Weddingbee boards

ok i am seriously struggling with the day of itinerary.

i need your opinions/advice please.

our ceremony begins at 6:30p.m. and ends at 11pm

we've booked our photographer for 9 hours....so assuming we want him to stay 'til the end, we need him to start by 2pm.

we have a limo rented for 3 hours which should be enough time just to take me & the groom around the city for bride & groom pictures. I'd like to be able to utilize the limo for the full 3 hours.

The dilemma I'm facing is that I don't want to get ready too early before the pictures.

We also have to consider wedding party pictures. I'm not sure if I should have the wedding party pictures first, maybe right at 2:00pm where the ceremony will be held? But if we have the group photos at 2pm, then the groom and I will not be able to leave for our couple shots until 3pm or so and that won't give us enough time to get back by 5p.m. 

This is what I've come up with so far....but what bothers me is that I would have to get ready by 11am when our pictures don't even start until 2p.m.?

I know its asking a lot to read thru, but any advice is very much appreciated!

DAY OF TIMELINE

10:00 open

11:00am - Groom picks up Flowers from Florist

11:30am - Bride leaves for the Hotel

12:00pm - Bride & Groom should arrive at Hotel

12:15pm - Put on dress, (all rings, jewelry, shoes, dress, garter, veil, flower etc)

12:30pm  Groom departs from hotel to Ceremony location (in his car and takes aisle runner, brides' belongings to ceremony location)and meets photographer & videographer at Ceremony location

12:45pm - Limo picks up Bride and departs from hotel to Ceremony location

1:00 Bride & Groom meet at Ceremony location (photo opp)

Wedding Pictures (Bride & Groom only)

1:10 - 1:20 Limo takes groom, bride, photographer, videographer to First Photo Location

1:35 - 2:15 Pictures at first photo location.

3:20  Depart first Photo Location and return to Ceremony site

3:45 Arrive at Ceremony Site

3:45 - 4:45 Bride & Groom pictures at Ceremony Site

3:30 - Wedding Party should arrive at Ceremony Site

4:45 - 5:30 - Dress Rehearsal and Wedding Party Pictures

5:30 - Alone Time For Bride (re-touch makeup/hair)

5:45 - Ushers lay down aisle runner and block aisle with ribbon.

6:30 - Ceremony Starts

6:50 - Ceremony Ends

6:55 -7:10 Bride & Groom alone time and possibly a few pictures

7:00 - Guests enter Reception

7:15   GrandEntrance, WeddingParty

7:30 - Dinner is immediately served.  Photographers break forDinner

8:00 - Champagne Toasts.  Photographers resume takingpictures

8:15 -  Cake is Cut

8:25 - Dinner cleared, Cake is Served.

8:35 - First Dance8:40 - FatherDaughter dance, Mother son dance (Simultaneous)

8:45 - Dancingbegins

10:50 Last Dance

11:00 Reception Ends 

If I were you, I would plan the bride and groom photos first, because let's be realistic, you are more likely to hang a photo of just you and your hubby, than a photo of of the whole wedding party. Plus the bride and groom photos are going to be more close-ups so do those photos first when you not only look your best but feel fresher.

Also, I'd suggest you double check with the photographer to see if you really need a full 3 hours for photos.  Why get ready so early if you are going to end up either taking photos you don't want or sitting around waiting in your dress (sweating and getting wrinkled) before your ceremony starts.

Other than that, you seem to have the timeline well thought-out.  

Hi 1Bride2Be,

Thank you for your input.

I do think that we probably should have our couple shots taken first before the wedding party.

I just wish I didn't have to be ready so early prior to the ceremony since it doesn't start til 6:30....

and I wish we could utilize the limo for the full 3 hours (since we had to pay for a min. of 3 hours).

Hehe, thanks for your message. I wish I could just show up at 6pm right before the wedding, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. I almost wish we hadn't booked the photographer for 9 hours and skipped the limo all together.

we only needed the limo to take some pics downtown.

oh well, i feel like no matter how detailed i make my itinerary, come the day of its all going out the window.