Venue, make-up, photographer. Help!!
One of the questions couples often ask themselves is: where shall we get married? Let’s look at the whole picture for a moment, bearing in mind that on the day there will be suppliers, photographers and guests, with hundreds of people moving around. The church is usually a minor issue because, by custom, at least in most of Italy, couples marry in the bride’s home town. With the church as a fixed point, everything else can be decided. A restaurant that is too far away means shuttle services, grumbling guests and a small element of risk linked to the unexpected on the road. As for the photographer, too great a distance between the bride’s and groom’s homes inevitably means another person is needed to shoot and tell the story of what happens at one of the two homes. A good photo shoot needs time and calm. Couples often cram their wedding day with events and transfers. This puts the professionals under pressure, with a consequent drop in quality. Finding the right compromise isn’t easy, but having a timeline is essential, as is allowing for the unexpected by keeping the schedule a little loose, remembering that simplicity pays and that, above all, on that day it would be better to be celebrating with your guests rather than running the Paris–Dakar.
The perfect timeline?
There’s no recipe; it’s simple. Any delay will carry over through the whole day:
- Giving hairdressers and make-up artists a schedule is essential.
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A little lateness at the church is allowed for the bride.
- Wanting to do the outdoor shoot straight after lunch in midsummer to save time turns into pointless torture, with terrible light for photos. The best time in summer is from 5 pm onwards. The very best time is an hour before sunset. Let the photographer decide the timings to take beautiful photos.
- Give the timeline to all the professionals, suppliers and the caterer. Things often overlap. Guests don’t like waiting too long for the couple at the reception. When you arrive late at the restaurant, your relatives’ faces say it all.
What about the fun?
Fun is guaranteed if you’ve put together a perfect timeline without overdoing it. Then everything is already taken care of, and on the day you’ll only need to focus on yourselves, your guests and the celebrations. Stress or emotion can often make you waver over certain choices, so it’s best to think everything through beforehand: on your wedding day there will be no time to reflect.
What if I improvise?
Sometimes you may want to improvise. A classic example is wanting to take group photos before entering the restaurant without having planned it. If you improvise, your timeline will certainly be a disaster, the restaurant’s organisation will be improvised and the photographer will struggle with light and space. Remember that there are guests, and it’s best to organise everything.
