Planning a Crazy Cool Wedding without going Crazy: Step 2
Wedding Plan Step 2: Start somewhere.
I suggest making a general timeline for the actual day of. This schedule will help you decide how long you'll need vendors and what times you'll want them to start, which is a helpful thing to have ready when you're interviewing them. For example, we discovered we only need to hire a professional photographer for 4 hours during the ceremony and official photoshoot. The getting ready photos were done by a photographer friend of mine. (And that's always a good suggestion; ask a talented friend to help out with something and have their "wedding gift" be their service. That will cut down a lot on cost.)
That general schedule will eventually turn into the detailed ridiculum that is attached below. I made over 20 schedules by the day of the wedding, for every vendor and member of the wedding party. If everyone is organized on their time, it will all go smoother. I'm showing you just my schedule though, because I don't want you to feel overwhelmed when you're still starting out and have plenty of time yet to add details.
You also want to start looking for a venue, because that will help paint a picture of what your day will look like and what will already be included (set up/tear down crews, catering, and wedding planners are often offered as part of a venue's deal). Venues are also the first things that get booked in the wedding process, so when you book it first, you'll have less competition with other couples in the area.
After these decisions, you will feel that much more at peace and closer to completion.
Step 2's:
1. Make a general schedule of how you want the day to play out.
2. Find a venue
8 A Wake up
8:30 A Start makeup/hair
10:10 A Leave for Starbucks
10:25 A Starbucks breakfast with party/parents
10:55 A Leave Starbucks for hotel
11 A Arrive at hotel, get dressed with party
12 P Parents' first looks (boutonnieres and corsages)
12:30 P Groom's first look
1:15 P Bride/Groom/Emily/Courtney leave for venue
1:30 P Bride/Groom/Emily/Courtney arrive at venue
1:35 P Finalize ceremony placement
1:45 P Settle into lounge area, boutonnieres and corsages for those who don't have them on yet, sign license
2:15 P Ceremony
2:45-3 P Cocktail hour, transition hour, photos with family/party
4:15 P Guests find reception seats
4:15 P Couple gets food
4:20 P Prayer, guests are released by table to eat
4:30 P Couple visits each table and pours champagne for all guests
5:30 P Speeches
5:45 P Cake cutting
5:50 P First dance
6 P Mother/son dance, father/daughter dance
6:10 P Dance floor open
7 P Bouquet toss
9:10 P Last Dance
9:15 P Guests leave, clean-up begins
10 P Venue closes
