The Importance of Time Management in Wedding Planning
Today, I want to talk to you about the topic that some people think is not an essential part of a wedding, yet, it can really make or break your event if not addressed - time management.
The Impact of Delays on Wedding Ceremonies
From my vast experience as a wedding photographer & videographer, I rarely experienced wedding ceremonies that start on time. In most cases, a 15 or even a 30-minute slow down will not be a big deal in the grand view of things. On the other hand, I did happen to attend weddings that would run 1 and even 3 (Yes, I wrote that right) hours late. I will talk about one of those weddings in my future articles.
Top Recommendations for Time Management and Planning Your Dream Wedding
Here are TOP 4 recommendations I have for you regarding Time Management and Planning Your Dream Wedding:
1. Create a Flexible Itinerary
While running hours behind the itinerary is an extreme occurrence, running 10-15 minutes here and there is not. Be aware though! That time can build up and make it quite uncomfortable for you if you happen to contract your vendors/venue for specific times and/or your guests can only be present for so long. My first recommendation for you is to try and make your itinerary as flexible as possible to compensate for that extra time you may need to put the makeup on or drive to the reception venue from the church due to traffic (It can be pretty bad here in South Florida). Yes, some parts like the ceremony itself cannot be cut short but the cocktail hour or the reception can be if discussed in advance which leads us to the next recommendation.
2. Communicate and Discuss Your Itinerary
Discussing your itinerary and PLAN Bs ahead of time with people involved in the planning of your wedding in case the situation doesn’t flow in your favor is just like your health, car and/or house insurance coverage - you don’t want bad things to happen but you are ready if they will. Communication is key!!! You want to make it clear which parts of your wedding are essential and which can be cut short or removed.
3. Adopt a Positive Mindset
It also is about your mindset. If you stress yourself out perfecting every tiny detail, you will drive yourself crazy. Trust me - I know. I used to be that person. I realized my health and happiness are more important than being a control freak and even if something is imperfect, it may only add value in the end.
4. Consider Hiring an Experienced Event Planner
The final call to action is to hire an experienced event planner, or even better - a wedding planner. The only difference between the two is the wedding planner dedicates 100% of their time toward weddings and may have more experience than a person who does it all… but not always. Yes, it will cost some money hiring a planner but isn’t it worth having someone by your side who will plan most of the event, including hiring the vendors, as well as being there if something doesn’t go as planned? Without a doubt, you will be stressed, or at the very least nervous, during your BIG DAY. One thing I really don’t want you to do is to add additional stress on yourself trying to put out fires that could have been prevented… and if not prevented, taken care of by someone else. I worked on close to a hundred weddings in 2021 alone and having an event/wedding planner present makes a difference. The homework of organizing the event is done, everyone knows where they need to be and if not, are guided to their position, and finally, there is a dedicated person to take care of the “unpleasant surprises.”
Now, while my team does spend a significant amount of time serving grand and lavish weddings that cost tens of thousands of dollars to put together, we also find it refreshing and charming working smaller weddings, which may include just friends and/or family. If that’s the case, you probably don’t want to spend extra money on an event planner. That’s totally alright. Yet, I would still strongly encourage you to find a family member/friend who will act as an event planner during your special day - will be very familiar with the itinerary, all of the locations, who needs to be where, and so on. Small weddings are much more flexible and relaxed, yet you do want to have someone to be in charge of all the details to, once again, take that extra stress off your shoulders. I don’t mean you not being involved completely. Rather just distanced to concentrate on the things that matter more.
Misha
P.s. Remember that the whole purpose of your wedding is to celebrate YOU! Preparations are important but if something goes “wrong” and it’s not life-threatening, don’t pay too much attention to it and enjoy your day.