Timing of Your Big Day
Most timing for your wedding day will be worked on and set during your Timeline Consultation Meeting. Still, we wanted to review some essential factors that come into play for your wedding plans so we can manage expectations.
1
Traffic patterns to consider (Time of day/Day of Week/Time of Year)
If everything for your wedding day is being done at one location (everyone's prep, portraits, ceremony, reception) -- congratulations! There's one less thing for you to focus on. However, if you have any part of your day being done at multiple locations, as you prepare and plan your day, ensure you look at all the timing factors. Having a Friday wedding down the Jersey Shore in June? Your travel times will look very different from a Sunday afternoon in February. We suggest looking at the routing options for the GPS, taking the longest one, and adding 10 minutes as a "worst case" buffer. Some hired vehicles may have road restrictions and take a different route which could take longer.
2
Lighting for different times of the year and location
It seems silly to remind people of this, but a 5 pm wedding in New Jersey in November will have different lighting than a 5 pm wedding in New Jersey in June. If you're looking for light outdoor photos, check the sunrise/sunset times for your wedding location for the date you're looking at. Yes, location matters!
3
First Look or Keeping It Traditional
Whether or not you're doing a First Look plays a huge role in working with the timing of your day. For more advice, information, and things to keep in mind, visit the page here about First Looks.
4
Receiving Line
Depending on how chatty your family is and how extensive your guest list is, doing a receiving line can take a large part of your wedding timeline budget. For more information on Receiving Lines (including what they are), visit the Wedding Glossary page here.