I’ve got to say it…No matter how much you plan, most weddings run behind schedule during at least one part of the day. I always share this with each of my couples before the wedding and when I arrive for the day. It doesn’t have to be something to freak out about! Talking about it and planning for it makes it less of a stress factor in the moment. When creating a timeline with my couples, I always stress the importance of one thing to help keep the wedding schedule on track:

Plan for at least an extra hour of time for hair and makeup in the morning. And make sure those artists know what time you HAVE to be done by to start photos!

Think you only need four hours to get all of the ladies’ hair and makeup done in the morning? Plan for it to take five hours. You would much rather have the extra time to hang out after getting done than feeling rushed to get done. Have more than four ladies that need their hair and makeup done? You need more than one hair and one makeup artist to do everybody. That buffer time is really key to making things not feel stressful as everyone is getting ready. There are so many factors that can lead to hair and makeup falling behind in the morning…bridesmaids showing up late, someone jumping in that wants their hair and makeup done now that wasn’t planned for, a hairstyle change because someone didn’t like the final product…the list goes on and on! Your hair and makeup are so important for your wedding day, you don’t want your hair and makeup artist to feel rushed and not have enough time to do the best job possible for you and your ladies. Giving them extra time means they get to love and serve you well and keeps everyone from feeling stressed to get finished!