photo by Page & Holmes Photography

When it comes to wedding planning, the attention tends to focus on how to decorate the venue or who will wear what. It can be pretty easy to get swept away in the little details and lose yourselves in the wedding day whirlwind. To make the most of your big day together, consider adding one (or more!) of these special, intimate experiences to your wedding day timeline.

1. Get ready together

One of the sweetest ways to squeeze in a little extra time together on your wedding day is to get ready together! While some may feel that this breaks an important wedding tradition, others are happy to throw custom out the window and spend a quiet morning getting wedding day ready in an intimate setting.

photo by Jes Workman

2. Share a meal before saying “I do”

When we saw that Maria and Tanner (pictured below) decided to share breakfast together on their big day, we swear our hearts grew three sizes. Their “crêpe escape,” as we called it, gave them space to talk through any wedding day jitters and catch up before getting swept away in their incredible wedding. Sharing a meal gives you the opportunity to feel like yourselves and do something you’d normally do together on any given day.

photo by Jordan Voth

3. Do a First Look

You may have heard that we’re big fans of doing a first look, but we’ve got good reason! Not only does a first look give you some extra room in your wedding day timeline for portraits with your photographer, but it allows you to share the emotional experience of seeing each other for the first time before saying “I do” without all of your guests looking on. There’s something to be said about making moments your own on your wedding day. Again and again, we hear from couples who are so thankful they fit a first look into their wedding day timeline, and it’s often their favorite part of the whole celebration!

photo by India Earl

4. Read your vows in private

For some couples, speaking their vows is an extremely personal experience that they don’t feel comfortable doing in front of a crowd. Whether this feeling resonates with you, or you just want to share your promises to each other in a more intimate setting before stepping up to the altar, reading your vows in private is a great way to spend a little extra time together on your big day. We’ve even heard of couples whispering their vows to one another before or after the ceremony, which honestly makes us misty-eyed to think about!

photo by Olivia Strohm Photography

5. Enjoy a private toast post-ceremony

One of the most exciting moments of your wedding day is walking back down the aisle as newlyweds. While you’re on that high, we recommend taking a moment in your wedding day timeline to sneak away to a secret room where you can share a private toast before heading out for portraits with your family and bridal party. Enjoy a glass of wine, break some bread, and embrace the giddiness of being married!

photo by David Le

6. Set your sweetheart table away from the crowd

Whether you dine alone as newlyweds or use your sweetheart table as a temporary escape, we love the idea of having a space of your own during the reception. Imagine watching all of your loved ones interacting from a distance as you share your dinner as newlyweds, giggling at Uncle Bob on the dance floor or watching a romance bloom between your respective college roommates. Anything that slows down the whirlwind of your wedding day is a plus!

photo by Hinterland Stills

7. Do a secret first dance

It’s not unusual for couples to feel uncomfortable dancing in front of their wedding guests (so if that’s you, know you’re not alone!). Instead of skipping a first dance altogether, do it in secret, away from the reception and DJ. Have your photographer set up their iPhone with your first dance song and enjoy an intimate moment just swaying with your new spouse to your favorite tune.

photo by Anni Graham Photography

8. After your guests leave, have a final dance

Some of our favorite wedding stories end with the couple sneaking back into their reception after everyone has left for once last dance. Even at the end of the wedding day, this final dance can be one of the most treasured memories from the entire experience.

photo by Bradford Martens

Which of these ideas are you going to work into your wedding day timeline? Looking for more wedding planning inspiration? Check out these helpful posts:

6 Unique Tips for Writing Your Wedding Vows

How to Choose Your Wedding Size

How Not to Get Sucked Into a Pinterest Wedding