up with the photographer, FOB, and the BM's (who'd all gotten ready elsewhere), for a light lunch at 11 and "getting ready" photos. At 12:30 we left for the venue, and at 1:00 photos of daughter getting into her dress happened, then first looks with FOB, then G, then wedding party, etc. Ceremony began at 3:30. Honestly, as MOB, I didn't have a single set-up responsibility (neither did any of the other parents/family members/etc.) and the day was FULL. If you can come up with ANY other option for set-up, I think that would be a wonderful gift you give to yourself and all the others. Good luck!

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THANK YOU for this! I know my coordinator does some set up but I don't know how much so I wanted to be prepared just incase. A few of the VIPs requested to help set up but I also don't want them to do more than they wanted to. Your timeline breakdown is really great, thank you for sharing it!

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Honestly, no matter what people offer to do, try to make other arrangements.... Your life and YOUR MOM's life will be SO MUCH BETTER for it. If you can set things up the night before, and people want to be involved, I think that can potentially work, but don't plan on VIPs having to do anything the day of but enjoy the day with you! The day will go so quickly, you all want to have the opportunity to savor all the special moments as they happen -- not be rushing around in a frenzy putting out table decor or whatever. Daughter was a BM in a wedding where the MOB was doing set-up pretty much the entire time the bride was getting ready, taking special photos, etc. I don't think she really even got to see her daughter until right before the ceremony began. After seeing that, daughter knew that was NOT how she wanted us to be the day of her wedding.

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Yeah I DEFINITELY don't want that. Thank you so much for this, it's at the top of my list of questions for my coordinator now.

I think the one thing is the cake cutting seems early

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I was just a guest at a wedding where they did it like this, and catering took it away and cut it while people were eating dinner so it was ready to serve right after dinner and thought that flowed nicely. When would you suggest? Totally open to suggestions.

View Quoted Comment I think the makeup idea is fine, you’ll have plenty of time to do it. That’s pretty much what we did at my wedding too (I did my own makeup). I just wanted to make sure if you were hiring a professional that you didn’t just forget to leave that out of your timeline lol.



As for the photos, my advice to scale it back, especially if you have small families, would be to just do all your family photos in that 2-2:45 block. 45 mins is probably more than enough time anyway. We did all our family photos (like both sides of the family, nuclear and extended) in about 10-15 mins. So like even if you’re taking your time with it, I imagine 45 minutes would be plenty. Then that way you can cut out the 30 mins of family photos after the ceremony, and I’d either scale back on the post-ceremony couples photos or just cut them out altogether (you’ll get plenty from your first look and then the sunset photos). That would allow you to just enjoy more of your cocktail hour.

Just my thoughts!

I think being organized is totally fine. Here are a few notes on your timeline.

1. 7:30-7:45 - Is 15 minutes really enough for people to wake up, get ready, shower & brush their teeth, eat breakfast, etc.? I'd wake up earlier.

2. 8:00 - I'd just tell bridesmaids to arrive between 8:00 and 8:30. Better to have them there before 8:30 especially since the second hair starts at 8:45.

3. When does makeup happen? And my hair as a bride took longer than 45 minutes. It was closer to an hour. Plus in between the hairstylist may need a break to have some water, a snack, go to the bathroom, etc.

4. I just don't see enough time in between things. Typically hair takes around 45 minutes and by this timeline it has to take EXACTLY that and not a second longer.

4. If in budget, I'd hire another stylist so you don't have to get up as early and so the bride isn't getting into her dress and doing a first look as someone's hair is being done. The bridesmaids getting her hair done while you put your dress on may feel like she is missing out.

5. Another note, if it's in budget, I'd REALLY look for someone to help with set up that don't include members of the wedding or I'd set up the night before if possible.

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This is perfect advice, I really appreciated it. I definitely needed help scaling back, and reading this makes me feel so much more relaxed. I knew it was just too much!

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Thank you! I did kind of think the stylist was being ambitious with this timeline. I'll definitely chat with her and adjust, and see if she can bring a second stylist with her.

Also, I'm looking at my contracts, and both my venue and my catering contract say they set up tables, so I think I may already have that covered and didn't realize it. I definitely need to chat with some of my vendors!

I really appreciate your advice this is great!

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Our hair stylist said to plan for 45 minutes per service for hair & makeup for bridesmaids and moms, then 1 hour per service for the bride. So I left a one hour buffer at the end for last minute touch ups, HAMU going over, putting on outfits, etc. We hired 4 stylists for 13 women and it made things SO much easier.

View Quoted Comment No problem! It can be hard to visualize how long everything will actually take until you’ve actually done it. Something I was surprised with honestly was how fast picture-taking can be lol. Like we only had an hour to do ALL our photos and we actually ended up with extra time at the end where we felt like we had all the shots we wanted and were done.... 🤷🏻‍♀️

Looks great to me! I am very organized as well. It is your day so you plan it exactly how you both want!

Like someone else said, stay away from the pizza. You don't want anyone to be too stuffed that they don't eat during the cocktail hour. Being organized like this is great, however if things are off-schedule don't let it stress you out. I find that when I make itineraries like this, I get stressed quicker if everything doesn't fall into place.

Everyone has already given some great suggestions, but I just want to add 1 more: overestimate how long everything will take. I was so glad I built in buffer time in the pre-ceremony hours. Essentially, I like to think of it as planning for damage control. Chances are there will be some snafus that set you back, but if you've allotted time for problems then you will still stay on schedule.

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This is great advice, thank you so much!