Have you ever been to a wedding where you find yourself wondering what's supposed to be happening next? You finished your meal a little while ago and are ready to get your groove on, but no one has given the all-clear to the dance floor yet. Don't let that happen at your wedding! The last thing you want is bored guests.

A wedding timeline is a great way to keep the flow going. It is also the best tool for ensuring that your vendors are on the same page. Your wedding planner can help you create a timeline that will include all of the highlights you want at your wedding in a realistic and manageable timeframe.

No matter how detailed your timeline, however, you never know what might take longer than you’d expect. If things are falling a bit behind, try some of the following tips to get back on track:

1. Keep the Staged Photo List to a Minimum

Thanks to an endless barrage of adorable wedding photos on social media, it is tempting to want to replicate many of them at your own wedding. This can cause serious delay in your timeline. The more “must-have” photos you require on wedding day, the more likely activities will start late and push back the entire day.

If you really can’t narrow down your shot list, we do have some suggestions to help you get as many of those photos as you can.

Preparation photos -- Hire two photographers so that the girls and guys pictures can be taken at the same time. Also, be sure to book your hair and makeup artists with enough time to get everyone photo ready.
Bridal photos -- Schedule a separate bridal shoot with your photographer. You can take advantage of multiple different locations if you’d like, you will be able to relax and take your time getting the shots you want and if the photo shoot is before the wedding, you can display some of your printed bridal pictures at your wedding.
Couple photos -- Not all of the cute couple poses have to be on your wedding day. Use some of those ideas for your engagement photos or schedule an anniversary shoot. It can be a great way to make sure you and your spouse get dolled up and spend a sweet day together when married life is in full swing!

If you can't manage more than one photographer or additional days for pictures, pick only a handful of your favorite poses from and allow the photographer you so carefully chose to do the rest.

2. Shorten Cocktail Hour if Possible

Your pictures may play a role in this as well, but cocktail hour doesn’t have to be a full hour. If your ceremony started late, try to leave your cocktail hour cutoff time the same. This will be especially helpful for the catering staff that is working to have the food served at a specific time. Your guests likely won’t even notice, but even if they do, they shouldn’t mind getting to dinner sooner!

3. Have Multiple People Who Know How to Bustle your Dress

If your bustle is tough to figure out, it can take a LOT of time out of the evening. It will leave you frustrated and your guests restless. It may not be enough to have only one person in the know. What if that person stepped away when it’s time to make the wardrobe adjustment?

During one particular wedding we worked this year, the mother of the groom had a video of how to bustle the dress, but it took time to find her in the crowd. When she got to the bride, she didn’t have her phone with the video or her glasses that would enable her to find the small threads on the dress needed for the bustle. By the time she retrieved her phone, it was at 1% battery. Eventually the bustle was out up correctly, but the bride was gone from her reception and her increasingly impatient guests for about 30 minutes.

Even if only one person is available to learn how to bustle the dress, it’s a good idea to make sure at least one other reliable person knows what to do before wedding day.

*Photo by Creative Interpretations Photography*

4. Finish Planned Activities ASAP

You can only hold people’s attention for so long, and once the dancing starts it’s much harder to get people to re-focus. If things are falling behind, it’s good to do featured dances, bouquet and garter toss, cake cutting, and any other planned activities as soon as you can so you and your guests can relax and party the rest of the evening without interruption.

5. Relax and Rely on your Planner

After all the planning and preparation, your wedding is finally the time to enjoy. Your planner will make sure the event is running smoothly. Just remember that it won’t be the end of the world if things get a little off track and try to be flexible if your planner suggests that you make an adjustment or two along the way. Let your planner be mindful of the timeline while you have fun with your new spouse and guests!

If you would like assistance with your wedding timeline or more information, contact us.

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