How to Stay on Time: 6 Simple Tips for Your Wedding Day

Alright ladies, let's be honest. We've got a bad rep for making our other halves wait. Whether it's because that outfit we had picked out just isn't working today or our hair has decided to single handedly rock it like it's 1982 (for those of you with curly hair like me, I know you know what I'm talking about!), we tend to take a teeeeeensy bit longer than we expect. On an average day this isn't a big deal, but on your wedding day when the whole kit and caboodle is waiting on you to walk down the aisle, it gets to be a little important.Disclaimer: Often times, the thing that sets us wedding photographers apart from photographers in other fields (fashion, food, products, etc) is our ability to deal with this fluctuating timeline. If you are 20, 40 even 60 minutes late it's still my job to capture as much as possible despite the change in schedule, so don't stress if you need an extra 10 minutes to knock the socks off your groom before your First Look. But being proactive with your wedding day timeline is always better right?  :)After 7 years in the wedding industry I've experienced a few common areas that tend to slow up a wedding day schedule. Below are 6 tips to avoid these little hiccups.1) The hair appointment - Add an extra 30 minutesThe first of wedding day events and perhaps the biggest culprit of time thievery. Making sure your hair and makeup appointment ends on time is crucial to the timing of the rest of your day. I always suggest to tell hair stylists they have to be finished a full 30 minutes before the real end time. If you need to leave for the church at 10:30, tell your stylist 10. I don't know why these appointments always run behind, but I promise, more often that not, they do. Save yourself rushing the rest of the day & simply factor in an extra 30 minutes.2) Getting in the dress - Zip up vs. Lace upUnless you have a professional bridal gown specialist in your bridal party, getting into that gorgeous dress is probably going to take a bit more time than when you put it on at the boutique. Keep in mind what type of back the dress has. Typically, zip up dresses take about 20 minutes to get settled into and lace back dresses take anywhere between 50 minutes and an hour and 15 minutes.3) First look - It's all about love & calmnessI almost didn't include this one on the tip list because it is NOT for logistical scheduling reasons that you should ever choose a First Look. Yes, it allows you to complete the bulk of your formal portraits before the ceremony, keeping your bridal party & family calm, cool and collected but this is your wedding day so this schedule is all about you.I had to include the First Look because of its calming effect on couples. It's amazing and beautiful to watch all the anxious butterflies and nerves disappear from brides and grooms alike as they kiss and hug for the first time on their wedding day. Regardless of if we are running on time or not, the First Look is an absolute game changer. You will feel undeniably more calm and able to focus on enjoying the day when it starts with looking drop dead gorgeous in the comforting arms of your lucky man.4) Bridal party size - Size does matterGetting 4 or 6 people collected and from point A to point B takes less time than 22 people. Keep in mind the number of people traveling with you throughout the day when you plan out your travel time. Oh and speaking of... ;-)5) Travel time - Murphy's lawWhether its unexpected construction or a bridesmaid forgetting her purse at the church, just factor in an extra 15-20 minutes. This way when everything goes flawlessly & you arrive to the reception early, your bridal party will love you for thinking to leave time for a bathroom break before the Grand Entrance.6) Let everyone else do things - SeriouslyIf you don't remember any of the other tips, remember this one!  Your wedding day does not mean it's your day to do everything. Quite the contrary in fact. It's your day to sit back, soak in each moment & enjoy. Simple as that. You've chosen vendors you trust & believe in, so don't worry. We've got it under control.  Last but certainly not least, delegate & designate. Ask your most organized friend or relative (not in the bridal party) to be in charge of getting everyone's things from the church to the reception, checking you into the hotel, making sure the presents get packed up and any other little thing in between. Trust this hyper-responsible organized wonder to tie up the loose ends and make the little executive decisions about what car the card box should go in and then LET GO. We've got it under control. Now go bust a move on the dance floor!There they are! Not too hard right? Well, maybe minus that last one ;-) For you already married ones, did I forget anything? What was your secret to staying on time? Or maybe what's something you forgot that affected your schedule? Leave some of your own tips & tricks in the comments below.