Wedding Day Timeline: An Hour-by-Hour Example

A wedding day timeline is mostly about photos and food. Get those two right and the rest falls into place. Here’s a full example for a 3:30 PM ceremony, which you can shift earlier or later.

Time	What’s happening	Where
8:00 AM	Hair and makeup begins	Getting-ready suite
9:00 AM	Breakfast delivered	Getting-ready suite
10:30 AM	Photographer arrives – detail shots	Getting-ready suite
11:30 AM	Florist delivers bouquets and buttonholes	Getting-ready suite
12:00 PM	Getting dressed	Getting-ready suite
1:00 PM	First look (optional)	Garden / chosen spot
1:15 PM	Wedding party photos	Venue grounds
2:00 PM	Family photos	Venue grounds
3:00 PM	Guests arrive	Ceremony site
3:30 PM	Ceremony begins	Ceremony site
4:00 PM	Ceremony ends – recessional	Ceremony site
4:15 PM	Cocktail hour	Terrace
4:30 PM	Couple portraits	Venue grounds
5:15 PM	Guests seated – grand entrance	Reception hall
5:30 PM	Welcome speech	Reception hall
5:45 PM	Dinner served	Reception hall
6:45 PM	Toasts and speeches	Reception hall
7:15 PM	First dance	Dance floor
7:30 PM	Parent dances	Dance floor
7:45 PM	Dance floor opens	Dance floor
8:30 PM	Cake cutting	Reception hall
9:30 PM	Bouquet and garter toss	Dance floor
10:30 PM	Last dance	Dance floor
10:45 PM	Send-off	Venue entrance

Rules that keep the day on time

• Add 10 to 15 minutes of buffer around every photo session.
• Get dressed an hour before you need to leave, not 20 minutes.
• Do family photos straight after the ceremony while everyone is in one place.
• Send the timeline to every vendor 1 to 2 weeks out and ask them to confirm arrival times.
• Give one person (not the couple) the job of keeping the day on schedule.

The guest version

Guests only need the moments that involve them: arrival, ceremony, drinks, dinner, toasts, first dance, cake and send-off. Put that shorter version on your website or a sign.