Creating the Perfect Timeline for Your Wedding Day
Planning your wedding day timeline is one of the most important parts of ensuring everything runs smoothly and stress-free. Whether you're a DIY bride or working with a planner, having a well-thought-out schedule helps the day flow seamlessly and lets you fully enjoy each moment.
Morning Preparation: Start Your Day Right
Begin your day with a relaxing morning routine. Whether it's a quiet cup of coffee, a walk on the beach, or some yoga, take time to center yourself before the festivities begin. Make sure to allocate enough time for hair and makeup, especially if you have a larger bridal party. It’s always better to plan for extra time to avoid feeling rushed.
First Look & Photos Before the Ceremony: Why It’s a Great Idea for Evening Weddings
If you're planning an evening wedding, we highly recommend considering a first look and doing most of your photos before the ceremony. Here’s why:
More Time Together: You’ll get to spend more time with each other on your wedding day, soaking in the moment before the ceremony begins.
Enjoy Your Cocktail Hour: By doing photos earlier, you’ll be able to join your guests for cocktail hour, rather than rushing through photos while everyone else mingles.
Golden Hour Photos: For evening weddings, the natural light during the late afternoon can be perfect for capturing beautiful, glowing photos of the two of you.
Reduces Stress: You’ll feel more at ease going into your ceremony, knowing many of the important photos are already done.
Ceremony: The Heart of the Day
For evening ceremonies, aim to schedule it about 30 minutes to an hour before sunset, especially if you want those dreamy, golden hour photos afterward. Be sure to account for guest arrival time and allow some cushion to ensure everything stays on track.
Reception: Celebrating the Night Away
After your ceremony, the reception should follow seamlessly. If you did a first look, you’ll already have those key moments captured, giving you more time to enjoy your reception. Keep in mind that a well-timed reception schedule is key to ensuring all your special moments—first dance, speeches, cake cutting—happen without feeling rushed.
The Benefits of Having a Planner (and Why We Love Our DIY Brides, Too!)
There’s no denying that a professional wedding planner can help take your big day to the next level. Planners can ensure all the little details are handled and that the day flows perfectly, taking the pressure off you so you can enjoy every moment.
That said, we have so much respect for our DIY brides! If you're planning your own wedding, we hope this guide helps ease the stress of creating a timeline. While it might feel like a lot, the key is to stay organized and leave yourself plenty of buffer time between each event.
Key Timeline Tips:
Plan extra time for getting ready to avoid rushing.
Factor in travel time if your ceremony and reception are at different venues.
Be flexible. Things may not go exactly to plan, and that’s okay! The important thing is to be present and enjoy the moment.
Communicate your timeline to vendors, your wedding party, and family to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Mock Timeline for an Evening Wedding
(Ceremony Time: 5:30 PM)
Morning
8:00 AM – Breakfast
Start the day with a light, healthy breakfast. Something simple but filling—think yogurt, fruit, and granola—to keep your energy up.9:00 AM – Hair & Makeup Begins
Your hair and makeup team will arrive to start on you and your bridal party. Typically, it takes about 60–90 minutes per person, so make sure there's plenty of time for everyone to get ready without feeling rushed. You, as the bride, will usually go last, so your makeup is fresh.
Late Morning & Early Afternoon
12:00 PM – Lunch
Make sure to eat a light but substantial lunch. You’ll be busy in the afternoon, so this meal should fuel you through to the reception. A sandwich or salad is ideal—something that won’t feel too heavy but will keep you going.12:30 PM – Coordinator Arrives
Your wedding coordinator arrives to begin setting up at the venue, ensuring all vendors are on schedule and the décor is coming together as planned.1:00 PM – Photographer Arrives
The photographer arrives to capture detail shots of your dress, rings, invitations, and candid getting-ready moments with your bridal party.2:30 PM – Bride & Bridesmaids Get Dressed
With hair and makeup complete, it’s time to get into your dresses. Plan for a few minutes of final touches and any last-minute adjustments.3:00 PM – First Look & Couple Photos
You and your partner will have your intimate first look, giving you a quiet moment together before the whirlwind of the ceremony. Afterward, the photographer can capture the two of you in various locations around the venue, taking advantage of the beautiful pre-sunset lighting.4:00 PM – Bridal Party & Immediate Family Photos
Now that your couple photos are done, take this time to get formal photos with your bridal party and immediate family. This way, you’ll have fewer photos to take post-ceremony.
Evening
5:00 PM – Guests Arrive
Your guests begin to arrive at the ceremony location. Ushers or greeters should be in place to help guide guests to their seats.5:30 PM – Ceremony
The big moment! Your ceremony begins about 30 minutes before sunset for perfect lighting. Make sure you’ve allowed time for everyone to be seated and ready.6:00 PM – Family Portraits
After the ceremony, take about 20–30 minutes for extended family photos. Since you’ve already done your couple and bridal party photos, this should be quick and organized.6:30 PM – Cocktail Hour
While you finish up with family portraits, your guests enjoy cocktail hour. This is a great time for mingling, sipping drinks, and snacking on hors d'oeuvres. You can join the tail end of the cocktail hour once your photos are complete.7:30 PM – Grand Entrance
You and your bridal party make a grand entrance into the reception, kicking off the evening celebration. Immediately after, you can head into your first dance.7:40 PM – First Dance
Take the floor for your first dance as newlyweds. This moment sets the tone for the rest of the evening.8:00 PM – Dinner Served
Guests begin to enjoy dinner, and you can take a moment to relax, eat, and enjoy some conversation with your guests.
Night
8:30 PM – Speeches & Toasts
After dinner, it’s time for speeches from the best man, maid of honor, and perhaps a few family members. Let your coordinator know if you’d like this timed with any specific moments, such as champagne pouring.9:00 PM – Cake Cutting
After toasts, it’s time for the cake cutting. The caterer can follow up by serving cake or desserts to your guests.9:30 PM – Open Dancing
The DJ kicks up the music, and the dance floor opens. Let the celebration begin!10:30 PM – Bouquet & Garter Toss (Optional)
If you plan to do a bouquet or garter toss, this is a great time to bring everyone together for a bit of fun.11:00 PM – Grand Exit
End the night with your grand exit—whether it's a sparkler send-off, a classic car getaway, or something else meaningful to you.
