Talking to Your Planner & Photographer
First things first, think about how you want your day to go. What time is your ceremony? What time does the venue allow you to arrive? Did you have a rehearsal the night before, or are you needing to run through it in the morning? How many bridesmaids are getting hair/makeup done? Do you have a special breakfast/lunch planned for your girls? Are you doing a first look with your future hubby, your dad, your grandparents, your bridesmaids, or all of the above? Do you want all photos to be completed before the ceremony, or will you be taking them after? Would you like additional hours added to your beauty package for look changes or touchups?
These are all important factors you’ll need to know for the timeline that your photographer or coordinator creates. Once you have that timeline, we can create our beauty itinerary. See below for references.
Sample Timelines
Photography Timeline Example
This is a real timeline from a wedding I did, created by the photographer/coordinator. This timeline allows for about 5 services total per artist. If you have more services, you will need to bump the start time up. It’s very common for me to arrive at weddings around 7-8 AM. You will also notice that the boys were photographed before the bridal party needed to be ready. I recommend this whenever possible to afford us more time. This specific timeline won’t work for every situation, this is just an example of a good one.
Beauty Itinerary Example
A beauty itinerary like this one is a complimentary service I offer my brides. I create these timelines to avoid the “Who’s next?” that often wastes time. Everyone has an exact time assigned that they know to be in the chair. This bride received both hair and makeup from 11:30-1:15, and this timeline included what I call “cushion time” of about 15 minutes to allow for hiccups. The itinerary includes helpful information that your party needs to know. It is based on the order of people/services you send me, in addition to your photographer’s timeline. I cannot create this for you until you send me timeline details from your photog/planner. You will receive this the week of your wedding, and you should send it out to your party ASAP. Check my Instagram for more examples of these timelines.