The short answer: a wedding timeline is the hour-by-hour plan that keeps your wedding day on track, from the first curl to the send-off.
- Work backward from the ceremony and forward to the send-off
- Add buffers; hair and makeup take longer than you think
- Assign a point person and share it early
- Free template with a blank schedule and a family photo shot list
- Next step: Get the free wedding timeline template (we email it to you); want more? The Wedding Planning Bundle is $8.99.
A wedding timeline is the hour-by-hour plan that keeps your wedding day on track, from the first curl to the send-off. Below is a sample wedding day timeline for a 4:00 pm ceremony, tips on building your own and a list of what to share with vendors. Get the free download for a printable wedding timeline template with a blank schedule, vendor contacts and a family photo shot list.
Planning the months before the day too? The wedding planner template bundle includes the Wedding Planner Checklist, with a 12-month timeline and a day-of timeline page, plus the Wedding Budget Spreadsheet.
This page is about the schedule for the day itself. For the 12-month planning timeline, see our guide on how to plan a wedding. Invitations come first on that calendar: see when to send wedding invitations for the mailing timeline and wording.
Sample wedding day timeline (4:00 pm ceremony)
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 9:00 am | Hair and makeup starts (bride or partner getting ready first) |
| 11:30 am | Photographer arrives; detail shots of rings, invitation, dress or suit |
| 12:30 pm | Lunch and water break for the wedding party |
| 1:00 pm | Getting dressed; final touches |
| 1:30 pm | First look (optional) and couple portraits |
| 2:15 pm | Wedding party photos |
| 3:00 pm | Family photos (use a shot list) |
| 3:30 pm | Couple and wedding party hide; guests arrive |
| 4:00 pm | Ceremony (20 to 30 minutes) |
| 4:30 pm | Cocktail hour; any remaining family photos |
| 5:30 pm | Grand entrance into the reception |
| 5:45 pm | Welcome, toasts and dinner service |
| 6:45 pm | First dance and parent dances |
| 7:00 pm | Dance floor opens |
| 7:30 pm | Golden hour sunset portraits (check sunset time) |
| 8:00 pm | Cake cutting |
| 8:30 pm | Bouquet or garter toss (optional) |
| 9:45 pm | Last dance |
| 10:00 pm | Send-off |
Shift every time to match your own ceremony start. If your ceremony is at 2:00 pm, for example, move everything two hours earlier, then check that golden hour still fits after dinner.
How to build your wedding day timeline
- Start with the fixed times. Write down the ceremony start, venue access time, the venue end time and your sunset time.
- Work backward from the ceremony. Add hair and makeup, getting dressed, photos and the time to hide before guests arrive.
- Work forward to the send-off. Add cocktail hour, the grand entrance, dinner, toasts, dances, cake and the last dance.
- Ask vendors for their times. Your stylist, photographer, caterer and DJ will tell you how long they need.
- Add buffers. Put 15 minutes before the ceremony and after each photo block. Something always runs late.
- Assign a point person. A planner, coordinator or trusted friend should hold the timeline and keep things moving.
- Share it early. Send it to vendors two to three weeks before the wedding and a final copy the week of.
Wedding day schedule tips
- Hair and makeup take longer than you think. Plan 45 minutes to an hour per person for hair and makeup together, and schedule the couple to finish well before photos. Curly and coily styles can take longer still, so share your type from a hair type chart when you book.
- Eat lunch. Our sample has a 12:30 pm lunch and water break. Hungry wedding parties are slow wedding parties.
- Use a shot list for family photos. Family photos are the part most likely to run over. A written list of groups with names, like the one on page 3 of the template, keeps them to 20 or 30 minutes.
- Plan golden hour. Look up the sunset time for your date and venue with the NOAA solar calculator and schedule portraits about 30 minutes before it.
- Keep the ceremony start honest. Have guests arrive 30 minutes early and start within five minutes of the printed time.
- Feed your vendors. Plan a vendor meal during dinner so the photographer and DJ are ready for the toasts and first dance.
Wedding timeline template
Page 2 of the free PDF is a blank wedding timeline template with 22 rows. Each row has columns for:
| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Time | Start time of each event |
| Event | Hair and makeup, photos, ceremony, toasts, dances |
| Where | Suite, chapel, garden, ballroom |
| Who is involved | Couple, wedding party, parents, guests |
| Vendor / contact | Who runs it and their phone number |
Page 3 lists vendor contacts with arrival times for your planner or coordinator, photographer, videographer, florist, hair and makeup team, officiant, DJ or band, caterer, cake or dessert baker, transportation and venue contact, plus a family photo shot list with eight rows.
Ceremony and reception: how long each part takes
Personal wedding vows add 1 to 2 minutes each. Our guide has traditional wording, examples and a simple template.
| Part of the day | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Hair and makeup (wedding party of 4 to 6) | 4 to 6 hours |
| First look and couple portraits | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Wedding party photos | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Family photos | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Ceremony | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Cocktail hour | 60 minutes |
| Dinner and toasts | 60 to 75 minutes |
| Dancing | 2 to 3 hours |
These are typical ranges. Religious ceremonies, cultural traditions and large families can all add time. Britannica's overview of the wedding shows how much customs vary between cultures and faiths, so build in the traditions that matter to you, such as a tea ceremony, a baraat or a hora, and ask family how long they usually take.
