timings for getting ready on the day

I've been trying to work this out too.

It'll be interesting to hear what others are doing.

x

I would tell you what I did, but as I was running around like a headless chicken all morning it would be pretty uselss as you'd need to do the exact opposite to what I did ? Organisation is not one of my strong points!

just copied and pasted this from an excel spreedsheet - so apologies if it HUGE... this is my skeleton of events for the day...

07.00am 07.15am 07.30am Breakfast at Ivory 07.45am 08.00am Bath 08.15am 08.30am 08.45am Taxi to Oxenfoord 09.00am Arrive at Oxenfoord 09.15am 09.30am Hair and Make up 09.45am 10.00am 10.15am 10.30am 10.45am 11.00am 11.15am Coach leaves Edinburgh? 11.30am Made-Up Leave 11.45am 12.00pm Matt and Guests Arrive 12.15pm Guests are seated 12.30pm CEREMONY 12.45pm 13.00pm WALK TO CRANSTOUN 13.15pm BLESSING 13.30pm WALK BACK TO OXENFOORD 13.45pm Drinks Rec / Photos 14.00pm Drinks Rec / Photos 14.15pm Drinks Rec / Photos 14.30pm Drinks Rec / Photos 15.00pm Drinks Rec / Photos 15.15pm Drinks Rec / Photos 15.30pm Piped into dinner . Speaches 15.45pm Speaches 16.00pm Wedding Breakfast 16.15pm Wedding Breakfast 16.30pm Wedding Breakfast 16.45pm Wedding Breakfast 17.00pm Wedding Breakfast 17.15pm Wedding Breakfast 17.30pm Wedding Breakfast 17.45pm Wedding Breakfast 18.00pm 18.15pm 18.30pm First Guests Arrive / Receiving Line/dj starts background 18.45pm 19.00pm throw bouquets 19.15pm First dance 19.30pm Ceilidh 19.45pm Ceilidh 20.00pm End Ceilidh 20.15pm Start DJ 20.30pm 20.45pm 21.00pm 21.15pm Buffet/cutting of cake 21.30pm 21.45pm 22.00pm 22.15pm 22.30pm 22.45pm 23.00pm Final Hour 23.15pm 23.30pm 23.45pm Auld Lang Syne 00.00am Carriages

Omigod bringon you are so organised! i want one of those lists!!!

we're getting married at 3.45pm so i've got time to relax (well that's what i say now...) the plan is to get to the hotel just before 10, book in a massage from 10 to 11, have a shower. makeup lady comes at 12. does our hair n makeup (2 and a half hours enough?) take a few pictures. leave hotel at 3.

writing it down makes it feel a bit rushed. hmm...

you'll be fine if you start at 12 - just wake up mega early and get your hair etc started by 9ish. i hate mornings so i just refused to have anything before 3!

xx

Can't believe your registrar only has those times available!

I have to be at venue at 1345 - thinking leave hotel 1330 - get into dress half hour - 1300 make up one hour - 1200 hair 1.5 hours - 1030

Does that sound about right?

Oh yeah good point re the photos! I'd like some with my dad I think. Hmm maybe shift everything forward - but hopefully that'll still work out! Where are you getting married Claire?

I got out of bed at 7am and didn't stop until the ceremony at 2pm! I did not give myself enough time to get ready at all and that was me moaning that the hairdressers didn't have an appt late enough! Give yourself an hour over and above what you think you will need.

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If your dress is a lace up it might be best to leave a bit longer as that was my biggest stress. Also keep in mind having photos taken at the venue just before ceremony and 5 mins to talk to registrar. I was 25 mins late because I didn't think of pics at venue and registrar....and a flowergirl who wouldn't play ball!

Ha thanks PG, some good tips there - looks like I'm in for an early start!

One thing to consider is that many make up artists leave the bride until last. This "can" create some timing issues for photographers specifically if the timings are tight....I would suggest from experience allowing a little more time than usual to ensure that your photographer can get some good photography of the make up being applied and then a big enough "window" of time for photography to show you at your most pristine.

