Wedding day timeline: a sample schedule that actually works
When to start getting ready, how long congratulations really take, when to cut the cake and why the first dance shouldn't wait until midnight. Two sample timelines, for a midday and an afternoon ceremony, with the buffers everyone forgets.
Číst česky →A timeline isn't there so everyone sticks to it to the minute. It's there so the photographer, the DJ, the caterer and your wedding party all know what happens next, and you don't have to run the show. Here are two sample timelines you can adopt as they are.
Golden rules
- Every move takes 15 minutes longer. Nobody walks fast at a wedding.
- Congratulations take longer than you think. Allow about 30 seconds per guest, so 30 minutes for 60 guests.
- Couple portraits at golden hour, from an hour to half an hour before sunset. It's worth building the day around it.
- Nothing important after 10 pm. Older guests start to leave and younger ones are on the dance floor.
Timeline 1: ceremony at 11:30 (the classic)
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7:30 | Hair and make-up for the bride (and mum, bridesmaids) |
| 9:30 | Photographer with the bride getting ready, then the groom |
| 10:30 | Dressing, details, leaving for the ceremony |
| 11:00 | Guests arrive, welcome drink |
| 11:30 | Ceremony (20–30 minutes) |
| 12:00 | Congratulations, confetti, group photo |
| 12:45 | Guests take their seats, toast, speeches |
| 13:00 | Wedding lunch |
| 14:30 | Games at the tables |
| 15:00 | Cake cutting, coffee |
| 15:30 | First dance, dances with parents |
| 16:00 | Free time, afternoon games |
| 18:30 | Couple portraits at golden hour (later in summer) |
| 19:00 | Evening buffet |
| 21:30 | Bouquet toss, surprise from the wedding party |
| until late | Party |
Timeline 2: ceremony at 2 pm (a later start, more calm)
A later ceremony gives everyone more time. You get a proper night's sleep and guests don't have to set off at dawn. Lunch becomes dinner and the day feels more compact.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 10:00 | Hair and make-up |
| 12:30 | Photographer with you while you get ready |
| 13:30 | Guests arrive, welcome drink and light snacks |
| 14:00 | Ceremony |
| 14:30 | Congratulations, group photo |
| 15:15 | Dessert table, games, guests get to know each other |
| 17:00 | Toast and wedding dinner |
| 18:30 | Cake cutting |
| 19:00 | Couple portraits at sunset |
| 19:45 | First dance |
| 22:00 | Late-night snack, soup or pizza (an hour earlier than you think it's needed) |
Tip
Send the timeline a week ahead to the photographer, DJ, caterer and wedding party. Guests only need the short version: ceremony, meal, first dance, evening buffet. In only.wedding guests see it on their own page and can add it to their calendar in one tap.
What timelines usually forget
- Food for the two of you. Couples barely eat at their own wedding because someone always wants a word. Ask the caterer to keep plates aside for you.
- Time just for you. Ten minutes after the ceremony when nobody interrupts. Stop and take in what has just happened.
- How guests get home. When does the last bus or shuttle leave, who is driving? Put it in the guest information.
- When it has to end. How late can the music play? Many venues have a noise curfew outdoors, often around 10 pm, and a little later indoors.
Who keeps time
Never you. Ask one person, a friend from the wedding party or the coordinator, to keep the timeline on their phone and tell the DJ when it's time for the cake. Your job is to enjoy it.