Getting ready (9:00am to 2:00pm)
Hair and makeup almost always take longer than the estimate you get from your stylist. Build 30 minutes of buffer into whatever time they quote you. If they say three hours for the bridal party, plan for three and a half.
Assign one person, not yourself, to coordinate timing with the hair and makeup team. Your job during this window is to be present and calm, not to run logistics.
- 9:00am: hair and makeup begins; bridesmaids first, couple last
- 12:00pm: lunch for everyone getting ready; do not skip this
- 1:30pm: first look, if you are doing one (quieter and more controlled than the first look at the aisle)
- 2:00pm: wedding party photos
Pre-ceremony (2:00pm to 4:30pm)
This window is for photos with the wedding party, family formal shots, and any venue detail photos your photographer wants. Family formals take longer than almost everyone expects; plan 8 to 10 minutes per grouping.
Give your photographer a shot list for family formals before the wedding. A list of exactly which groupings you want means no one is standing around guessing.
- 2:00pm to 3:30pm: wedding party and couple photos
- 3:30pm to 4:15pm: family formal photos
- 4:15pm: couple hidden away; guests begin arriving
- 4:30pm: doors open, guests seated
Ceremony (5:00pm to 5:45pm)
Ceremonies rarely run long if the officiant has a set script. Where they run long: readings, musical performances, or a processional that takes longer than expected for a large wedding party.
Give your officiant and musicians a firm end time and ask them to keep to it. A ceremony that ends at 5:30 instead of 5:45 is never a problem. A ceremony that ends at 6:15 pushes everything else.
Cocktail hour (5:45pm to 6:45pm)
Cocktail hour should start immediately after the ceremony. Guests who wait more than 10 minutes with nothing to do get restless.
Use this hour for any remaining couple portraits. You will be relaxed after the ceremony, the light is usually better, and you will not feel rushed.
Have your coordinator cue the band or DJ to play something upbeat as guests move from the ceremony to the reception space. Music during the transition is often overlooked.
Reception (7:00pm to 11:00pm)
- 7:00pm: guests seated, couple introduced, first dance
- 7:15pm: welcome toast
- 7:20pm: dinner service begins
- 7:45pm: parent dances during dinner (keeps energy up)
- 8:15pm: remaining toasts (three minutes each)
- 8:30pm: cake cutting
- 8:45pm: open dancing begins
- 10:45pm: last song
- 11:00pm: venue closes
What always takes longer than expected
- Family formals: plan 10 minutes per grouping, not five
- Getting guests seated for dinner: people stop to talk; add 10 to 15 minutes
- Grand exit photos if you want the whole group gathered: add 20 minutes
- Toasts that go over time: tell speakers there is a three-minute limit before the wedding, in writing
How to share the timeline
Give your photographer, videographer, band or DJ, venue coordinator, and catering team each a copy two weeks before the wedding. Use the same document for everyone. When everyone is working from the same timeline, the buffer time you built in actually gets used correctly.
Your wedding party does not need the full vendor timeline. Give them a shorter version with just their call times and where to be.
One more thing to plan: your seating chart
Once your timeline is set, Seatedly handles the seating chart. Free, visual, and shareable with your venue coordinator.
Plan your seating chart →