Planning Your Special Day

Congratulations, you’re engaged! Now it’s time to start planning your big day, and the earlier you can start planning your wedding, the better. In order to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible, you’ll want to create a timeline to keep you on track. Much like a to-do list, a timeline ensures you’ll have everything ready on schedule.

Timeline tips for wedding planning

You’ll find plenty of wedding timeline templates for free online. Take some time to consider exactly how you envision your wedding and what you will need to make that happen, then use that information to tailor your timeline just for you. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan:

• • Before you decide on a date, visit venues. Although it is helpful to have a certain season or potential wedding dates in mind, your ideal venue may not have much availability. Once you book your venue, you’ll have officially set a date for your wedding.
  • You should purchase your gown about 8 to 10 months before your wedding and plan to have your final fitting about one month before your big day. At that time you’ll also want to check in with your bridesmaids to be sure they have their dresses ready. Formalwear should be purchased about 4 to 6 months in advance but final fittings can wait until 2- 3 days before the ceremony.
  • As a courtesy to your guests, mail your save-the-dates about 8 months in advance, especially if you are having a destination wedding. This will give your guests enough time to plan and make travel arrangements.

Timeline tips for your wedding day

Just as with your planning timeline, there are plenty of sample guides online to help you schedule the events on the day of your wedding. The goal is to keep things moving smoothly to avoid lulls and bored guests. Here are a few pointers to remember as you create your wedding day timeline:

• • Factor in enough time for everyone to get ready before the ceremony. It can take around 90 minutes just for a bride to get her hair and makeup professionally done. Remember to allow even more time if you will be having a pre-ceremony photo shoot.
  • The ideal time for serving dinner depends on the kind of meal you are serving and how many guests are at your wedding. Definitely ask your caterer for input as they have lots of experience.
  • Plan to start the ceremony about 15 minutes after the invite time listed on your save-the-date. Guests tend to show up anywhere from a half hour early to 10 minutes late (or more), so it’s wise to budget a little extra time.
  • Remember that the most important thing is to start and end the festivities on schedule. There is wiggle room for everything in the middle.

Enlist the help of a wedding coordinator

Not to be confused with the venue’s wedding planner, the wedding coordinator works with you from start to finish helping you plan every detail of your big day. A coordinator is an essential part of your wedding planning team and can help you keep track of all the little details that might otherwise be overlooked. If you are planning an elaborate wedding, consider hiring a wedding coordinator for some much needed stress relief.

At Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista, we work with you and your coordinator to make your wedding dreams come true. Enjoy your big day as our wedding staff attends to the final touches. Remember, it’s never too soon to start planning, so call today at (407) 996-7344 or 1 (800) 506-7300.