One of my biggest responsibilities on wedding day is to keep everyone (and everything) on time. There are so many ways that a wedding day can fall behind schedule, but it’s ideal to start with the right mindset. If you’re the kind of person who thinks being on time is mandatory, this will be easier for you. However, if you (or your people) are notorious for being late, I want to share why timeliness is so important on wedding day (and the consequences of being late).
Venue: When you booked your venue, you likely booked for a specific time bracket. These are not optional start and end times: if you start late, you’re wasting money you’ve already spent. Please understand that the venue staff is working and is on a fixed schedule. If you’re running late, that just means less party time for you. It may also impact food and food quality as the kitchen/catering staff have been set up to deliver food during certain timeframes. Please don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’ll be able to just extend the time later, either. If you don’t book extra time before the event, you will have to finish at the time specified in the contract. I want you to fully enjoy your party, so that means starting on time!
Guests: You know your friends and family better than anyone. While there are many who may run late, there are just as likely to be those who are early/on-time. For all of those who arrive at the time specified on the invitation, every moment you run late is a moment that they must suffer. Picture this: it’s a sweltering day in August and your ceremony is outside. The venue requires that your guests sit in the blazing sun while they wait for you, and drink service doesn’t start until cocktail hour (after the ceremony). Your friends and family are now hot, uncomfortable, and possibly irritated. That doesn’t sound like fun, so be sure to avoid having them wait for you.
Pictures: You likely spent a good deal of time selecting your photographer. If you’re running late, photo time is one of the first things to get cut. That means you may miss out on all the beautiful pictures that you were hoping to capture on the wedding day. Photos and videos will be the best way to remember your wedding later, but if you don’t take time seriously, you’ll end up missing out on capturing those memories properly.
In the end, being on time means that you get your money’s worth on the day of the wedding. That’s where my team and I can be useful: we’ll keep you on time and relaxed so that you can just kick back and enjoy the day with your friends and family.
If you’re wondering “But how do you keep everything on time???,” I’ve got answers for you! There are some pitfalls to look out for that can cause delays on your wedding day. I’ll share more in the next blog post.