Simon
& Garfunkel’s lyrics in “Sound of Silence” ARE definitely a little dark,
especially as they pertain to wedding planning. However, although not exactly
on-spot regarding topic, the song’s idea of being in the dark and lost applies
to one very big, very important aspect of planning: creating a timeline.
A
timeline is just what it sounds like: a schedule of events for the day. For a
wedding, it contains the progression of what will happen, who will perform that
activity and when it will occur.
A
timeline is one of the most essential components of a wedding. Not having a
timeline can mean that your event stops dead in the middle of the reception
because a vendor was confused about what was to happen. Not having a timeline
can mean that your event never starts because the officiant was unaware of
where he needed to be.
HJ’s
timelines span many pages and often contain a precise, to-the-minute list of
what is happening when. It’s not uncommon for our timelines to consist of five
or more pages; it’s not uncommon for them to be extremely intricate. For
example, I just started a timeline that contains three-minute intervals for
some of the day’s events. Why? Because it takes precisely three minutes to walk
from the ceremony location to the reception venue (I know, I walked and timed
it myself!). Those three minutes are important to note so that the caterers,
photographer and myself know where guests will be at all times and what time to
have everything ready for their arrival.
One
of the biggest misconceptions about a timeline is that it should start when the
bride walks down the aisle and end when the couple departs the reception. In
fact, the majority of work for an event happens before and after these events
occurs. Therefore, these important times must be included on the schedule.
Florists, bakers and photographers need to be told what time to start or
deliver their work. The caterer and band need to know when to stop playing and
start cleaning up.
Creating
a timeline is not an easy task, and is by no means accomplished in one go.
Start creating a timeline for your wedding a few months in advance and revisit
it every week to add to or change its components. As your date approaches,
check it more frequently to ensure that its contents are accurate and
all-encompassing.
And
then…share it!
The
final, crucial step to creating a timeline is giving a copy to everyone
involved in the wedding. This includes all vendors, but also family members and
the wedding party. Having every actor in your big day informed of the day’s
plan makes mishaps and problems less likely, and your having fun and no worries
more likely.
