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How to put together a wedding day timeline. Your wedding day timeline is used by all of your vendors to understand the flow of the wedding. It also can make or break your day. If things fall behind, it can have a domino effect and the rest of the day can get really off the rails if something goes wrong. So it’s important to spend time putting together a solid wedding day-of timeline.
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HIGHLIGHTS FOR THIS EPISODE: Putting Together Your Wedding Day Timeline in 7 Steps
In today’s episode, we’re tackling one of the most important planning documents that can make or break your wedding: your wedding day timeline. I break down them into 7 easy steps:
- 1: Pick the Start time for your Reception and Ceremony
- 2: Choose Your Reception End Time
- 3: Build in time for Photos
- 4: Choose a Getting Ready Start Time
- 5: Plan Out Your Dinner
- 6: Build in Transition Time
- 7: Add in Your Vendor Setup & Departure Times
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Putting Together Your Wedding Day Timeline
I’m so excited for today’s topic – How to Put Together Your Wedding Day Timeline – because your wedding timeline is one of *THE* most important planning documents of your wedding.
Your wedding day timeline is used by all of your vendors to understand the flow of the wedding. It also can make or break your day because if things fall behind, it has a domino effect and the rest of the day can get really off the rails if something goes wrong. So it’s important to spend time putting together a solid day-of timeline.
It’s also important to have a good timeline to refer to near the beginning of your planning to share with your wedding vendors as you inquire about their services.
In this episode, I break down the process for you as simply as possible. I’m also going to point out important things to consider when putting together your timeline.
And, if you want to make your life SUPER EASY, you can visit my new Resources shop to download pre-made timelines that are beautiful and ready for you to personalize. These timelines are based on what I use with my own clients. They'll remind you of important elements, like travel time and transition time, that are often forgotten.
Step 1: Pick the Start time for your Reception and Ceremony
This might seem counter-intuitive, but I actually start my timelines by beginning with dinner, not at what time you need to start getting ready.
Generally, your reception venue or ceremony has specific parameters you need to follow, so this makes it easy.
Step 2: Choose Your Reception End Time
It might be weird to pick an end time for your wedding, but your reception venue will likely have some parameters when it comes to the event end time.
For example, there might be local noise restrictions that require you to turn of amplified sound by 10 pm. Or the venue might require that everything and everyone is out of the venue by 12 am.
For example, if all your venues need to clear the space by 12 midnight, you need to end your reception at 11 pm so they have enough time to load out.
Now that you’ve picked your reception and ceremony start and end times, it’s time to think about your wedding photos
Step 3: Build in time for Photos
Many couples choose the time between the ceremony and reception to take wedding party and family photos. This will happen if couples decide not to have a first look between the couple prior to the ceremony.
Other couples want to make sure they attend all of cocktail hour because they want to visit with family and eat all the delicious food that they picked out.
It depends on you and your priorities.
The decision to have a First Look with each other or a parent depends on each couple. Many photographers and I recommend having a first look so you have more time to visit with your guests during your cocktail hour. It also breaks up all the formal photos.
If you don’t take photos between the ceremony and cocktail hour, you’ll need to take them prior to the ceremony or later in the evening. It can be hard to find time to do this once your reception is underway.
Read this post on how to make a seamless wedding photography timeline. Make sure you grab my *FREE* Wedding Photography timeline at the bottom!
Step 4: Choose a Getting Ready Start Time
After you’ve decided what you want to do about photos, next you need to figure out times for getting ready.
Getting ready is affected by 3 key factors:
- The time you need to finish getting ready (because you need to leave for the ceremony or for photos);
- The size of your wedding party and how many people are receiving services;
- And how many stylists and artists you hire
Having a First Look or an earlier ceremony time or a large wedding party will push your start time earlier. So definitely consider having multiple stylists so you don’t have to start getting ready at 6:00 am.
Step 5: Plan Out Your Dinner
Now that you have the major events done, you can start planning your micro-events, like your speeches, toasts, dances, and cake cutting.
Let’s go back to our earlier example of having a 5:00 pm cocktail hour and 6:00 pm dinner.
First, guests always look forward to the food, so don’t hold them hostage at their seats with nothing to eat or drink while you do 20 minutes of speeches and toasts.
Serve the food and once the staff has served everyone their entree, it’s okay to start with your toasts and speeches.
You can also opt to have your first dance at the beginning right when you’re introduced as a married couple, but save the parent dances for later.
It’s always nice to have your parent dances or cake cutting kick off the opening of the dance floor as many will already be standing.
Step 6: Add Transition Time in Between Events
It’s wise to build in transition time between the different events. Most people don’t take time to build in travel time between leaving getting ready and boarding the bus. But these transitions also take time.
They also add cushion to your day so you don't feel rushed.
Step 7: Add in Your Vendor Setup & Departure Times
This information will come as you begin to contract your vendors. After you’ve shared your overall timeline with your vendors, they’ll have a better idea of when they need to arrive. Don’t stress too much about this at the beginning. It will evolve as you continue with your planning.
For example, your photographer will want to know when you’ll be finishing hair and makeup. This will ensure they arrive with enough time to capture all the fun of getting ready and your wedding details, like your stationery.
Hair and makeup will ask by when you need to be ready for photos so they have enough time to get everyone ready.
Other vendors that you’ll want to note of their arrival and departure times are anyone that’s making deliveries or doing setup. This includes your florist, cake baker, and musicians or entertainment.
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Putting Together Your Wedding Day Timeline
This timeline will go through many revisions, but the earlier you get started on it the better as it will help everyone do their job as well.
Below is a summer of the different you should follow to put together your wedding day timeline:
- 1: Pick the Start time for your Reception and Ceremony
- 2: Choose Your Reception End Time
- 3: Build in time for Photos
- 4: Choose a Getting Ready Start Time
- 5: Plan Out Your Dinner
- 6: Build in Transition Time
- 7: Add in Your Vendor Setup & Departure Times
I hope this episode helped you get a better idea of how to put together your wedding day timeline. If you have ANY questions, I’m more than happy to answer them!
Send me a DM me @asktheplannerpodcast. I respond to everyone – usually with voice texts!
If you want even more help, I’m only a phone call away. Click here to book you 90-minute clarity call with me to get specific advice tailored to your unique situation.
Also, like I mentioned before, THE NEW ASK THE PLANNER RESOURCES SHOP opens this weekend! The shop contains amazing planning templates to help you plan your wedding. If there’s something that you’re looking for that’s not in the shop. Please let me know. I want to create resources that you want and that will help you!
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