Are you wondering what to include in your wedding day timeline? You’ve booked your venue, chosen your bridal party, and decided on your wedding colors. It’s getting down to the nitty-gritty details like planning on what to include in your wedding day timeline. I’m sharing my favorite parts of a wedding day along with several helpful tips to help you decide.

Personalized Vows

One of my favorite parts of a wedding day are the vows. Not only is it an emotional time but it’s also the most meaningful. Marriage means laying aside your rights as an individual and joining your life with your spouse’s to accomplish a greater mission together than you ever could on your own. It’s a serious commitment and I love when couples write their own vows in a way that’s both personal and honors the depth of their promise.

Tip: If you’re writing your own vows or just want a personalized copy as a keepsake, consider investing in vow booklets. They’re a beautiful keepsake, making your vows easy to access whenever you want to review them. On your wedding day they’re also a pretty way to keep you organized instead of having to undo a sheet of paper you’ve folded into a tiny square.

First Look with Your Groom

Doing a first look with your groom is another one of my favorites. There’s something special about sharing those first moments of seeing each other on your wedding day in private. Grooms who may be self conscious about showing a lot of emotion in public often express themselves more openly during a private first look.

Tip: Doing a first look also means you can take all your formal pictures beforehand and then after the ceremony, it’s party time. Except for a few quick husband and wife portraits at sunset, you get to spend all of your reception celebrating with your guests.

First Look with Dad

Doing a special first look with Dad is something that’s become quite popular. Whether you’re really close with your dad or not, this is a meaningful way to spend a few minutes together before he gives you away. I didn’t always have a close relationship with my dad like I do now but seeing the love and pride in his eyes on my wedding day is one of those moments I’ll always hold close to my heart.

Private Time After the Ceremony

When I was planning my wedding day, one of my biggest priorities was spending time with Aaron. This was one of the reasons we chose to do a first look. Wedding days go by so fast and unless you set aside time to be alone together, it just doesn’t happen. One of my favorite ways to incorporate this is to schedule 15 minutes into the timeline right after your ceremony to enjoy the fact that “you’re married!”