Time flies on your wedding day, so plan accordingly

Photos or family? 

 There’s no right or wrong way to spend cocktail hour, but it’s one of the many dilemmas you’ll face when planning your wedding day. 

 “Timeline creation is about deciding what is the most important to you,” said Breanna Lingerfelt, Grandview’s event specialist. “A wedding is about becoming one, but also it's about spending time with your family and sometimes that gets missed.” 

 Time flies on your wedding day, so it’s best to use each hour wisely. 

 With hair and makeup for instance, Lingerfelt recommends allocating a full hour for the bride and 30 minutes to an hour for each member of the bridal party. When time is of the essence, it may be best to hire more than one stylist to get everyone ready, because time is crucial for the bridal and first look photos. 

 It’s also important to be thoughtful of your guests. Lingerfelt said you don’t want to leave them waiting too terribly long for dinner. She recommends double-sided buffet style serving, as it accommodates everyone quickly. 

 “You need to decide if you're going to offer appetizers,” Lingerfelt said. “Then you can go ahead with the first dances if you want to after the grand entrance.” 

 You’ll also need to decide when (and if) you want to do toasts and whether you want additional professional photographs prior to or after dinner. This is where making a shooting list comes in handy, coordinating with the photographer as to who to take pictures with. 

 “It makes it very organized,” Lingerfelt said. “You're not having to hunt down your aunt or your uncle; they’ll know where to go.” 

 It’s pretty much a party after that. You’ll still have to decide what kind of exit you want and whether you’ll want to do a “faux” exit for aesthetics but be sure to allocate time for cleanup. 

 Remember that it’s your wedding, so don’t be afraid to do things your way. Just make sure it’s in the plans.