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I recently spoke to a couple who were on the shyer side and worried about having a wedding where all eyes were on them, where they couldn’t find the time to soak in the day, and where they wouldn’t get moments alone with just the two of them. I’m going to tell you what I told them: “You can have your cake (wedding) and eat it too (and have private moments!)” They had every right to have those fears about their wedding - everyone is always telling you how wedding day goes by in a flash! What you hear is not wrong but we’ve perfected some pretty awesome additions to your wedding day timeline that will allow you to have those private, slowed down, intimate moments that will provide some special memories of your magical day.
Step one: Hire. A. Coordinator. Are we biased? Obviously so, but it’s for good reason and we can’t stress this enough. You can’t put a price on a stress free day and that’s honestly the largest part of what your wedding coordinator does for you. We’ve written not one, but two blogs on Why You Need a Coordinator here and here. Dive in and see how your Orlando Wedding Coordinator is not just another line item on the budget!
If you’re not hiring a coordinator, consider delegating any day of tasks to trusted family members and friends. You’ll want to make sure they are well apprised of your plans, your needs, your desires and of course, of the timeline.
Plan for that extra time! FOR EVERYTHING! Throw in that extra five minutes for a potty break before you put on your dress, schedule your hair and makeup earlier than needed, add an extra 5-10 minutes for bustling your dress.
(PRO TIP: Before your wedding day, put on your dress and have whoever is going to help you bustle your dress, do a dry run. Find all those buttons and loops so that they’ll know where they are before the cocktails hit. Another way to do this is to bring your helper to your final fitting and/or take a video of the seamstress bustling your dress.)
Did you eat lunch? Do you get hangry? No one wants a hangry bride or groom. Make sure you eat something before you get in your dress/tux. We don’t like to order anyone around but this one is definitely an order - eat something!
There’s a small 5 minute window after you walk back down the aisle where all the guests are soaking it in and moving to cocktail hour. Find a place (usually a holding room or groom/bridal suite) where you can take a 5 minute breather with your BRAND NEW SPOUSE 😍 before photos start. I promise, everyone else can wait.
SYD Bonus - We’ll have your favorite bevvie and appetizers ready for you to munch on when you get there!
Consider a first look and if you’re a nervous wreck speaking in front of a crowd, make it a two-fer and do private vows with just your photographer, coordinator, and videographer. This makes for some amazing intimate moments with just you and your boo, captured for your time capsule.
Ok, this next one we absolutely love and are obsessed with - have a private dinner. Did you know that was possible?? YES! It is!! You can ditch your guests and have a private dinner, even if it’s just 15-20 minutes. It’s the perfect time to breathe and recoup and just share a chunk of time together. Honestly, your guests won’t even notice because they’ll be too busy stuffing their faces with the delicious food you chose for them. #guiltfreeweddingday!
SYD Bonus (that can be done by any trusted human if you don’t hire a coordinator - see first bullet point) - have someone guard you or ask the DJ to announce that guests are not to bother you while you eat. This is another order! You must eat on your wedding day, especially if you’re drinking. Don’t be that bride/groom. You need sustenance for the marathon that is wedding day.
PRO TIP: Trying to decide between a sweetheart table or head table? When you have a sweetheart table, you are essentially open to constant bombardment from your guests. We love your guests! You love your guests! But you will love them so much more with a full belly. Considering a head table will give you an added layer of “protection” to give you that quality time to get some food down.
Do a private last dance. Your day just flew by and dancing was done in the blink of an eye, so take those last few moments of your day to dance with just you two.
As a coordinator, this is probably my favorite moment during wedding day - the room reveal. This is when the couple gets to see their reception space for the first time - the space they’ve been planning and decorating and dreaming of for the longest time. This is a chance to see all of your hard work come to fruition. And bonus, you get photos in the untouched space as well. Show off all that hard work, girlfriend!
Sunset photos ideally fall during reception so you can steal a moment away to take these photos - just you two and your photographer.
We hope that you take one or two, if not all, of these suggestions into consideration. You can absolutely fit all of them into your wedding day… if you want to, that is. Remember, it’s true your wedding day will go by in a flash but the memories will last forever. Slow down, take a breather, relax, and most importantly, enjoy!!!
Need help fitting all of these moments into your timeline? Let’s chat and go over your timeline to make sure you get time with your honey on the biggest day of your life. Schedule a consultation call now!