Timing Is Everything

While I strive to get each and every one of you to keep MARRIAGE at the center of your wedding plans, I still get brides worrying and stressing over this perfectly planned event. You want to impress your family and friends. You want your wedding to be the most memorable wedding they've ever been to. And so you ask, "What can I have at my wedding to ensure my guests have the very best time?"

Many will answer with food, more alcohol, a better DJ, a photobooth, more activities to do throughout the evening, and so on.

But my answer is even better...at least in my eyes.

After hundreds of weddings planned at all different budgets, the one thing that you can do to ensure your guests have the very best time is timing.

That's right, timing. The timeline you plan for your day! Isn't it great that the best way to give your guests a memorable event doesn't cost you a penny? Yes, guests love good food but the majority will honestly not remember what they ate even a couple weeks later. You spend thousands and thousands of dollars on the perfect meal and it doesn't even stay in their memory?? What a waste!

But the one thing that guests will remember (good or bad) is the flow of the wedding day.

The Big No-No's of the Wedding Timeline

- Don't give your guests an hour of waiting time between the ceremony and reception, when it is only five minutes away!

- Keep the wedding flow going, so there is always something for them to do or see.

- Don't ever let your guests have enough time to think, "Soooo, what are we supposed to do now?"

- Don't leave four hours of "just dancing" time at the end of the evening. One hour to an hour and a half is just perfect!

Time and time again, I have couples who want to extend their night to 7, 8, 9, or even 10 hours. I know you just want to keep the party going but there just aren't enough activities in a wedding to actually keep your guests satisfied for that long! And even if you plan a full day of activities, that is just way too long to keep their attention, let alone tiring!

So keep your wedding day to around 5 or 6 hours long and that's just enough time for everything you'll have planned. Keep the flow of the day going and never leave your guests questioning what they are supposed to be doing. By hiring a coordinator to plan your day out and a DJ who is great at keeping your guests informed and entertained, you'll have no problem having the most memorable wedding of the year.

And it won't cost you a penny.

If you need any help mapping out your day, you can refer to this wedding day timeline to use as a reference guide. And even this one is as far stretched out as you should have it!