Part 5: Wedding Timelines

This post is Part 5: Wedding Timelines of the “What I learned in my first year” series.
Click on the links if you would like to read more parts:
Part 1:”The Investments”
Part 2: “Getting Published”
Part 3: "Facebook Contests"
Part 4: "Choosing a Second Shooter"

Its great to ask the bride for her timeline 2 weeks before the wedding date. But usually you can count on some major changes to the timeline with those last two weeks and your very lucky if they update you! But realistically they are NOT! The photographer is not the first person on their mind to update. I had an experience where the bride and groom were not at the locations that they had given me so I had to send my second shooter off to look for the hotel that the groom was at. Which totally gave me a minor heart attack!  You & your second shooters gotta be ready to roll with the punches because there will be plenty of blows! 
Vendors will be late.
Timelines will be way off.
Ceremonies will start later than expected.
There will be car accidents blocking your only route to the area the couple chose for photographs.
The sun will go down leaving you with no light (which could pose a problem for “Natural Light Photographers”).

These are all real situations that I've actually been through! Sometimes you have to improvise and fill in the gaps to squeeze in some portrait shots to make sure you get everything the bride wants! Its craziness but I love it! Ive learned that timelines change and we def. have to WING IT! Open communication is everything! I'll even text my brides when I’m on my way to their house the morning of the wedding to put them at ease that I'm coming :) I remember my photographer did that to me on my wedding day and it really made me feel good!  

So Brides if your reading this... try to be as detailed as possible with your timelines and please keep us in the LOOP if their are any changes :) And Photographers if your reading this... The timelines are not set in stone! Dont hold it against the Brides for anything that doesn't go as planned! So just roll with it & work it out!!!! :)

Prego Update:

I had my 37th week doctors visit and she said that I'm as big as a house in other words of course! I've already out weighed my first pregnancy with Lil jack and I still have 3 weeks to go! Holy Moly!  I hope this kid isn't a 10 pounder! It's gotten to the point that I can't even put my own socks on! Haha! Pathetic  I know!