The SAMPLE Schedule
Your production manager will communicate a detailed schedule and load-in time with you a few weeks before the event. Just like a real wedding, the schedule often gets a little off-track. Our staff will do their best to help us stay on schedule, but know that we will often need to be flexible! Below is a sample schedule to give you an idea of what to expect, but please follow the one your Production Manager sends you over the one below.
10:30 Doors Open. Designers can arrive as early as 10am to unload and prep. Styling may begin as soon as event rentals are in place.
Hair and MakeUp Schedule
11:00 Bride starts makeup, Bridesmaid #1 starts hair
11:45 Bridesmaid #1 starts makeup, Bridesmaid #2 starts hair
12:30 Bride starts hair, Bridesmaid #2 starts makeup
1:15 Groom and Groomsmen Arrive
1:45 Cast Gets Dressed
Cast Photo Schedule
2:00-2:20 Videographer with The Couple
2:35-2:55 Photographer #1 w/cast
3:10-3:30 Photographer #2 w/cast
3:45-4:05 Photographer #3 w/cast
Photographers will take venue and set up photos when they are not with the cast.
Event Preparation
4:30 Sound Check and Rehearsal- led by Day-Of Coordinator and the Production Manager
Event/Floral design and paper goods must be set and ready for photographs.
5:00 Dessert set and ready for photographs.
All vendors must be completely set and out of the main space for photographs.
5:00 Pizza will be delivered and laid out for a casual grab & go dinner
5:30 Vendor meeting
5:35 Vendors use this time to go through the TofL and network.
6:15 15 minute warning announced for vendors; music begins playing as guests are arriving
Event Flow
6:30 Doors open
7:00 Scheduled ceremony start time (will likely start late due to straggling guests)
7:10 Welcome speech by The Big Fake Wedding staff
7:15 Ceremony begins; at close of ceremony, cast exits
7:35 Dinner begins; bar opens; Tunnel of Love
7:55 Couple re-enters and has first dance; the dance floor opens
8:40 The winner of the Bridal Bundle is announced
9:00 Last dance
9:10 Staged exit
Nametags
We will provide lanyard type name badges for you at the event as a way for guests to distinguish who is a vendor. Our goal is to offer a quick way to recognize vendors while not pinning through your pretty party clothes (and bonus, you can store some business cards in there)!
The Flow
Doors will open to guests 30 minutes before the ceremony begins. During this time, we encourage vendors to mingle with each other and with guests. Your Production Manager will give you directions as to where to sit during the ceremony. After the ceremony, head to your Tunnel of Love table and prepare to meet guests. Guests will likely move between dinner, the bar, dancing and The Tunnel of Love. Feel free to join them on the dance floor at any point!
The Bridal bundle
We will be raffling off a “Bridal Bundle” to one - three guests (depending on the amount of prizes). This addition to the event is an effort to increase opportunities for vendor promotions before and during the event, bolster pre-event marketing to help guests understand what the monetary value of this event has (and how sad they’ll be if they miss it!), and encourage guests to stay until the very end of the night! Let your Production Manager know if there is any sort of giveaway you would like to contribute to this. Tangible products or “no purchase necessary” gift certificates only. Any special offers or discounts can be offered at your Tunnel of Love table.
The Photos and Video
We will provide the photographers with a shot list and the vendor guide so that they can hopefully photograph each vendor’s work, but if there is something specific you want photographed, we encourage you to mention this to the photographers. HOWEVER, please remember that the photographers are participating vendors as well, so they need to have the freedom to show off their skills and to network with guests. Please be respectful of their time.
Stationers: We encourage you to give a set of your suite to each photographer for photographs. Feel free to style your suite and ask for photos of the styled set-up.
Caterers: We encourage you to style a plate of food and hand this to a photographer for photos early on, as it is often chaotic (and not so pretty) to photograph a buffet or food station.
Designers: We encourage you to be set up on time, and if there is a specific element you’d like photographed, mention that!
The End
The last song will be an invitation for all of the vendors to get out on the dance floor! Guests will have trickled out at this point, so jump on the floor and let loose.
We will then have a staged exit for our bride and groom. We ask our vendors to come out and make this fun and exciting for the photos. (Heads up: We will likely repeat the exit two or three times to ensure we get great photos. That's the beauty of it being a fake wedding!)
You will be responsible for load-out and depending on the venue, you will likely be responsible for removing your trash, if any.
