There are those who are on-time, no matter what. And then, well, there are others who try to squeeze in one more activity before the next scheduled event – and this pushes them off schedule. Make note. Your wedding is not the place to be a tidsoptimist, or a time optimist. In other words, don’t be late because you think you have more time than you actually do.

Being tardy can make you feel unnecessarily stressed. On the other hand, being on time for your wedding ceremony shows you care about and respect the people who are there. This includes your guests and vendors. While a ten or fifteen minute delay might be annoying, thirty minutes, an hour or more – that can have real consequences. It is important to note that vendors, like the officiant, likely have additional weddings scheduled for that day. Beyond imposing a potential late fee – they might need to leave because of other obligations.

Have a Strategy

• First, plan to be early. That way you’ll have a little cushion for the unexpected.
• Then, create a timeline of all the activities needed for the day. Know what needs to happen, when. In fact, it is helpful to overcompensate and allocate some extra time for each task. Styling your hair? Give yourself twice as long as it typically takes. Traffic? Account for that, too.
• With timeliness in mind, enlist a friend to help keep you on track.

Partner with the Pros

When you hire a professional officiant to perform your marriage ceremony, their wealth of knowledge and experience is invaluable. They can anticipate the potential setbacks that could get you stuck, or know the tricks to make it work at a particular venue. You can find the officiant who is the best fit for you at findaJP.com. And then, with your team all set and on schedule, set off on your marriage journey with relaxed joy.

Loretta Jay is the Managing Member of the Justice of the Peace Association. This is the membership organization for professional marriage officiants. All officiants’ profiles are searchable at findaJP.com, the place where Couples who Click can find their perfect JP.