Several weeks ago, we talked about the importance of a wedding day timeline. In case I didn’t make it clear then, let me repeat it now: A realistic timeline is essential to making sure your wedding day runs smoothly. Also essential is making sure that your whole bridal party, family, and your wedding vendors all know when and where they need to be within the timeline.

Here are just a couple examples of why. At one wedding this year, the florist was running late and didn’t deliver the flowers until half an hour after the bride and her bridesmaids were supposed to have started their portraits. At another wedding, the bride’s salon informed her that they would not be finished with the bridal party’s hair and makeup until two-and-a-half hours after the bride and groom’s scheduled first look.

In both situations, everything worked out — we still got the bride and bridesmaid portraits completed at the first wedding, and got things worked out with the salon to get the bridal party prepped more quickly at the other wedding. But these situations were proof positive that it’s important to make sure other vendors know a lot more about the wedding day than when and where the ceremony is taking place. It’s something I’m especially passionate about as a photographer — because if the timeline gets messed up on a wedding day, the only thing that truly can get shortened on the schedule is time for pictures, which means I’m unable to deliver everything my couples hired me to do.

Since I absolutely want to make sure all my clients have the best wedding experience and the best wedding photos they can, I’ve started recommending that bride’s or their wedding planners send each vendor the timeline. That way, the other vendors know why the bride is asking them to do something at a certain time, how they fit into the puzzle of the overall wedding day, and everyone is working together for the same goal: Making your wedding day as beautiful and relaxed a start to your marriage as possible.~ Laura