Creating the Perfect Event Timeline for Your Wedding Day: 6 Must-Know Tips
Whether you’ve been engaged for years or got caught up in a whirlwind romance and are recently betrothed, it’s never too early to start laying out the plans for your wedding day. In this blog, we will share six must-know tips to help you create the perfect wedding timeline, so your special day goes off without a hitch.
Wedding timeline tip #1: Create a wedding planning checklist
Your wedding planning timeline is reliant on all the things you’ve got to get done before the day arrives, and trust us, a wedding checklist is pretty intense. With a checklist, you can assign deadlines or at least rough timelines, so you know what needs to be done when and that nothing is missed or rushed.
The wedding checklist also ensures that you give yourself enough time to book the services and rentals that tend to sell out quickly, such as the best venues, photographers, or entertainers. Of course, what you choose to do is up to you, so seeing a checklist in its entirety offers a glimpse at things you might not have even thought about and can ignore (or add). Let’s take a look at a sample checklist:
Engagement photos (yes or no?)
Choosing the date
Sending Save-the-Dates (yes or no?)
Budgeting
Guest list
Finding a wedding planner (yes or no, but highly recommended)
Deciding on your colours and design theme
Hiring a photographer/videographer
Deciding on your reception entertainment (for example, DJ vs. band)
Deciding on musicians for the ceremony, such as a quartet, organist, guitarist, etc. (yes or no?)
Considering other types of reception entertainers, such as cultural dancers (yes or no?)
The wedding dress and groomswear
The wedding party attire
Hotel for guests (yes or no?)
Wedding social media and website (yes or no?)
Invitations
Gift registry
The ceremony and reception venues
An officiant (if you’re not doing a traditional religious ceremony)
Counselling (yes or no?)
Transportation rental
Honeymoon decisions
Menu and caterer (we recommend choosing a venue with an in-house chef)
Cake flavour and design
Wedding bands
Hair and makeup
Guest favours/wedding party gifts
Vows and readings
DIY projects such as table decor, party favours, etc. (yes or no?)
Final fittings
Marriage license requirements
Wedding timeline tip #2: Know how far out to start
The intricacy and logistics of wedding day timelines vary from couple to couple. However, if your wedding isn’t a whirlwind situation, planning should start about a year out from your wedding day.
Wedding timeline tip #3: Don’t forget the extras
Some couples have tons of extras, while others go for the simplest and most affordable approach. Even if your venue does handle most of what you think of as extras, there could be things you didn’t consider.
Also, you might not be thrilled with what the venue includes and want to go rogue to find specialty items that suit your colours or theme. Some of the things you don’t want to forget might include:
Appropriate table linens for a more personalized touch or to suit a very specific aesthetic or theme you have in mind.
Unconventional chairs and furnishings, such as couches for lounging or a very ornate or funky table for the cake.
A special dance floor, such as a Saturday Night Fever theme.
Specialty decor such as sheer curtains or luxurious drapes, tree rentals, arches, rustic touches like antique doors and windows, custom marquees/signage, lighting, bathroom decor, and cultural items.
Specialty glassware and china.
Wedding timeline tip #4: Create a wedding event schedule
Although the wedding itself is the headliner, you have to consider the traditional events leading up to your big day. Here’s a rough idea of when these pre-wedding events should be booked, if you plan to include them:
Engagement party: Within a few months of your engagement/announcement.
Wedding shower: One to three months from the wedding day (three months tends to be the sweet spot).
Bachelor/bachelorette party: One to four months from the wedding (this date relies heavily on guest availability and the type of party you’re planning).
Rehearsal dinner: Usually the night before the wedding, but you can break with tradition and do it a few days or a week out, so you’re well-rested for the big day.
There are two other possible events you might choose to throw:
Wedding party gathering: If the wedding party isn’t a tight-knit group, you might consider having an intimate gathering like a lunch or brunch so that everyone gets to know each other prior to the rehearsal.
Out-of-town welcome party: Couples with a lot of out-of-town guests might throw a welcome party to thank them for coming, and provide information such as how to get to the ceremony, what to do between the ceremony and reception, and where they can get a good breakfast. This gathering works well if you arrange for everyone to stay at the same hotel.
Wedding timeline tip #5: Get a jump on venue selection
Choosing a venue is one of the first things you should do. Give yourself at least a year to research, suss out, and pick a venue so you can lock in your agreement. Much of your plans will circle around the venue, including:
Budget (the venue tends to be a large share of the costs)
Understanding the extras you’ll need to rent
Your decor plans
Your menu
Seating plan
Guest capacity
Wedding timeline tip #6: Choose a venue that does it all (or almost all)
The more vendors you need to work with, the more complicated your wedding timeline becomes. By choosing a venue that does as much as possible, your wedding timeline checklist starts to shrink—and that is a big relief. At the least, we’d say your venue should handle the following:
In-house catering overseen by a world-class chef specializing in wedding menus.
In-house professional servers.
Access to event planners and a dedicated coordinator for your wedding.
A tight vendor network to streamline your booking process.
Space to accommodate the ceremony and reception (if this suits your plans).
Indoor and outdoor space.
Château Le Jardin offers all of these things, providing more time to focus on each other before things get hectic.
Contact the Wedding Venue Specialists
Let Château Le Jardin help you make the best decisions to ensure a perfectly timed, flawless wedding day. Click here to learn more. You can also call us at 1-888-529-8573 or book a consultation online.