With wedding season now in full swing, we know that a lot of you have planning on your minds. Most of the preparation and focus on details is done far in advance, but what about the timeline of the day itself? It’s easy to push this scheduling to the side, but having an accurate timeline will help your big day go as smoothly as possible. Keeping that in mind, Groovin’ Gourmets spoke with Lindsay, the talented owner of LK Events and Design, about some of the most common factors couples forget to allot time for on their wedding day.

1.    Gown bustling: A bustle allows the bride to move around during her reception with ease without having to worry about guests stepping on or soiling her gorgeous dress. Although the bustle riggings need to be sewn into the gown ahead of time, bustling the day of may take up to twenty minutes depending on the intricacy. “I've had a bustle as simple as two hooks and as complicated as twenty five small, color-coded strings to tie together,” says Lindsay. Be sure to factor the complexity of the bustle in your day of timeline.

2.    Makeup refreshing: With all the photos being taken, the bride will want to look as fresh as possible throughout the entire day, so reapplying will most likely be necessary. “It’s always a good idea to have your planner or maid of honor be the designated lipstick holder,” says Lindsay. To kill two birds with one stone, she also suggests that the bride refresh her makeup while one of the bridesmaids bustles her gown.

3.     Family pictures:  Your wedding day may be one of the only times your entire extended family is together in the same place at the same time, so you’ll definitely want to take pictures to remember how special that felt. However, as you probably know from other family gatherings, getting everybody together at a moment’s notice can be very difficult. It’s a good idea to have either your wedding planner or an organized family member coordinate this in advance, otherwise you’ll waste precious time trying to gather them all.

4.     Movement of guests from one area to another: “Depending on the location, herding hundreds of people can take a bigger chunk of time than you think,” says Lindsay. Traffic, parking, walking from vehicles, and finding the correct location can add up to be quite time consuming. Be sure to map out the travel time yourself in order to save your guests some frustration, and to keep your timeline accurate.

5.     Going to the bathroom: Since you’ll most likely need a little help, this is definitely something you’ll want to plan for. Ask your maid of honor, with a loving smile, of course, if she’ll be willing to help you out with this. The last thing you want to do with your beautiful, expensive gown is drop part of it in the toilet!

Incorporating these 5 things into your timeline will bring you one step closer to having the wedding of your dreams. If you still need help planning yours, contact Lindsay and she will work with you closely to perfectly execute your vision.