Expect for movement to take longer than expected, and budget extra time accordingly. You'd be shocked (or maybe not!) at how long it can take to assemble a large wedding party, walk to your first look in a big white gown, or hustle 100 people from cocktail hour into the reception to be seated for dinner. Budget extra time for these events so you aren't stressed!
Decide whether you will be doing a first look or not. This alone can make the biggest difference in how you feel on wedding day! It's totally ok to skip the first look - but know that that means you will be doing all your photos after the ceremony. You may want to check the weather to make sure you have enough daylight. Check the sunset time on your wedding day and plan to be done with photos at least one hour before the sun is supposed to set.
Plan for inclement weather. If you're getting married during rainy season or plan to do most of your photos and your ceremony outside, it's important to have a backup plan! For rainy season weddings, I strongly suggest doing a first look so that you have several options for time spent outdoors taking photos. That way, if it rains later in the day, you have wiggle room for getting your photos done earlier.
Ask your planner and photographer to each help you with the timeline creation, and have them both look over your final plan. Both the planner and your photographer play big roles in keeping things on time. Your photographer may have specific ideas on how long different parts of the day (like wedding party photos with large groups or extended family photos). Conversely, your planner will know how much time to budget each event so that everyone has time to get where they need to be - make sure both vendors review each others timelines, or set up a meeting with all three of you in advance.
Mix it up, but not too much! I've sometimes seen brides who wanted to buck tradition and come up with very untraditional timelines. That's totally ok - but your guests are expecting the rhthym and flow they've seen at most weddings, so you need to lay this expectation ahead of time. Work with your DJ, planner, and photographer to make sure that everyone is on the same page and ensure a seamless guest experience. You don't want anyone to feel frustrated or confused!
Bonus Tip!
If you're attending any weddings between now and your own wedding, pay extra close attention to the order of events and how the flow of the day felt to you as a guest. A huge part of wedding planning is anticipating guest reactions, needs, and experiences, and making sure everyone is comfortable, entertained, and knows what to expect. No guest likes a wedding with awkward lulls, long waits between courses, or not knowing where they are supposed to be on your wedding day.
