How to Create the Perfect Wedding Day Timeline

So much effort is put into planning all the details of your wedding day. From selecting who to invite to finding the perfect invitations, to choosing your colors, flowers, and of course, your dress! But it’s not just about the visual details of the day. Hosting a wedding is full of many decisions, including everything from setting your budget to picking out the linens.

But the execution and logistics involved in making it all happen on the big day are crucial, especially for DIY couples. If you haven’t hired a professional wedding planner, a professional-quality wedding day timeline (or wedding day schedule) will be essential to ensure your event comes together and run smoothly.

What is a Wedding Day Timeline?

A wedding day timeline is the outline of events, logistics, vendors, VIPS, deliveries, and details that are relevant to pulling your event together.

A detailed timeline of the wedding day’s events and details is critical to ensuring your event runs smoothly and according to what you’ve envisioned and planned for.

Below are the important details you should include in your wedding day timeline to make it as thorough and helpful as possible.

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Timing is everything.” When it comes to executing an organized event, it couldn’t be more true!

More than likely, you’ve never planned an event with so many moving parts. With so many different pieces at play, one small issue could cause a domino effect of problems in your wedding day timeline, so it’s important to be prepared. This post outlines absolutely everything you need to know to put together a professional wedding day timeline for your big day!

Sunshine Wedding Party on Etsy

The Structure of a Good Wedding Day Timeline

A good wedding day timeline will completely answer the following questions when it comes to the elements of your wedding:

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• How

Read on to learn more about these different elements.

Who: Your Vendors, Wedding Party & VIPs

You should include an entire list of all the people involved in your big day who play key roles, including notes and contact info for each person.

This list should include each of your wedding vendor contacts, every member of your wedding party, and any key family members who need to be kept in the loop.

What/Where: Addresses, Roles, & Deliveries Expected

List the major details that are important to note, such as the addresses of the ceremony, reception, and your wedding night accommodations.

It’s also important to have a list of deliveries expected to be made that day.

What to Include in Your Wedding Day Timeline

You might be wondering, what should I include in a wedding timeline? This list will include all of the details to incorporate into your schedule from start to finish on the big day!

Wedding Morning Timeline: Hair & Makeup for the Bridal Party

When it comes to the wedding day itinerary, many wedding days start early with hair and makeup for the ladies. You’ll want to make sure to have ample time for all the girls to be gussied up and pampered. Include each of these items in your wedding day timeline for bridal party members:

1. Bride’s Makeup

Typically this will take around 50-60 minutes. You will have likely had a trial beforehand to have a better idea, but an hour is a great amount of time.

2. Bride’s Hair

Same as above for the trial time, but an hour is perfect for any changes.

3. Bridesmaids’ Makeup

30-45 minutes depending on type of makeup. If they are getting airbrush the amount of time will be different than the normal makeup. Also, think about eyelashes.

4. Bridesmaids’ Hair

45 minutes. This may be even less if they only have their hair lightly styled, but count on 45 minutes a girl on your timeline.

A note on beauty scheduling:

The Bride should go first for makeup and last for hair during the allotted time block for beauty prep. The photographer and videographer can catch the last-minute steps of the hair styling when they arrive. If more than 3 people are having makeup or hair done, ask the stylist to bring an assistant, even if it is only for cleaning brushes.

Wedding Day Photography Timeline:

When it comes to scheduling all the important photos, this deserves its own dedicated photography timeline and wedding photo shortlist. Make sure to include these items within your wedding schedule:

Getting Ready Shots

After all of the bridal party is finished, the Bride can get into her dress.

Depending on location, this is either a time for the bridal party to go to the venue for photos, or if they are already there, leave 30 minutes for photos before the groom and groomsmen arrive.

First Look

Leave at least 20 minutes for this. If not, make sure the bride is hidden during all of the photos with the men of the wedding.

Family Portraits

The time prior to the ceremony is also a good time for the bride and groom to have shots with their respective families before everyone becomes one single family.

Wedding Ceremony Timeline

Typically a ceremony will begin 15 minutes after the time on the invitation. Count on guests beginning to arrive 30-40 minutes prior to the start time and 15 minutes later than the start time.

Ceremony Start

When planning your timeline, remember to include a few extra minutes for late arrivals. Typically 15 minutes after the start time on the invitation is good. Example: if your invitation said 5 o’clock, put a 5:15 ceremony start time on your timeline. If you happen to start earlier- that is great!

Ceremony End

Note how long you expect your ceremony to last, and include a few extra minutes towards the end. If you plan on doing a receiving line directly after the ceremony, include that in this time as well.

Wedding Reception Timeline

Following the ceremony, comes the reception. The timeline will vary depending on your wedding plans. Whether you have a cocktail hour or go straight into the main event, your wedding reception schedule should be outlined for everyone involved.

Cocktail Hour & Formals

The cocktail hour time should be listed for the guests, and the formal photos will be a time for the newlyweds, bridal party, and their families. Even if you get most of these done before the wedding ceremony, it’s always nice to take some more after you are married. This is often a great time to get sunset photos, depending on timing!

Guests Seated

Even though it’s called cocktail “hour”, you only need to block out about 50 minutes. 10 minutes before that hour were to end, have the emcee (or DJ) announce that guests should begin taking their seats. This will leave 10 minutes for everyone to find their chair and for the bridal party to get ready for introductions.

Grand Entrance

Introductions for the bridal party and couples entrance normally will only take a few minutes. Leave about 5 minutes in the schedule.

First Dance

The first dance does not always have to be as soon as the couple arrives. You can do this after dinner and toasts if you wanted. Whenever you decide to have it, block out about 10 minutes for the first dance, it will leave some extra time before and after to get ready.

Dinner Service

Timing for serving your guests their main course depends on the type of catering you are providing. A formal sit-down dinner served by staff will likely take much longer than a buffet style meal. The best way to schedule this is to ask your caterer.

Toasts

While you are still in the planning stages, decide who will be making toasts during the reception. Normally the Best Man and Maid of Honor give toasts during or after the meal, while the father of the Bride may choose to start with a welcome toast before dinner service begins. 15 minutes should be a good amount of time for all three of these toasts. Adjust based on the number you will have.

Special Dances

Family Dances

If you plan on including parent dances such as a mother-son dance or father-daughter dance, these normally take place after the toasts. 10 minutes for both is a perfect amount of time.

After the family dances, the dance floor can be opened to everyone until the next big event.

Anniversary Dance

This is a dance when the DJ invites all the married couples out on the floor for a dance. The emcee will make announcements asking for the couples who’ve been married more than 1 year to continue, while anyone married less than that period would exit the dance floor and take their seats. This continues throughout the years like 2 years, 3 years, and so on, until only the longest married couple is left dancing.

Cake Cutting

After everyone has worked off their dinner, it’s time for dessert. 2 hours after the dinner is served is a good time for the cake.

Bouquet and Garter Toss

Other things to keep in mind when creating a timeline are the traditions such as the bouquet toss. Many couples are replacing these with other things, but be sure to include them if you plan on taking part!

More Dancing & Last Dance

Start the reception playlist music again as soon as the couple is finished cutting the cake. Most guests will want to grab a piece and get back out there. The last dance should be scheduled 10 minutes before the ceremony is set to end.

Couple’s Exit

The grand exit should take place 5 minutes before the reception end time. This will leave a few minutes for goodbyes and then a grand sendoff for the newlyweds. Allow extra time if you plan to include sparklers in your exit!

When it comes to outlining the wedding ceremony and wedding reception order of events, remember there is no right or wrong order because it is your day! This is simply a guide to creating your own timeline. It’s fine to replace, leave out, ignore or double the time for any of these items listed. Just have fun!

How to Make Your Own Wedding Day Timeline

When you’re considering your wedding timeline, how to create your schedule is likely your top question! By checking in with your wedding professionals, asking for copies of their timeline, referencing your contracts and deciding on key details, you can create a timeline similar to one an event planner would design in simple steps. Let’s dive in!

Arrival and Departure Times

Email your team and ask them to provide arrival and departure times. This information is key for the framework of your timeline, and it’s also important to double-check the information they provide with the details listed in their contracts. Make sure both match! If they don’t, now is the time to say something.

If you’re working with hair and makeup professionals, ask for a copy of their schedules. This will clue you in on the timing for your day. It will also offer insight into when your bridesmaids and family members have appointments. Send a copy of the hair and makeup schedule to those having their hair and makeup done to keep everyone in the know and on time. 

Ask your photographer for a copy of their timeline! Most photographers build timelines at least 2-4 weeks in advance of your wedding. Their information will also offer great insight and a more distinct framework as you add in further details.

How will you create your timeline?

Decide what program you would like to use to build your timeline. A simple Word document or Google Doc would work perfectly, but you could also turn to a program like Timeline Genius. 

You could also use an editable template creator such as Canva to create your wedding timeline.

Start building your timeline by reviewing the details you’ve gathered thus far. 

First, document when each team will arrive. Then, add when they will depart. 

Next, focus on your wedding morning. Thanks to their schedule, your hair and makeup team will guide the timing during the morning. 

Your photographer will likely be next to arrive. Add the timing details they have provided to your document. Now is also the time to talk with your photographer about whether or not you would like to do a first look and also when will work best to capture portraits with your wedding party and family.  Also note when your officiant should arrive as well as your florist, caterer, and more.

Your timeline likely has a solid framework at this point! 

Continue building your timeline by filling in the reception details. 

Your caterer is the key team to guide timing during your reception. They know when and how they like to serve dinner (think: courses, family style, or buffet), and they know how much time to allow. 

Once you know your caterer’s plans, loop your photographer and DJ (or band!) into the mix so all three groups stay on the same page. 

Now, it’s time to work on the middle of your timeline. When we mention the “middle” of your timeline, we’re referencing the time in between when hair and makeup are complete through your ceremony. 

When building this section of your timeline, start with your ceremony. The most common ceremony start times we see are 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., but you can choose any time that feels right for your wedding. Unless your ceremony is a full Catholic mass, which typically is a full hour, most ceremonies are 30-45 minutes long. Plan for guests to start to arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of your ceremony, so you, your partner, and your wedding party will want to be tucked away 15-30 minutes prior to guests’ arrival. 

Use map apps to your advantage! If you are not having your wedding at a dual-purpose venue, you’ll likely need to factor in travel time between ceremony and reception locations. It’s key to know how long it will take for you to travel from the location where you’re getting ready to your ceremony location and then to your reception. Always plan to add in time to account for traffic. 

Make sure everyone knows what time to start getting ready, and make sure family members included in portraits know when and where to go for photos.   

Sample Wedding Day Timelines

Below are two examples of a typical wedding timeline- one for a seated dinner and one for a buffet option!

Sample Wedding Day Timeline with Seated Dinner

Pre-Ceremony

Sample Wedding Day Timeline for Buffet Reception

If you’re planning a family style or buffet dinner, your timeline will likely look something like this: 

Pre-Ceremony

Ceremony

Reception

If you’re not planning to do a first look or your event doesn’t include cocktail hour (or anything noted in the sample!), feel free to remove those details and adjust your timing accordingly. Overall, the most important thing is for your timeline to reflect the plans you have made with your team of wedding professionals. And, the goal is for you to relax on your wedding day and have fun!