The benefits of being on time on your wedding day…
Time is something that is going to fly by on your wedding day, and being on time is important to getting the most of your day. People say “the Bride is always late” or “weddings never start on time”. This is only true for those who don’t care if they get everything they have paid for or those having small home weddings were there are no vendors or time frames, just family and friends enjoying the entire day together.
So the things that are important to consider are…
Giving your photographer:
the time needed to get all the shots you have on your must take list done… If you want all the pictures you have contracted for, you have to give your photographer the time they say it will take to shoot them.
Invitation time is usually for Hospitality:
“Hospitality” is a half hour of champagne, and light refreshments while your guests greet one another before they are invited to their seats for the ceremony.
Ceremony length:
is important because the End time is actually more important than the start time. The cocktail hour begins a half hour after the ceremony start time. 20 minutes is about tops of what I like to run for the ceremony itself. That 10 minutes breathing room makes things more comfortable all around. Cocktail hour is an hour long whether you have your guests in there eating and drinking or not. A ceremony that is too long or starts late can be compensated for by giving you the full hour for cocktail hour… but serving the courses closer to one another at the reception. This can result in limp beans and all meant being cooked medium or better.
Being ready for any vendor who may have another wedding after yours… hair, makeup, officiant, live ceremony musicians, these vendors will all have a window of time that’s yours, and a time they may become another Bride’s. If your MUA says she needs 2 hours to get you and your girls done, and you show up an hour late the question becomes who gets less of what.
Many couples scrimp and save, work overtime, skip eating in restaurants, attending events that involve a purchasing ticket, and shop around to make sure they get the best deals on everything…. and then they run late on the wedding day.
In the halls you have a 5 hour event. Everything you hope to have go on in that time frame is all set and ready to flow like water, as long as you relax and don’t get in your own way.
Starting a half hour late to a 5 hour 40k event is $4,000.00 worth of something that you have paid for that you’re not getting because it didn’t start.
If you need a Day of Coordinator to keep things flowing smoothly, a good DOC pays for them self by doing nothing more than keeping you on schedule.
Many vendors have late fees built in to their contracts. This isn’t because we are greedy. It is to protect our couples from both themselves and from being inconsiderate to one another.
I know some brides are nervous about vendors being on time, but NEVER lie to your vendors about your start time. It is inextricably linked to the time we leave.
Paying your hall, DJ or Band, Photographer and other vendors to extend the event for an extra hour to compensate for time lost can be costly, and with a day wedding it is not always an option.
If there are religious or cultural reasons that your ceremony needs to be longer than the half hour that most catering halls schedule, or if you know your guests need some more flexibility with the start time, you may want to consider a different location such as a museum, arboretum, historic site or mansion. This will allow you to schedule some breathing room in between.
In multi-event venues, if you miss the half hour that you have rented the chapel room for, there may be another couple who has it rented for the half hour after you. This means you are getting married after cocktail hour on the dance floor in your reception room. The other option is booking and paying extra to reserve the ceremony site at the hall for a full hour of time instead of the half hour.
Speaking of time, another thing that’s important is claiming the moments that are important to you. If you don’t do this they’ll be lost in the wave of everyone else’s joy and scheduling needs. So remember to come together and pause for a moment to just watch, drink in the moment and create a shared memory of your day.
Do you two want a moment alone after the ceremony to just say “OMG we did it!”
Do you as the Bride want a moment with your dad or your parents before you walk down the aisle?
What about a reveal for your dad before the groom sees you for the first time?
Any moment that you want to call your own… Tell your Maitre-D, Planner, DOC, Maid of Honor, DOC, or Bridal Attendant to ensure that they don’t fly by in the whirlwind of the day.
Just my advice!
