Things I know You're Forgetting When Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline

There's more to your wedding day morning than just scheduling out your hair and makeup timeline, and to craft the perfect start to your day I'm sure there are a few things you haven't thought about yet! Will fret not, bride-to-be, I've got you. (Especially if you're a Minnesota Bride, stay tuned there's a special tip for you!)

Bride getting ready with her bridesmaids — Wedding Party Joy!

Picture this: you’ve finally hired all of your vendors, your venue is good to go, and you start to have meetings with your vendors to really plan your wedding day. You breathe a big sigh of relief to finally have signed your contracts and have everyone locked in. You’re initially really excited to start meeting with your vendors, but then they start asking you questions. What time is your ceremony? What time does everyone need to be dressed by? Are you catering lunch? Who’s driving you to the venue? When can you get into the venue? When is hotel check out? Who’s going to be with you in the morning? What was initially fun immediately becomes overwhelming.

As a hairstylist and owner of a Twin Cities based hair and makeup company, one of the first things I ask my brides-to-be is what time they want to be ready by. I need to know so I can create a timeline for hair and makeup and make sure I have enough artists for each wedding we serve. However, there’s more to it than just counting backwards from ceremony time. So, how do we start thinking about your wedding day morning, beyond just a beauty timeline and what your photographer gives you? If you’ve hired a wedding planner, they’ll definitely help you do this. But if you are your own wedding planner, I’m going to give you a list of 10 things to think about as you craft your wedding day morning. Let’s ditch the overwhelm and dive in!

Do you want to get up at the crack of dawn? Not everyone is happy getting up at 6am. What works for you? What will make you feel the most rested and ready for the day? Do you have a long way to drive in the morning? Ask yourself these questions before you start nailing down times on your wedding day.
Do you want your bridal party with you the whole morning? Where will you all sleep the night before your wedding? Does anyone have to travel to you? Do people have kids to coordinate or babies to feed? Consider who’s going to be with you and how that will work on your wedding day morning.
Do you want getting ready photos in specific attire? I’m talking matching robes, monogrammed pj’s, or something cute that you want to make sure to have photos of. Do you want pics of you and your besties cheersing? Make sure there’s time for that!
Do you want time to eat breakfast, lunch, drink mimosas? Brides so often forget to include time for eating. Breakfast may be the only meal that you actually eat uninterrupted all day, so let’s make sure you carve out time to get what you need into your body for a big day ahead!
What kind of energy to do you want to start your day? Do you like a peaceful and calm feeling? Do you want high energy, loud music, and lots of people and fun? Think about what you want the morning to FEEL like and make decisions to support that.
Are there any special elements you want? Think: mom zipping your dress, reading a letter from your fiance, giving gifts to your bridal party, etc. Anything special you want to have time for, make sure it's in the timeline.
Do you have travel time? If you’re not getting ready at the venue, think about how long it will take to get there. You also want to plan how you’re getting there and who’s driving and have that detailed out in your timeline. If you aren't getting ready at your venue, also decide if you will wear your dress or bring it to put on at the venue. Allow time for that scenario when you arrive and any touch ups to your hair and makeup.
What’s your photographer’s timeline? Make sure to find out what your photographer has in mind for the timeline based on your ceremony time. They'll have a certain amount of time they need for everything, so it's important to know that as you think about your start to the day. You may have less time than you think!
How much time does your hair and makeup artist need? Who’s getting their hair and makeup done, who needs to be ready at what time, and do you need time for veil placement and touch ups? The hair and makeup company you hire should help you figure this out, but it's good to have a realistic idea of how long this will take as you're considering your perfect wedding day morning.
Minnesota brides: what is the weather going to be? Driving in the winter and snow could massively slow not only you down but your vendors as well. If you're getting married in the winter, this is something to consider as you decide when to start the festivities. Another factor to think about is the humidity in the summer. Will you need to be in and out of the car traveling to the venue, or can you stay in one spot after you have your hair and makeup done? It's easier to cover curls in the rain than to protect them from humidity!

I know this can be overwhelming, but if you start asking yourself these questions early on you'll be able to create a morning that is stress-free and really enjoyable. The last thing you want is to start your wedding day off feeling hectic! Don't hesitate to reach out of you need some guidance, and if you're still looking for your hair and makeup artist let's see if we are a good fit! You can book a consult call here: