How To Create Your Wedding Day Timeline
There is a lot to consider when thinking about the timeline for your big day. We know how overwhelming it can be trying to accommodate for every little thing in the schedule. Below you will find some good ideas about what to consider and how to include them. Once you decide what is most important to you, you can plan the rest of your day around those events.
Building out a detailed timeline will be one of the most important things you do to keep your wedding day stress free. Whether you have an extensive team of vendors, or you are relying on family/friends to help manage the day - your detailed timeline will enable every one of your vendors/helpers to show up exactly how and when you need them to.
The first step to building your timeline is understanding which events you want to include and how long each event typically takes.
This will vary from event to event - so you’ll have to consider how your unique event/crew fits into these time blocks and adjust accordingly.
**Remember that this is your day. You do not have to go in a traditional order; you can add in ‘non-traditional’ events, and you can skip events altogether that don’t feel right to you.**
Getting Ready - 2-4+ hours - This varies a lot depending on the size of your wedding party. Your Hair and make-up artists can be a great resource on what to expect. Build in a 10-15m buffer per person. (If hair and make-up take 1hr per person, account for at least 1hr 10m on your schedule. Consider things like needing a bathroom/snack break, taking a phone call, etc. It’s better to overestimate than under.
Solo portraits - 30m. Consult your photography team about your specific vision for this and how long they expect it will take to achieve. It is important to discuss your vision and timeline with your photographer to ensure it aligns with their needs and expectations.
First Look - 15- 30m Again, we suggest consulting with your photographer about your specific vision and how long they believe it will take. Make sure to leave some buffer time for getting to and from the first-look location. You don’t want to feel rushed in this moment.
If you are doing a first look, you may also be able to get some of your wedding party portraits out of the way before the ceremony (rather than during cocktail hour), so you may want to designate some additional time here for that.
Wedding party and family portraits - 45m-1hr - This may vary depending on the size of your family, wedding party, and your specific vision for which photos you’d like to capture. This often takes place during cocktail hour - although if you do a first look, you can capture some before the ceremony.
In order to stay on task, we suggest creating a list of pictures you want to capture at this time and keeping your photographer/coordinator informed of this list. It can also be very helpful to designate a friend or family member to be the “wrangler.” Your wedding professionals do not know everyone by face. It can be incredibly helpful to have someone who knows everyone on point to find your family members when they are needed for photos, so that your vendors can focus on their specific duties.
Travel time - This may not apply to you if you’ll be getting ready in the same place as the ceremony and reception.
Map out the travel time between your getting-ready place & venue (or ceremony place & reception place). If you are in a place with fluctuating traffic patterns, make sure to account for time-of-day/day-of-the-week-related traffic increases. Add 15-20 minutes to account for any hold-ups, slow-moving traffic, bathroom breaks, etc. Remember - The GPS does not account for the time it takes to load/unload people and items onto a shuttle, someone having to pee before you leave, or forgetting items and having to go back, etc.
Guests arrive - 30 min before the start time of the ceremony, ideally. This allows some buffer for guests to park and find their seats. It is helpful to provide a suggested arrival time on your invitations and/or wedding website. Guests arriving too early can be a problem for first looks and vendor set-up, and arriving too late can hold up your ceremony time.
Ceremony - 30min. This is an average and varies depending on the couple. Secular ceremonies may be as short as 15 minutes, while some more religious ceremonies may take closer to 1 hour. Your officiant will have a more detailed insight into this, but we suggest leaving 30 minutes. If it is less than that, you will simply end up with more time for your cocktail hour/photos afterward.
Cocktail Hour - 1hr. Cocktail hour can be a little shorter or longer depending on your scheduling needs. You may want to extend it to 1.5hours if you have a large family/wedding party to get photos of during this time. You may want to shorten it slightly if the sun goes down earlier on your day and you want to account for sunset photos.
Remember that an extended cocktail hour means more drinking before real food is served - so be mindful of that when extending. Providing extra appetizers, coffee/tea, or other non-alcoholic options, or limiting the bar menu at this time is helpful to ensure your guests are well-fed/hydrated (especially in the hotter months of the summer).
Grand Entrance - 5m. Depending on how many people will enter with you during your grand entrance. It typically takes about the length of one song (or less) to introduce your crew. (Think about your song choices, too!)
TPA Photography
First dance - 5m. Many couples go right into the first dance from their grand entrance. This will take as long as the song you choose, but even if it’s short, give yourself at least 5 minutes on the schedule, as it takes a little time to announce and gather guests.
Everyone joins you- Couples sometimes like to invite everyone to the dance floor for a few songs together after the first dance. Arrange this with your DJ if you wish. If this happens before dinner, it will likely be a quick 15-20 minutes before the DJ announces that everyone should find their seats for dinner. (Leave about 10m for everyone to find their seats)
Welcome speech/toast/blessing- 5-15m Some will begin dinner with speeches, thanking everyone for coming, and at some events, reciting a blessing. Speeches should be no more than 5 minutes each - but this can vary depending on religious practices and how many will be speaking. You can choose to do all speeches before dinner, or just a welcome speech before dinner and save others for after, or do all after - this is a matter of personal choice.
Dinner- 1hr. This will vary depending on your guest count and whether it is plated/buffet. On average, it takes about 30-45 minutes to get 100 people through a buffet. (Double-sided buffets will take less time, but are not always spatially possible, or are not possible if the caterers are serving from behind the buffet.)
TPA Photography
Wedding party speeches - 10-15m Wedding party speeches can be given right after the welcome/thank-you speech and/or blessings, or as dinner is wrapping up. The end of dinner is the last time all guests will be seated together, making it a great opportunity. You and your wedding party will be the first to eat, so you will be done (and ready for speeches) while some guests may still be finishing dinner. (We suggest ~45 min after dinner service begins, depending on guest count) The time it takes will depend on how many speakers you have. Speeches should ideally be less than 5 min each; plan for 5 on your timeline, and check in with your speakers.
Parent dances - 5m each. These will take roughly as long as the songs you choose. Some choose to move right into parent dances after their first dance, and some prefer to use the parent dances to bring everyone back to the dance floor after dinner.
Sunset Photos - ~20m. Be mindful of when the sun sets if these shots are important to you. Build into your schedule the ability to sneak away from the crowd for about 20m (leaving before the sun actually sets to catch ‘golden hour’. As with all events you’d like photos of, please confirm with your photographer for a more specific time allotment based on their preferences.
Cake Cutting - 5-10m. This doesn’t take long, but consult with your photographer to ensure you have allotted enough time for the photos you want. Many choose to serve dessert (or open a dessert buffet) once the cake has been cut.
Dance Party - 2-3hrs. Typically, you will have a few hours left for dancing once all the formalities are done. This will depend on what you want to do and how long you have the venue for.
Games/Tosses - Let your DJ know if you would like to do a bouquet toss, garter toss, or any games (like the shoe game). Typically DJ’s like to use these events to pull focus to the dance floor - they will know when it would be best to work this in.
Send off - 10-15m. Talk to your DJ and coordinator about any last dances or special send-offs you’d like to do. Your DJ will let everyone know what to do when the time comes (ie, head outside, grab a sparkler, and line up), and have a song chosen for the moment if you wish. Photos and goodbyes will take about 15 min. Something to be mindful of if you have a strict cut-off time from your venue.
Sample Timelines
Timeline Ex. 1 - All events on-site at your venue
Friday: Decorate & Rehearsal
1:00 p.m. Decorate venue
5:00 p.m. Rehearsal begins
6:00 p.m. Rehearsal dinner begins
7:00/7:30 p.m. Rehearsal dinner ends
Saturday: Wedding
9:00 a.m Bride & Bridesmaids arrive
9:00 a.m Hair and makeup artists arrive
2:00 p.m. Photographer arrives on-site (dress, detail photos)
2:30 p.m. DJ arrives & is shown where to set up
2:30 p.m. Videographer arrives on-site
2:30 p.m. Groom & Groomsmen arrive on-site (ready)
3:00 p.m. Couple first look and photos
3:15 p.m. Shuttles from hotels begin
3:20 p.m. Wedding party and some family portraits (~30m)
3:50 p.m. Bride retreats to cottage (if at CSF) to remain out of sight as guests arrive
4:00 p.m. Guests begin to arrive (Wedding invitation start time) & Music begins to play
4:30 p.m. Ceremony begins
5:00 p.m. Ceremony ends & Cocktail hour begins. (Wedding party & family portraits)
5:45 p.m. Guests are ushered into the reception and gathered for formalities
6:00 p.m. Grand Entrance, First Dance, Parent Dances
6:15 p.m. Guests are asked to find their seats (at CSF- this is upstairs, so it takes a little extra time)
6:30 p.m. Welcome toast/speech/blessing
6:35 p.m. Dinner is served
7:15 p.m. Toasts from Maid of Honor & Best Man
7:25 p.m. Cake cutting
7:35 p.m. Dance party begins
7:45 p.m. Couple and photographer sneak away for sunset photos (this time will vary depending on the date)
9:30 p.m. First shuttle leaves for hotels
9:30 Last call at the bar
9:55 p.m. Last Dance & prepare for send-off (sparklers, etc.)
10:00 p.m. Line up & send off photos
10:15 p.m. Second shuttle leaves for hotels
Timeline Ex. 2 - Off-site Ceremony & earlier wedding
Saturday: Wedding
6:30 a.m. Hair and make up artists arrive
8:30 a.m. Breakfast in the bridal suite
9:30 a.m. Depart for Church
10:00 a.m. Arrive at Church
10:30 a.m. Guests arrive at Church (per invitation) & Ceremony music begins
11:00 a.m. Ceremony begins
11:45 a.m. Ceremony ends (Family & Wedding Party photos)
12:15 p.m. Shuttles depart church
1:00 p.m. Shuttles arrive at the reception venue
1:00 p.m. Cocktail hour (Family & wedding party photos)
2:30 p.m. Cocktail hour ends (extended)
2:45 p.m. Grand Entrance
2:55 p.m. First Dance & Guests are asked to join after
3:15 p.m Guests are asked to find their seats
3:30 p.m. Welcome toast/speech/blessing
3:45 p.m. ‘Dinner’ is served
4:30 p.m. Maid of Honor and Best Man Toasts/speeches
4:45 p.m. Parent Dances
5:00 p.m. Cake Cutting
5:10 p.m. Dance Party Begins
5:45 p.m. Sunset Photos
7:45 p.m. Last Dance & Prepare for send-off (hand out sparklers, confetti, bubbles, etc)
8:00 p.m. Line up & Send off Photos
8:15 p.m. Shuttle to hotel(s)
