This Is Why Your Bridal Party Should Have Their Own Wedding-Day Timeline

Plus, what you'd want to include on it.

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Photo: Rensche Mari

Your wedding party should be given a schedule for your wedding day or weekend, but what they'll need is likely an outline of events that provides more information than what you've shared with guests but is less detailed than the production schedule your vendors received. The solution? Create a third timeline for your bridesmaids, groomsmen, officiant, readers, and parents. While it may sound a little crazy to have all of these different schedules floating around, the extra work will go a long way in ensuring the big day runs smoothly. Here's how you can come up with the perfect timeline to keep your bridal party informed and on-time.

Include the basics.

Include the big picture stuff, like when the ceremony rehearsal and welcome cocktails are taking place. Anything they absolutely need to be present for should have a special note. Remember that you're about to give your wedding party a great deal of information about where to be and when, and they're less likely to read anything that's too wordy. The more you can do to keep it simple, the more likely this timeline is to be used-that means bullet points are your friend. If you can use color block, bold, or all caps fonts to make really important information stand out, this is often quite helpful.

Leave out anything that doesn't apply to them.

Your wedding party doesn't need to know the nitty gritty production timeline, so you can leave out things like deliveries and vendor information. You might want to include timing for toasts if anyone in the wedding party will be delivering one during the reception. You'll also want to include timing for group photos and any important shuttle schedules.

Add a detailed hair and makeup schedule.

If you're including hair and makeup services for all the ladies in your wedding party, work with your stylist to break this down into timing segments. Be sure to have plenty of time for everyone to get dressed before you're scheduled to depart for the wedding.

Include attire information and notes.

You can go ahead and include any attire notes as a gentle reminder for each event. If your welcome party has a theme that's costume-based, be sure to include a reminder in this timeline. You'll probably also want to include any reminders about what to bring along to each event if you're depending on your wedding party to deliver anything or if you're encouraging a change of clothes for getting ready in.

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