Monday, September 24, 2012

TIMING IS EVERYTHING


 

It’s your wedding day! You’re excited to take that walk down the aisle and dance towards your party, hand-in-hand as Mr. and Mrs. To make sure that everything goes smoothly and that potential crises are averted, it is important to allot enough time to get ready with a little bit of wiggle room for emergencies and to avoid rushing. No matter how much planning you do, something will occur that you hadn’t accounted for. By scheduling out your day with time to spare, you allow for this to happen without it ruining the order for the day. By hiring a day-of coordinator like Celebrations by Amy Bacon, you can rest at ease knowing that event planning professionals are by your side with their expertly formulated timeline to keep your special day running as closely to plan as humanly possible. Scheduling hair and makeup to take as long as it would on a normal day, everyone getting ready at the same time, forgetting about mingle time, and not allowing yourself the luxury of a cushion are all timing issues that should be avoided so that your stress doesn’t grow on your wedding day with each tick of the clock.


1) Schedule pampering time for your hair and makeup appointments: Most ladies wear makeup and do their hair fairly frequently but normally not quite as elegant and particular as on their wedding day. As a bride, your hair and makeup need to look better than anyone else’s; after all it’s YOUR day. You should be one of the first in the chair so that you stylist can take her time at perfecting your look and altering along the way as is fit. You need to allow an ample amount of time to have your hair and makeup done because let’s face it, the way you look on your wedding day is the best you’ll want to look for the rest of your life. You’ll see pictures of yourself as a bride on nearly a daily basis. Do you really want to see a picture and think, “I wish I’d had more time to get ready”? By designating extra time to be pampered, you will be better able to enjoy the day and to feel relaxed. Your heart rate will be racing at what seems like a thousand miles an hour; you’d don’t need the added stress of running behind to add to it at all.

2) Staggering dressing times: Getting ready together is half of the fun of wearing gowns (and tuxes) on the Big Day! Seeing as everyone’s outfits come together can build up the anticipation for the day and make it even more memorable. However, having all of the wedding party get dressed at the same time can cause stress and, to be frank, some crummy pictures. You should be the last one (out of bridesmaids and close family members) to get completely dressed. The photographers will be snapping away as your dress is zipped, laced or buttoned, and different angles will be used to get just the right shot. You don’t exactly want your MoH to be helping you into your Cinderella shoes while she’s in pajama pants, or your dad to be in his college sweatshirt while he kisses your flawlessly blushed cheek. By scheduling for everyone else to be ready before or finishing up as you start to add the final touches, you allow the spotlight to be on you and to make the moment picture perfect.

The guys’ prep time matters, too! The groom and his attendants won’t need nearly as much time to prepare and for good reason. They simply have to suit up and fix their dos to be ready to rock down the aisle. Because of this, they should not start getting ready until after the ladies have. This will help to avoid having the guys be dressed and prepared to get the show on the road…while the girls are still in their monogrammed robes and slippers, mimosas in hand. Most guys are left waiting for their girls to get ready for a weekly date; they shouldn’t have to do the same for the most important date of their relationship. Nerves will be high; tensions due to scheduling should not.

3) Allow enough time to mingle with and greet your guests: You’ve just been introduced as husband and wife, and it’s time to start the party. Drinks will flow, food will be served, and conversations will flutter. If you don’t make time to enjoy all that your reception has to offer, you’ll miss out on visiting with the people who made an effort to celebrate such a special day with you. Before kicking off the reception’s “activities,” make sure you talk to each guest and thank them for joining you at your wedding. Not only that, but many guests will grab your arm as you float about the room to congratulate you. If you assign time to visit each table, you won’t find yourself thinking, “I could have sworn that I saw him/her here but I didn’t get to talk to them all night.” It will also help to ward off the longing feeling you get staring at the dance floor as your great aunt compliments you on how delicious the food was for the fifth time. Either organizing a receiving line, attending the cocktail hour, or circling the room as guests eat are all perfect ways to schedule out time to greet guests while simultaneously enjoying your own reception.

4) Give yourself a “clock cushion”: Cushion room can help alleviate stress, even if all other fore mentioned suggestions are ignored. Just as anyone who has planned a party knows, at some point the party will fall behind or jump ahead of schedule without any warning. By putting cushion time into your wedding timeline, you allow this to happen without throwing off the whole day. Whether the limo arrives at the venue a little early or the priest’s homily runs a little long, you won’t have to worry about being “off of schedule” because you technically won’t be. This will aid in the on-going struggle of avoiding anxiety and distracting from what really matters: YOU’RE MARRIED!


One of the most important effects to scheduling some cushion room? Extra time alone for the bride and groom. If you have every minute of the planned to a T, you won’t have any time to sneak away as a couple. You just took the biggest step in your relationship that you have ever taken and have promised to love each other for all time. That’s a lot to process! You’re officially husband and wife and you don’t want to spend the first 10 hours of your marriage surrounded by other people. Plan in cushion time so that you and your honey can have time as Mr. and Mrs. in peace.


It may seem silly but timing can often make or break a wedding. Unfortunately, accidents happen, emergencies come out of nowhere, and unplanned issues arise that can’t be put off until later to deal with. Timelines help keep everyone on track and remind people what to do next. If you hire a wedding coordinator (like Celebrations for Amy Bacon), they will likely prepare a detailed and expertly spaced-out timeline for you. Planning every detail to couples’ special days is what they do for a living; trust their expert timing skills and enjoy every minute of your day. Don’t let the little things get to you or the next thing you know you’ll be pulling away in your limo and you won’t be able to remember half of your reception. Arrange your wedding so instead of musing ‘Where did the time go?’ you’ll think ‘That was the time of my life!’


                                                                     Blog written by Patrice Klaum

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