How to Create a Wedding Day Timeline
/Creating a wedding timeline can seem overwhelming. There are a lot of elements to fit into one day and a limited amount of hours. With a few easy tricks for creating an ideal wedding day timeline, your day is sure to be a breeze.
Pinpoint the Big Moments
First, start your timeline framework with your ceremony and reception times. All the other big moments like reception entrances, a first look, first dance, parent dances, speeches, toasts, cake cutting, etc... are going to build off of the ceremony and reception times. Your church or venue might have a specific time you have to start which will just help you know what parts of your timeline are set in stone, and which parts can move around.
Be Detailed
Your wedding day is going to be full of important special moments. The best way to make sure those moments happen and are captured is to set a start and end time for those things. Your day is going to fly by and without a schedule to stick to, many couples end up forgetting or running out of time. The special moments like speeches, special dances, toasts, etc... all need a scheduled time, but so does the regular stuff like getting ready, photos with just the bride and groom, photos with family, and time for the photographer and videographer to capture decoration details. You can never be too detailed!
Pro-tip, if you're not sure how long to allow for something, ask the professionals! Ask the hair and makeup artist about how long they think it will take for your specific look and hairdo, ask your photographer how long to allow for photos, and ask your videographer what they need for setting up, etc. They know best what they need to do their jobs well!
Leave Wiggle Room
The hard thing to account for on a timeline is the human element. Sometimes people forget things like shoes or bouquets. Sometimes people need to make unplanned bathroom breaks. Sometimes people just move slower than you want. To help you stay on time overall, leave a little wiggle room for each activity. For example, if your hair and makeup artist says it should take you an hour and 15 minutes to get both your hair and makeup done, allow an hour and 30 minutes, or even an hour and 45 if your timeline can allow for it! We always encourage brides to leave more time for hair and makeup, more than any other thing. On the rare chance that a bride doesn't love her final look, we want to make sure there's time to change it so she feels her best for her big day.
Include Travel Time
If your day is all at one spot, good for you! You can just skip to the next tip. If you have more than 1 location for all the things happening including you getting ready, your fiance getting ready, ceremony, photos, cocktail hour, and reception, build in travel time to your timeline. Instead of having just a time to arrive on the timeline like "5:00pm arrive at reception venue" include both a time to depart from your first venue as well as the arrival time for the 2nd venue. Like: "4:30pm Depart for reception venue" and "5:00pm - Arrive at reception venue". Don't forget to add a bit of wiggle room for travel time too!
Appoint a Timeline Manager
The last thing you need to be doing on your wedding day is worrying about a timeline. If you have a personal (not venue) wedding planner or day of coordinator, it should be their job to help you stay on schedule throughout the whole day. If you don't appoint a member of your bridal party or a family member to help you stay on track throughout the day. The couple should be able to feel like the day is in-the-moment and go with the flow, even if there's a specific timeline to follow.
Find Your Zen
Even the best-planned days are bound to run into a few snags because guess what... that's just how life goes! The only way to have a great day is to have FUN and not stress. When the big day comes around, just remember that you did the best you could to plan and now, the only thing that matters is that you're getting married. The rest is all just details that you don't need to worry about. Have fun, be happy, and let the rest go.
Timeline Version 1:
2:00pm - Ceremony
5:00pm - Cocktail hour
6:00pm - Reception
Timeline Version 2:
Eat breakfast
8:45pm - Hair and makup team arrives
9:00am - Hair and makeup start
10:15am - Hair and makeup end
11:00am - Photos start at hotel
First looks (dad, then groom)
1:00pm -Travel to church
1:20pm - Arrive to church
1:30pm - Down time before ceremony (set up time for photogrpaher and videographer)
2:00pm - Ceremony starts
2:45pm - Ceremony ends
photos downtown then photos at venue
5:00pm - Cocktail hour
6:00pm - Cocktail hour ends
6:00pm - Reception
10:00pm - Reception ends
Timeline Version 3:
7:30am - Bridesmaids brunch in room
8:00am - Stream dresses
8:45pm - Hair and makup team arrives
9:00am - Hair and makeup start for girls
10:00am - Groom and groomsmen start getting ready
10:15am - Hair and makeup end
10:30am - Bridesmaids dress
10:45am - Bride in dress (mum and MOH to help)
11:00am - First look with dad in garden at hotel
11:15am - first look with bride and groom in garden at hotel
11:30am - Family photos in garden
11:45am - Wedding party and bride and groom on trolley to downtown for photos
12:00am - Photos downtown with all bridal party
12:30pm - Bride and groom photos downtown
1:00pm - Travel to church
1:20pm - Arrive at church
1:30pm - Downtime before ceremony (set up time for photographer and videographer)
2:00pm - Ceremony starts
2:45pm - Ceremony ends
2:50pm - Sign marriage license in the holding room
3:00pm - Extended family photos at church
3:45pm - Bridal party departs on trolley for reception venue
4:00pm - Arrive at venue - drop stuff in bridal party room
4:15pm - Photos of grounds at venue
5:00pm - Cocktail hour - bride and groom to join
6:00pm - Cocktail hour ends and ballroom doors open
6:10pm - Entrances of family and bridal party then bride and groom
6:15pm - First Dance with bride and groom
6:20pm - Welcome and Blessing by FOB, Scott MacFarland
6:25pm - First Course
6:45pm - Mother son dance (other mother & sons join in last minute)
6:47pm - Father Daughter dance (other father & daughters join in in last minute)
6:50pm - Dinner course
Bride and groom eat first, then go around to every table
7:30pm - Toast by
Maid of Honor, Sara Wise
Best Man, Trevor Oates
7:40pm - Bride and groom thank guests
7:45pm - Anniversary Dance (all couples join)
7:55pm - Dance floor opens
8:30pm - Cake cutting off to side
9:00pm - Sweet caroline plays
9:20pm - Fraternity song
9:45pm - Last song for guests
9:50pm - Guests go line up for exit
Last dance for bride and groom in empty ballroom with just photographer and videographer
9:55pm - Sparkler exit outside (getaway car waiting)
10:00pm - Couple departs and reception ends
Tip, you might need two versions of your timeline. Your bridal party needs a timeline that tells them where to be, but your timeline manager or Day of Coordinator will need a timeline that also includes when each vendor is arriving and departing. Your DJ or band will also need a timeline that includes the names of everyone entering into the reception as well as the names of anyone giving a toast or blessing.
