One of the crucial elements of planning your wedding day is mapping out the timeline. The first thing most people do is decide on a time of day for the ceremony, a crucial element when booking your venue. But when will you head over to the venue? When should you actually put on your dress? Have you thought about the reception’s big moments (cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc.) and the timeline for those?
Having a timeline for the entire day is helpful not just for the bridal party to know what to expect, but also for vendors and other people involved in helping your wedding day move along as planned. While you’re thinking about all those special moments you want to include, you’ll also be figuring out how much time they will take.
Tips for Budgeting Time on Your Wedding Day
Making the wedding day timeline is where the 30/5 minute rule comes in. If you’re new to wedding planning, you might be asking: What is the 30/5-minute rule? There are a couple of ways to interpret it.
One way is this: On your wedding day, things that last 30 minutes feel like they only take 5 minutes. Those big moments zip by in a flash, because you’re so excited and having such a good time! On the flip side, some people say the 30/5 minute rule means things that take 5 minutes on a regular day (putting on your clothes, for example) take 30 minutes on your wedding day. If you’ve already been to fittings for your wedding dress, you know this is true!
What the 30/5 minute rule means for planning your wedding is more practical and realistic for every event on your timeline. Plan to be ready for it and in place (whether it’s at the entrance to your ceremony venue or at the cake for the cake cutting) 5 minutes before the time it’s set on your schedule. And then pad each big moment on your schedule with an additional 30 minutes.
Here’s an example:
You’ve got your ceremony planned, and it should take about 20 minutes. You want it to start at 5:00.
In your wedding day timeline, plan to be at the ceremony venue ready to go at 4:55.
Also, allow the ceremony timeslot to be 5:00-6:00, not 5:00-5:20.
This extra time allows for the unexpected. You stop to hug your grandma. The flower girl refuses to walk down the aisle. We all have plans in place for the wedding day, but not everything goes as planned, and having extra time budgeted in will help accommodate those little time suckers.
Benefits of Using the 30/5 Minute Rule for Your Wedding Timeline
It might seem like you’re putting in a lot of extra time on the wedding day. But trust us, you’ll be glad you did. At Legacy Stables and Events, we’ve helped organize a lot of weddings, and we’ve seen weddings where the timelines were too short. The ceremony goes long, and then the reception doesn’t start on time. You don’t want your guests sitting around hungry, looking at their watches, wondering when things will happen.
If you’re looking for reasons to add in that buffer time, here are the benefits of the 30/5 minute rule:
- Keeps things on the time schedule you’ve set. This is appreciated by both guests and vendors.
- Allows time for unexpected things to happen, like traffic delays, makeup mishaps, or an emergency hemming for bridesmaids’ dresses.
- Eases your own stress and anxiety as the bride. When you know where to be when, and there’s plenty of time to do the things you want on your wedding day, you’re more relaxed and can have fun.
Good planning can help make sure things go smoothly on your wedding day. Implementing the 30/5 minute rule allows plenty of time for vendors to set up, for little delays to happen without throwing off the schedule, and for you to feel comfortable enjoying every part of the wedding!
Call Legacy Stables and Events today to see how we can help you create the wedding day of your dreams. Schedule a tour to see our beautiful venue, and learn more about the services we provide and how we can help you with your wedding day planning.
