Tamryn Kirby: How To... Organise Your Time

Yesterday, we looked at how to be organised with your time in the run up to the wedding and today we're moving on to concentrate on the day itself.

Any bride will tell you that the day absolutely flies by and it's so true - you've spent ages waiting for the day to come and then it's over in a heartbeat. Remember that feeling you used to get when you went to bed on Christmas Day? That such a fabulous day was all over? Well, it's exactly like that but with weddings, you don't get another one next year so make the most of every minute. And making the most of every minute means enjoying each moment, not being stressed, being calm, in control and not having that awful feeling that you're not going to have enough time for something important.

So, here are some tips and tricks to make sure time is on your side on your wedding day...

Image - Melanie East

Pin up a time plan in the room where you’re getting ready so everyone can see it. This will save everyone asking continually asking you questions! Decide on the order everyone will see the hairdresser and make-up artist so there's no hanging around.
Lay out your entire outfit the night before. You don’t want to be hunting for a shoe or earring just before you wedding.
Make sure someone is keeping an eye on the time. One minute you’ve got hours to wait and the next, it’s time to go so don’t get caught out.
Decide in advance what order everyone will be having hair and makeup done so you don’t waste time in the morning when people arrive.
If you're going to the venue to set anything up, tell them what time you'll arrival so they can have the tables laid before you get there so you're not waiting for them to finish so you can start!
Find out what time suppliers will be arriving – especially important if you don’t want the photographer to arrive whilst you’re still in the shower!
Let someone else keep things on time for you. Delegate the job to a member of the wedding party or hire a co-ordinator to worry about this for you. Making sure dinner, drinks and dances are at the right moment shouldn’t be your job when it’s your big day.
Overestimate how long it will take to get ready - it's better to have time for a relaxed glass of champagne and not be running around or panicking.
Fight the temptation to leave early for the ceremony. It’s awful having to drive around because you’re early and all your guests haven’t arrived. That said, don’t aim on being late, especially for a civil ceremony – most registrars do more than one wedding per day and they don’t like you being late.
Decide with your photographer before the day how long you want to spend having photographs taken and don’t be afraid to say ‘enough’. Spending time with your guests is what makes your wedding special.
If you don't want the speeches going on for too long, let the speakers now how long they should speak for. Even 5 minutes each adds up to around 20 minutes in total and the caterers will need to know this, especially if you're planning speeches before starter or dessert.
Pouring the champagne for the toasts at the table is a nice touch but it can take a while for that to happen. Caterers can always pour behind the scenes and then just serve glasses to the tables (and this also keeps some glassware off the tables for a more uncluttered look).
Try to stick to time for your first dance because it's unlikely other guests will hit the dancefloor until you've strutted your stuff which delays the party and means the band or dj are playing to no-one!
Definitely get some time alone with your husband. The day will pass so quickly and before you know it, the guests will be leaving and you’ll realise you’ve not spoken to your hub since dinner! The break between dinner and the evening reception is the perfect time to sneak off…