Peter

I've not even thought about it! Im getting ready at the venue, heading there for 10:30, I'l be up showered and fed by then, hairdresser will be first (approx 1hr and a half) so will take me to 12, then makeup (half an hour) takes me to half 12, ceremony is at 2pm, so plenty time to get dressed and allow for over run. My bmaids are getting there make up done when Im getting my hair done and vica versa. I really didn't want the tog there when I was getting ready though so I don't have to stop for pics during that time.

Claire i am the same time as you, ceremony at 12 noon and i have 3 adult bridesmaids, 4 flower girls and my son to get ready too!!

luckily i am used to being an early riser anyway as my son has had me up well before 7am every single morning for the last 4 years!!

when i rang up to book my registrar (a year and a half in advance) they said they couldn't possibly do 12 noon as they were booked!! was only when i almost cried that they agreed to put another "team" on so i could have my wedding!

My hair and make up lady suggested 2.5 hours for me and 1 hour each for bridesmaids which makes it 5.5 hours and a really early start! She said she could bring an assistant so I am going to investigate that option!

I worked backwards from the time of collection by car which was 1.45.

I had to be dressed by 1pm for house photos and I had to be back from the salon from 12 for the arrival of the photographer and florist. I also spent that hour inbetween being a complete loon and fannying about with a camera and dancing to some very loud ac/dc - to burn off the tension!

we were booked into the salon at 8am. Officially was getting up at 6.30 but actuallly only had ONE HOURS SLEEP so was up anyhoo.

Wondering if anyone could cast their eye over what I put together last night and see any obvious problems?

My arrangement is odd in that I have one big bridesmaid (Gem), one 'toastmistress' (Laura) who isn't a bridesmaid but it staying over, and two little flowergirls (the girls). I'm doing my own makeup, but getting my hair done by a close family friend (Chantell). I'm staying over at my friend Ellie's house to get ready (because it's a lovely lovely house and so close to the church!)

Wake up

Gem, Laura, Alice & Ellie have breakfast

Shower etc

10:00 am Mum & Chantell arrive

10:15 am Delegated tasks at church & venue for Gem/Laura/Mum

10:15 am Alice hair

11:00 am Make up

11:00 am Flowergirls arrive with Dad

Mum & Chantell get flowergirls ready

11:45 am Photographer arrives

12:30 pm Dress on

1:15 pm Laura leaves for church to organise ushers etc

1:35 pm Mum and bridesmaids leave for church

1:45 pm Alice, Dad & Gem leave for church

2:00pm Ceremony

A quick thought when planning timetables -

If you are wanting photographs at the house and also some of the groom at the church the photographer cannot be in the same place at the same time so he will need to leave around 20 -30 minutes before you leave so he can get the guys at the church.

When thinking about group photos you are going to want to allow around 3 minutes per small group and 5 minutes for a larger group before everybody has been rounded up and in place.

Tim

Always allow for a bit more than you think it will be.

This is what I've planned...

9am - hairdressers for hair and makeup for me, 2 BMs and my mum

11am - leave hairdressers and head straight to the hotel

12pm - arrive at hotel, get something to eat

12.30pm - get dressed

1.15pm/1.30pm - photographs before ceremony

2pm - ceremony

I'm sure this will change slightly but seems fairly well balanced.

I've allowed 2 hours for the hairdressers but TBH I really don't think it will take as long as that then the drive to the hotel is 45 minutes and I've allowed an hour so my hope is that we will be at the hotel before 12pm and give ourselves more time for lunch plus a little drink and time to relax before we have to get changed. I'll try to allow about 45 minutes for getting changed though. The girls wont take long.

Thanks for all the replies. I've put this together - do you think i've allowed enough time for hair and makeup? I can't check in any earlier at the hotel and can't get ready at my mum's house as there'll be too many people there!

12/12.30pm check-in at hotel

12/12.30pm hair and makeup

2.15pm get dressed

2.30pm photographer arrives. pre wedding photos

3.15pm walk to ceremony room and meet registrar (2 mins from hotel)

3.30pm ceremony