Have you ever been to a wedding where you felt time was standing still?
Maybe you just got done with a 4 course meal after noshing on cocktail hour treats and now you’re sitting at your table itching to get on that dance floor.

Wedding traditions have evolved greatly especially over the last 5 years. The pandemic really allowed couples to have more time to research and think outside the box when it came to their weddings.

Here are some of the great trends that we’ve seen this year.

Line Dances are BACK!
Guests requests are BACK!
Intimate cake cuttings are IN!
Bouquet/Garter/Anniversary Dance is OUT!
Couples only or group introductions are IN!

These are just a few of the 2024 wedding trends that we’ve seen this year. But when it comes to wedding timesavers to help you get the most out of your wedding, we’ve got some tips for you.

1. Consider taking your formal photos prior to the ceremony.
When you’re crisp and looking your best before the summer heat starts setting in, this is a great time for your formal photos. It also gives you more time for each photo and does not feel rushed. If you get these photos done in the beginning of your day, your parents will be able to relax, your bridal party will be grateful, and you’ll have more time to enjoy yourself at your reception.

2. Joining your guests for cocktail hour.
This is a big timesaver. When you are all done with your formal photos and your ceremony is done, feel free to join your guests for cocktail hour. This will not only allow you to fully experience your wedding reception, but also gives you time to mingle with guests instead of not eating your dinner and going from table to table. And by not going table to table, you just saved about an hour during your reception to be able to open that dance floor early and get more partying in.

3. Group introductions
Having group introductions not only saves time on the front end, but the back end as well. If you’re sitting in your living room making a list of who walks in with who and are going through the tedious task of trying to pair people up either by familiarity or by how it’s going to look, you can take some of the pressure off this task by having your bridesmaids introduced followed by your groomsmen in one big group. This also saves time just prior to introductions when you’re trying to line everyone up. If they’re in a group, they can casually walk out and have fun with it!

4. The grand buffet
Wedding buffets are great. Not only do they save time, but in many cases, they save money as well. It also allows guests to choose their food depending on their tastes and take as much or as little as they would like. By giving guests the opportunity to quickly go through the line and get back to their tables, it cuts down on dinner service which gives you more time for other fun activities like your father daughter dance or opening up the dance floor early.

5. Doing parents dances during dinner
You and your spouse are the guests of honor and will be served first. This also means, that you’ll be the first to finish your meal. As soon as your done eating, this is a great time to have your parents dances. It accomplishes 2 things. First, all of your guests will be present for this tender moment with your parent and because they’ll be eating, they won’t be on the dance floor with their cell phones trying to grab a quick picture for their social media. And secondly, because you’re having your parents dances during dinner service, your guests won’t have to sit and wait for the next formality after dinner service and get right to the dance floor!

Follow these 5 timesaving tips to get the most out of your wedding!