Timelines for different wedding styles
For a wedding away from home, our destination wedding guide has a 12-to-18-month planning timeline and a guest checklist.
- Morning or brunch wedding. Move the ceremony to 11:00 am, serve brunch at noon and plan a send-off by 3:00 pm. Golden-hour photos may not fit, so plan portraits before the ceremony.
- Evening wedding. For a 6:00 pm ceremony, take most photos before it with a first look, since it may be dark during the reception.
- Small or courthouse wedding. Even a short day benefits from a simple timeline for photos, a meal and travel between places.
- Same-venue wedding. If the ceremony and reception are in one place, plan the room flip during cocktail hour.
Plan the rest of the wedding
The timeline is the last thing you finalize, but it depends on everything else. Our wedding planning checklist and budget tracker covers the months before, our wedding guest list template tracks RSVPs and our wedding seating chart template handles the tables. A wedding binder keeps it all in one place.
The night before matters too. Our rehearsal dinner guide covers who hosts, who to invite and a sample timeline.
The Wedding Planner Checklist is a 13-page printable with a 12-month planning checklist, budget overview, vendor contacts and comparison, guest list and RSVPs, seating plan, wedding party page, a day-of timeline and wedding day and honeymoon packing lists. The Wedding Planning Bundle pairs it with the Wedding Budget Spreadsheet for less than buying both separately.
For the to-dos that fall to the bride, see our wedding checklist for the bride.
Mapping the ceremony itself? Our guide to the wedding processional order shows who walks first and the recessional order.
Around the time you send save-the-dates, launch your wedding website with the key pages guests need.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a wedding timeline? A wedding timeline is an hour-by-hour schedule for the wedding day, from the first hair and makeup appointment to the send-off. It shows when each event happens, where it happens, who needs to be there and which vendor is involved. Couples share it with the planner, photographer, DJ, venue and wedding party so everyone is in the right place.
How do I make a wedding day timeline? Start with your ceremony time and work backward and forward. Before the ceremony, add getting ready, photos and a buffer. After it, add cocktail hour, the reception entrance, dinner, toasts, dances, cake and the send-off. Check vendor arrival times and your sunset time, then add 15-minute buffers. Our free template gives you 22 rows to fill in.
How long before the ceremony should hair and makeup start? For a wedding party of four to six people, hair and makeup often starts five to seven hours before the ceremony. Ask your stylist how long each person takes and plan for the couple to finish about an hour before photos. In our sample schedule for a 4:00 pm ceremony, hair and makeup starts at 9:00 am.
How long is a typical wedding ceremony? Most ceremonies last 20 to 30 minutes. A religious ceremony with a full service or mass can run 45 minutes to an hour or more. Plan the timeline with your officiant so cocktail hour, photos and the reception start on time. Have guests arrive about 30 minutes before the ceremony begins.
When should we schedule wedding photos? Many couples do a first look and couple and wedding party photos before the ceremony, then family photos right after it or just before. Plan about 30 to 45 minutes for the wedding party, 20 to 30 minutes for family with a shot list, and 15 to 20 minutes for golden-hour portraits about 30 minutes before sunset.
What is a first look and do I need one? A first look is a private moment before the ceremony when the couple sees each other for the first time, usually with the photographer there. It is optional. It frees up time after the ceremony for cocktail hour and lets you do most photos early, but some couples prefer to wait until the aisle. Our sample timeline marks it as optional.
How long should a wedding reception be? A typical reception lasts four to five hours, including cocktail hour. In our sample, cocktail hour starts at 4:30 pm, the grand entrance is at 5:30 pm and the send-off is at 10:00 pm. Check your venue contract for the end time and any overtime charges, and plan the last dance about 15 minutes before it.
What order do reception events go in? A common reception order is grand entrance, welcome and toasts, dinner, first dance and parent dances, open dancing, cake cutting, bouquet or garter toss, last dance and send-off. Some couples do the first dance right after the entrance instead. Agree the order with your DJ or band and put it on the timeline they receive.
Who should get a copy of the wedding timeline? Send the final timeline to your planner or day-of coordinator, photographer, videographer, DJ or band, caterer, venue contact, florist, hair and makeup team, officiant and transportation company, plus your wedding party and parents. Send it two to three weeks before the wedding and a final version the week of.
How do I find golden hour for my wedding date? Golden hour is the soft light shortly before sunset. Look up the sunset time for your date and venue with a tool like the NOAA solar calculator, then schedule portraits to start about 30 minutes before it. In our sample timeline, golden hour portraits are at 7:30 pm. Your photographer can help you choose the time.
Is the wedding timeline template free? Yes, the wedding timeline template is free. The three-page PDF is free; we email it to you. It has a sample wedding day schedule, a blank 22-row wedding timeline template and a vendor contacts and family photo shot list page. For the full year of planning, our paid Wedding Planner Checklist adds a 12-month checklist, budget, guest list and more.
Should I add buffer time to my wedding timeline? Yes, you should add buffer time to your wedding timeline. Put about 15 minutes before the ceremony and after each photo block, because something always runs late.
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A printable wedding planning timeline, from 12+ months out to the week of, plus a day-of schedule page. You'll also get our weekly HomeBase email with wedding and shower planning tips.
Sources
- NOAA: Solar calculator (sunrise and sunset times) gml.noaa.gov
- Britannica: Wedding britannica.com