One Day, Three Celebrations, and a Wedding Timeline We’ll Never Forget
- May 10
- 2 min read
Janice & Jared — Red House Seafood, September 2022
Janice and Jared’s wedding was the first one I remember having to prepare for mentally and physically months in advance, because I already knew it would be a true test of stamina.
It was one of those wedding days that packed almost everything into a single day — a church holy matrimony, a lunch reception for family, and a dinner reception for friends. On paper, it already looked intense. In real life, it was even more so. The day began with gatecrash at 5.30am, followed by the church ceremony at 9am, tea ceremony at 12pm, lunch at 12.45pm, and then dinner again at 7pm. In between all that, Janice only had a 1.5-hour makeup touch-up session, which was essentially the closest thing she had to a break.
It was not a timeline for the faint-hearted.
To be honest, it is not a format we would usually recommend. But if a couple truly wants to fit that much into one day, then it is something they have to be fully prepared for as well — not just emotionally, but physically. Weddings already ask a lot from a couple, and a schedule like this pushes that to another level.
And yet, what I remember most fondly was how intimate the celebrations still felt despite the pace of the day. There was something very special about seeing the couple move through such different moods and settings within a matter of hours — from the formality and warmth of the luncheon to the more relaxed, celebratory energy of the dinner. It felt like watching different sides of the same love story unfold all in one day.
This wedding also gave us one of our more memorable lessons as coordinators. It was the first time we had to personally slice and portion the wedding cake for serving, and from that day on, we have never recommended couples handle cake service that way. Wedding cake may seem like a small detail, but having it properly plated and served by the venue’s pastry team makes such a difference. Sometimes, there are certain costs in a wedding that are absolutely worth paying for — and this is one of them.
Janice and Jared’s wedding was exhausting, beautiful, and incredibly memorable. It reminded us that while love can carry a couple through a very long day, good planning — and knowing where to invest wisely — makes all the difference.
