Timeline Considerations: Saaty Photography
Saaty Photography: Timeline Considerations. My guess is you’ve probably been to a few weddings, but planning your own is a whole different ballgame! As a guest, you don’t always realize just how much planning and time went into making those weddings happen. Wedding planning is an incredibly special process to go through with your fiancé, but at the same time there is a lot to think about, with no set formula! The best way to tackle the planning process is to establish an organized and clear timeline.
As a wedding photographer, I have had the pleasure to attend hundreds of weddings with entirely different styles, each one as unique and beautiful as the couple that’s getting married. I also have gotten to see different timelines in action, and over time I’ve experienced what helps make a successful, stress free wedding day. In my role as the photographer, I am often a part of helping couples create their own timeline and have some helpful timeline tips up my sleeve. Here’s what works and what helps the whole day run smoothly, keeping you and your fiancé as stress free as possible!
Hire Wedding Planner
I can’t stress this enough! Having a wedding planner to lean on and guide you through the process will only help you to feel confident that your wedding day will run smoothly. I highly suggest to all my couples to hire a professional wedding planner. I promise, you will be so glad you did. Someone who organizes weddings for a living is a great person to have around, trust me. Chances are if you have questions or feel like you don’t know the best way to organize your day, they probably have the answer.
Weather and light
Nobody can control the weather, but you can definitely plan for any what-ifs! Think about where you’re getting married and what the weather is typically like during that time of year. Is it typically hot and dry, windy and chilly, or monsoon season? Think about those things ahead of time and have a plan. During monsoon season afternoons bring heavy rainstorms, whereas during hot and dry months an afternoon wedding might be your best bet to beat the heat. In the weeks before your big day, check the weather to see if there’s anything you weren’t expecting and plan accordingly.
Light
Another factor to consider is what the sunlight will be like during the time of day you’re planning for. Depending on the time of year and where your wedding is, the time the sun sets varies greatly. A 4pm wedding means very different things in mid-summer versus late fall! Another thing to think about regarding light is how it will make you and your guests feel, and how it will affect the look of your wedding photos. Midday sunlight can be hash and bright, leaving you sweating and squinting, while in the afternoon there will be glowing, soft light and maybe even a beautiful sunset (which is perfect for photos!)
One on one time
Your wedding day is about you and your fiancé committing to each other for the rest of your lives, but sometimes on your big day with so much going on, it can be hard to actually find time together. It is important to have quiet, private moments scheduled throughout the day for you two to simply be with each other without worrying about any distractions. Whether this is during a first look, right after the ceremony, or before the reception, you’ll be so glad you have those chances to be alone together and really let it sink in that you’re marrying the love of your life!
Getting ready
Styling for your wedding day takes longer than you’d probably expect. I’d suggest talking to your hair stylist and makeup artist about how much time they might need, and take into account the time your bridesmaids and family members might need to get ready too… and then add extra (just in case!) This way, you can be stress free as you get ready with close friends and family before your wedding. You’ll all be looking and feeling your best if you have plenty of time. Getting your hair perfectly curled and your makeup on fleek is something you’ll want to enjoy and relax for!
Portraits
I promise if you add more time to family photos, your photographer will thank you. Gathering family members that haven’t seen each other in a while for photos is not as easy as it seems! Typically when it is time to take portraits, everyone is already in celebration mode and catching up, so it can be challenging to steal everyone from their conversations and from mingling to take photos! By expecting that and planning for it by adding some extra time, the whole process feels less rushed.
Socializing
Don’t forget to add time for you to mingle and socialize! It sounds counter-intuitive to have to plan to spend time with your friends and family during your wedding, but it is so important! If your timeline is packed full and you’re running from place to place, you might find that you don’t have time to actually take it all in and be with your loved ones. At the end of the day that’s what weddings are all about! So arrange for time during your day where you can be with your guests, with nothing else for you to run off and do.
The more time the merrier!
When it comes to time on your wedding day, I promise you can’t have too much! As a general rule of thumb– when in doubt, add some wiggle room into your timeline. I’ve noticed that couples tend to underestimate how much time things take. So add some extra padding into your day just in case something takes longer than expected. That way, if you get a bit behind schedule, there won’t be a domino effect and you’ll be back on track before you know it. No biggie! Just keep in mind this is your day, so make it how you want!
Try to schedule for all of the things you’ll want to do, don’t wait thinking you’ll find the time. It makes your day so much easier to have those things written out in your timeline, because then you know you’ll have the time, no question! Hopefully these wedding timeline tips help give you some things to think about as you start planning– you can do it!
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To inquire about services, e-mail: Monica@SaatyPhotography.com
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