So, you’re planning your wedding!

You’ve got your wedding pros hired, your decor sorted and your day-of schedule is coming together.

There are a ton of moving parts and you’re working with your vendor team, venue, and planner to put together the perfect schedule for a smooth wedding day. You’ve got all of the pieces in place when you quickly realize you’ve forgotten to include something very important– ALONE TIME!

After all, this day is about you and your love– shouldn’t you get to spend a few minutes together?

I know, I know, ironically, it can be hard to think about yourselves when you’re trying to host an epic celebration! I’m here to tell you that you CAN have an epic celebration while still making time for you!

As always, I have your back and have put together my top 5 ways to incorporate alone time into your wedding day schedule. These small windows of time throughout your day will allow you to soak up your best day ever with your new spouse!

Have a First Look

Having a first look is great for many reasons. I always recommend incorporating this into your schedule if you are open to seeing each other before the ceremony.

If your ceremony is scheduled for a bit later in the day ie. 3:00 PM and on, there tends to be a good 2 hours available in the afternoon to enjoy your time together! The First look is a wonderful way to calm nerves, get your photos done, and spend some quality time with your wedding party before the day get’s too busy!

Pro Tip: when deciding on a first look, consider how much time you need for hair and makeup in the morning, travel time, and ceremony time.

Ceremony at Cranberry Creek Gardens — *Image by Kendra Ruth Photography*

Immediately after the ceremony

This is a wonderful time to have a quiet moment together. You’ve just said “I do!” and instead of walking immediately into the chaos of congratulations, I suggest walking down the aisle and right into a quiet space, such as your wedding suite. Take a few minutes, pop some prosecco, and soak in the fact that you just got married! Your guests will be whisked off to cocktail hour and you’ll be able to see them for all of the hugs and well wishes as soon as you’re ready.

Wedding at Cranberry Creek Gardens — *Image by Kendra Ruth Photography*

Right before the grand entrance

Another great time to set aside a few minutes is between cocktail hour and reception. If you’ve gone for photos during cocktails, be sure to make it back with 10-15 mins to spare so you can take a breath before speeches and dinner. Let your guests head into the dining room while you hang back with each other! Have a beverage, dance it out, sit and chat, whatever you need!

Sunset Photos

Your photographer will likely want to sneak you out during dinner for those glorious golden hour photos we all love. This is a super romantic time to enjoy 15 minutes just the two of you before the party starts! Even if you feel like dinner is running a few minutes behind, I highly suggest saying yes when your photographer suggests it! They will watch the sun and grab you at the right moment, all you have to do is follow!

A last dance

So, you’ve spent the evening dancing the night away with your loved ones and the night is coming to an end. The day flew by and you wished you had a bit more time together. Ask your DJ to play your song as the last song and end the night swaying in each other’s arms!

Well, there you have it!

My 5 tips for adding alone time into your wedding day schedule.

As you head into the final stages of wedding planning, it can feel like you’re just trying to get through each step in the planning process. I encourage you to take a breath and really think about how to make your day special for the two of you. If you have a planner on your side, they will work with you to ensure your wedding day schedule comes together logistically while also fitting in time for those important moments.

Happy Planning!