Kristin Kaplan of Simply Stunning Events wrote this article about helpful hints for creating your wedding-day timeline. See excerpt below!

Photo by Justin Wright.

• Never assume anything! I try to make our timelines as detailed as possible and include the when, what, where, and how for each item. Never assume that the vendors know which church it is or that the band knows what to play for the first dance. Most likely they do, but it’s always helpful to list those sorts of details in the timeline JUST IN CASE.
• Know what time sunset is. It’s amazing how many couples don’t consider the sunset when deciding on a ceremony time. Especially if you are planning to take a lot of photos outside after the ceremony, you need to be sure there will be enough light!
• Along those lines, discuss with your photographer the best times to shoot outdoor photos. Typically the worst time is between 11 am and 3 PM when the sun is going to be the harshest. Plan to start photos a bit later in the afternoon and the light will be much prettier.
• Consider having a “first look”. Nothing makes a wedding day run more smoothly than a bride and groom seeing each other before the ceremony. Everyone is much more relaxed, you won’t have to worry about the logistics of making sure you each don’t accidentally run into each other before the ceremony, you’ll have much more time to get all of your portraits taken since you’ll be able to do so before the ceremony, and you’ll probably even make it to your cocktail hour! This topic can be its own post in an of itself but seriously consider it as it’s worth it!