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Creating a timeline is one of the most important parts of the wedding planning process
Whether you are creating a wedding timeline yourself, or you are working along with your planner, it is important to understand the basics of a wedding timeline. It is also essential to know why they’re so necessary, especially when planning a destination wedding.
When I photograph a wedding I am all about having a solid plan and giving you complete peace of mind.
With me as your wedding photographer, you can definitely trust that I will do everything in my power to craft a wedding timeline that works, and stick to it. As a Capricorn with an Ascendant in Virgo, I am all about preparing, coordinating with other vendors, and being your most reliable friend on the wedding day!
As a destination wedding photographer I can help you understand the importance of creating a wedding timeline first thing
A destination wedding has a lot of moving parts, and as a couple you can’t possibly take care of everything yourselves. I absolutely recommend having a wedding planner for your destination wedding. The wedding planner can help you and guide you through the important process of choosing venues, decor, flowers, and help you set up a timeline.
I am your second reference and possibly the person you will see the most during the wedding day.
I am usually the person brides end up asking those last minute questions such as “On which finger should I put the wedding ring?” or “Veil or no veil?”. I will make the day go as planned, always in contact with the wedding planner, anticipating needs and getting people where they need to be, while I capture it all.
Knowing how weddings work and what are the specific needs of all vendors, I am an expert at understanding if a wedding timeline will work.
On the wedding day you want to have peace of mind, or at least try. You want to know that everything is arranged and settled, so that you can just enjoy the day as it flows. Eat all the food, drink, have fun and anticipate a wedding album that will 100% make you cry (with joy!).
Here are the top 5 reasons why making a wedding timeline is the first thing to do when planning your destination wedding
- You don’t know what you want until you have seen it on paper
- Having a wedding timeline helps you feel ready for the wedding day
- You want great photos? You need a solid wedding timeline
- You need a wedding timeline to book all of your wedding professionals
- Having a clear wedding timeline helps coordination on the wedding day
1. You don’t know what you want until you have seen it on paper
Planning a destination wedding, much like building a house, is a complicated task
It involves many layers and so many people! Even if you have the best wedding planner in the world, you still need to have a clear mind about what it is that will make you happy.
First question is: what is the perfect wedding to you?
Candlelit tables at night, in a magnificent Italian garden overlooking the city of Florence? Ceremony in a church and aperitivo by the beach in Taormina? A destination wedding in Italy gives you so many options. All regions have their own charm and style.
When you try and write down the main elements, you will see if they all work together, or if you have to tweak something
Maybe you had a three-day event in your mind, but once you write it down it seems like a lot of work, and you change your mind. Or, as a lot of couples do, you think 6 hours is more than enough for an intimate wedding, but once you put it on paper you realize you want to enjoy the day and have 10 hours planned.
Having a piece of paper with the non-negotiables is also very important to keep as a compass while you plan your wedding.
You may want Villa Balbiano, but it is booked on the month you had in mind. Do you change the month or change the villa? You have to know what is most important to you as a couple, to keep track of all the elements and build from solid foundations.
2. Having a wedding timeline helps you feel ready on the wedding day
A destination wedding, as all weddings, is a show that needs to be rehearsed
Even if you are a wedding expert, you might realize that there are some things you don’t know.
You don’t want to spend your time during the getting ready wondering how to put on your cufflinks or the boutonnières. You don’t want to realize you don’t know which way is the best way to get to the ceremony, when you are in a huge (and very confusing) Italian castle. It happened to me! I learned my lesson.
Talking about all of the elements of your wedding in advance is a great way to prepare and arrive perfectly ready for your day
Especially when it comes to planning a destination wedding: you have the travel, the hotels, the transportation to worry about. Preparation is key. Thinkin about all of those elements while you are in the comfort of your home, months in advance, will make you ready and give you the peace of mind you deserve.
3. You want great photos? You need a solid wedding timeline
The wedding timeline is an essential tool for photographers
The difference between a great wedding photographer and a beginner is in the ability to prepare in order to make the absolute best of the day.
As an experienced wedding photographer I already know what will end up looking incredible in pictures and what will not work at all.
Whether you have a planner or not, as a destination wedding photographer I always offer my recommendations on the wedding timeline. The timeline is such an essential tool for a wedding photographer. A perfect wedding timeline is the key to a great wedding gallery.
The quality of the photographs I deliver relies on just a few elements: the location, the light, your interaction with the camera
I always include in my offer an engagement session to get to know you before the wedding, and this is the way I assure that your interaction with the camera will be easy and effortless on the day of the wedding. And when it comes to location and light, I use the timeline to make sure that I can place you in the best locations at the best possible time of the day.
If you want a standout, magazine-worthy, ultra chic wedding service, you need to trust me when it comes to choosing poses, locations and time of the day.
4. You need a wedding timeline to book all of your wedding professionals
A tentative wedding timeline helps you understand for how many hours you should book your vendors
The wedding timeline is something you should draft in the very early stages.You don’t need to know every single detail of your wedding day right now, but you still need a structure to understand if you will end up planning a 15 hour event to fit everything you have in mind, or you are happy with a simple 8 hour wedding day that focuses on the ceremony and the dinner.
Let me tell you from experience that no destination wedding ever lasted less than 9-10 hours.
It is very common to think that 6 hours are enough, when you are hiring a photographer (“How could we possibly fill 12 hours together?”). But once you write down all the elements, you’ll see that it is just not realistic.
You have flown family and friends from all over the globe, you gathered them in a magical place and you have planned this for months
Everybody is excited to taste all the food, drink the best wines, and dance until dawn. Why would you want to rush the day?
You don’t want to end up feeling like your wedding album is missing the most important parts of your day. Or any part of the day!
This is the regret I heard the most from couples, at the beginning of my career. They hired me for a few hours, and then they often felt like there were not enough images. This has nothing to do with how much a photographer shoots. It depends on the fact that photography is often seen as a service that can be easily cut.
After years of experience as a destination wedding photographer, I learned my lesson and I will not accept any “short destination wedding”. Because there is no such thing – just weddings that are badly planned – unless it is an elopement, but that’s another kind of celebration, and I love it!
The photography service is such an essential part of your day, and easily the best investment you will ever make.
5. Having a clear wedding timeline helps coordinate all wedding vendors
Your make-up artist, DJ, photographer, videographer, caterer, venue and all other vendors are all going to be relying on the official timeline on your wedding day. It is of the utmost importance to have everyone on the same page.
It is essential to put in the work ahead of time to make sure everyone coordinates effortlessly
Delivering a pdf timeline to all vendors before the wedding day is one of the most important things you can do to ensure a smooth flow. If you do it months before the date, the vendors will tell you if anything is off, and you will have all the time to fix it.
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