5 Wedding Day Scheduling Tips (A Wedding Videographer’s Perspective)

The problem with scheduling your wedding day, quite plainly, is that you’ve most likely never done it before. After witnessing over one hundred weddings, some of which had extremely poor schedules with very irritated brides, I’ve identified some things that will help your wedding day run a lot more smoothly.

1. Get ready for your wedding at your wedding venue

If possible, it is a good idea to make sure that the bride, groom, and bridal party all get ready at the same place. This makes it easier for videographers and photographers to not have to travel back and forth to get footage and not miss important moments. There have been times when I was unable to get footage of the groomsmen getting ready because I had to travel between two locations. Another reason to get ready at your venue is to save time and not stress about arrival times from your bridal party.

2. Don’t overload your schedule and include time to eat!

Make sure you do not overload your schedule with so many things that you don’t leave any room for delays or time to eat! Too many times I have seen couples who didn’t get to eat or have time to breathe on their wedding day! Imagine spending hundreds or thousands on your big day and not even getting a chance to eat or relish this life-changing moment. It is important to keep your schedule simple and to leave ample room for unexpected delays. You can speak to your caterer or the venue to make sure that there is food available during the preparation phase to make sure that you and your bridal party are not starving throughout the day. During the reception make sure to include time in your schedule for you to eat uninterrupted (if you prefer), so you can also enjoy the food and breathe on your special day. If you have too many things scheduled it may be hard for you to really take a moment to enjoy one of the most important days of your life.

3. Allow enough time for Wedding Videography & Photography

In order to have amazing photos and videography from your special day it is imperative that you allow enough time in your schedule for photos and videography. This will allow you to have an amazing wedding film and photos that capture candid moments throughout the day. If you don’t have enough time in your schedule, you will feel rushed, miss important pictures and video, and won’t be able to have enough time to celebrate with your guests. Videographers and Photographers need ample time to capture specific moments with your bridal party, your family, wedding details and more. Don’t make the mistake of not including a designated time for those pictures and videos. Also, a lot of times, couples want sunset pictures and if this is not planned out properly, the moment can be missed.

4. Designate someone in your bridal party to gather your things for your exit

At the end of your reception most venues want you to be out by a certain time. If you designate someone in your bridal party to gather your items in advance you will be able to exit quicker and not have to worry about trying to rush and finding all your things before leaving. If you have a grand exit this can allow for your items to be in your getaway car so that you will be all set and able to be present during the final moments of your special occasion.

5. Consider doing a first look

Consider having a first look so that you have more time for photos and video as well as time for an intimate moment. By having a first look before your ceremony, it gives you the chance to do it earlier in the day before your guests arrive, and to have time to take photos and video before your ceremony begins. Doing this can allow for a lot more time later in the day, because you would have already taken a lot of photos together as well as with your bridal party. This can help you have a lot more time to enjoy yourself at the reception instead of being gone for an hour or more because you had to take a lot of pictures and videos.