A Day In The Life
Have you ever been curious about what your wedding planner is up to on your wedding day? From the time the sun rises until you rest your head on your pillow, your planner is dedicated to ensuring your wedding goes off without a hitch. Here is a fun play-by-play from one of our weddings this past October.
6:30 AM - Time to wake up and get ready for the day. The morning includes a filling breakfast, numerous cups of coffee, and gathering the paraphernalia for the activities at hand - most notably, an emergency kit and formal wear for the evening’s celebration.
8:45 AM - We are onsite at the church to oversee the arrival and setup of the hair and makeup artists and greet the bridal party as they arrive.
9:30 AM - Time to check in at the reception venue and make sure everything is in place for floral delivery.
10:30 AM - We return to the church to receive the personal flowers for the wedding party and family and check in with our bridal party.
11:00 AM - Meet up with the photographer and provide her with all the items for her detail photographs.
11:30 AM - A quick break for lunch to refuel and review the remaining items on the to-do list and timeline for the day.
12:30 PM - Time to check in on our bridal party, escort the groom and groomsmen as they arrive to their secluded area, and provide everyone reminders of the day’s timeline.
1:00 PM - Ensure the church sanctuary is set and ready for the ceremony.
1:30 PM - Pin boutonnieres and escort our groom for the first look portraits.
2:00 PM - Around this time, we return to the reception venue to oversee the arrival of the band, baker, and other vendors.
4:30 PM - With trusted vendors, we are confident to return to the church to oversee the arrival of the ceremony musicians.
5:00 PM - With the guests’ arrival quickly approaching, we tuck away the couple and wedding party.
5:15 PM - We assist the church coordinators with gathering the greeters and ushers and prepare them for guest arrival.
5:45 PM - We assist the church coordinators with lining up the wedding party and make sure our bride is refreshed before walking down the aisle.
6:00 PM - Once the ceremony is underway, we check in with the shuttle drivers and getaway car driver. We are in constant communication with our vendors at the reception venue to keep them up to date if things are moving slower or faster than scheduled.
6:30 PM - We help direct guests as they exit the ceremony to the shuttles for transportation to the reception venue.
6:45 PM - Once the post-ceremony photos are wrapped up at the church, we get our lovely couple loaded into their get-away car to join their guests at the reception venue. At this time, we let our caterer and bar service know the VIPs are en route and to prepare their meals.
6:55 PM - Upon arrival at the reception venue, we escort our couple to their private area for a meal and to bustle the bride’s gown.
7:00 PM - Time to take a quick breather, refuel, and review what is to come for the remainder of the night.
7:30 PM - We check in with the band and prepare everyone for announcements, introductions, and first dances.
Once those big moments are underway, there are just a few ceremonial elements left for the night.
The main focus from this point on is to ensure our couple is comfortable, hydrated, and having a great time. We keep an eye on our vendors and ensure service is top-notch throughout the night.
8:30 PM - Time to cut the cake! A personal favorite of ours. We gather our couple, their photographer, the wedding party, and their close family around for this ceremonial moment.
Oftentimes, some of our guests with young children and more mature guests wish to depart following the cake-cutting. We assist with guiding them to the shuttles outside for early departure as needed.
At this point in the evening, you will see us walking around the venue. We are checking on little things like if cocktail tables are becoming cluttered with empty glasses, if the restrooms are staying tidy, or just generally keeping things looking fresh - tucking in chairs, picking up fallen napkins, etc.
10:00 PM - Time to toss the bouquet! We touch base with the band and our bride to prepare everyone for the toss.
10:45 PM - With the send-off quickly approaching, we make sure the transportation is in place and the rose petals are ready to go. Once the band makes the final announcement to send off our special couple, we hold them off to the side as we and the photographer work to line up the excited guests. Once everything and everyone is a go - we queue our couple and away they go!
11:00 PM - The night is not over yet. We aid the family of the couple in collecting any personal items and loading them into their vehicle. We are also overseeing the breakdown of the vendors and ensuring the venue is left in a clean and acceptable state.
12:00 AM - This is our target time to have our vendors on their way. Depending on the size and scale of the event, we may be onsite until 1 or 2 AM.
The next day is full of rest from an exciting and successful previous day.
The schedule may seem like an overwhelming day, but with thorough planning and scheduling, we are able to execute each element with detailed precision. Watching our client’s dreams come to life and celebrate with their loved ones is a fulfilling experience that we are honored to be a part of.
Photography by Casto Photo