Timeline help 🤦🏼‍♀️

My wedding ceremony was at 4:30 pm with cocktail hour from 5-6 and grand entrance at 6:15 pm. Reception ended at 10 pm. Since you have to be done no later than 9 pm I would probably plan for ceremony at 3:30 pm then cocktail hour from 4 - 5 pm then grand entrance at 5:15 pm and reception over at 9 pm. Our photographer and makeup artist/hairstylist (they were the same company) helped us with planning the timeline prior to the ceremony. So I would definitely consult with those vendors to assist you. My recommendation for photos is to take as many prior to the ceremony as possible. This will cut down on how many you need to take during cocktail hour. I say this because my brother and sister-in-law waited to take all, but the getting ready and detail photos until cocktail hour and we ran 30 minutes over the allotted hour and they also missed a big chunk of their reception because even with running 30 minutes over they still didn't get all of their photos done. If you aren't planning a first look then I would have any photos that don't involve the both of you together taken prior to the ceremony. That would be you with your bridesmaids, you with your family, your fiancé with his groomsmen, and him with his family. Then group photos and photos of the two of you could be done during cocktail hour. If you want sunset photos, you could quietly step out of the reception for 10-15 minutes to have those photos taken.

View Quoted Comment This is good information and advice, thank you! 🤍

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You're welcome! I will say you will probably have to start hair and makeup prior to 11 am. This of course is going to depend on the number of people having hair and makeup professionally done and what time your photographer would want to take photos prior to the ceremony. We had 9 people (including two children) have their hair professionally done and 6 people (including two children) have their makeup professionally done and we started at 8 am and were done by 2 pm for photos to start at 2:15 pm. We were done with all photos by 4 pm so that we could all get lined up for the ceremony at 4:30 pm. We did do a first look.

View Quoted Comment So I am getting my hair and makeup professionally done. Other than myself, my 3 bridesmaids might get theirs done (which isn’t confirmed just yet) and possibly both of our mothers (unlikely).
It’s one women doing both hair and makeup, do you think we still might have to start sooner than 11am for a 3:30pm?

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I don't think you'd be able to get all of everyone's hair and makeup and photos done within 4.5 hours. Hair and makeup usually takes 30-45 minutes per service per person and 60-90 per service for the bride. Our photographer also planned for about 1.5-2 hours of photos prior to the ceremony. I would speak with both the hair/makeup artist, but I don't even 4.5 hours would be enough time for just hair and makeup for everyone especially with only one person doing both services. If you need before 11 am then I would either plan for hair and makeup to be done at your house, at the salon, or somewhere else or see if you can get into the property before 11 am.

Did you find your wedding dress

View Quoted Comment No I haven’t yet. Our wedding is next September and I’m not sure when I’ll go to the shop yet.

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Girl go wedding shoping

View Quoted Comment I will soon! I’ve got to get through October first just because it’s crazy 😂 and then I’ll go get my dress. All but food is figured out!

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Ok girl have a good day