How to plan a wedding day timeline, hour by hour
A typical wedding day schedule from hair and makeup to the send-off, counted from your ceremony time, with tips for photos, speeches and buffers.
Build the wedding day timeline backwards and forwards from the ceremony: start hair and makeup about five hours before, finish photos half an hour before guests arrive, then allow about an hour and a half between the ceremony and dinner. Enter your ceremony time below for a full starting schedule.
Your wedding day, hour by hour
Enter your ceremony time to get a starting timeline. Then move things to fit your venue and photographer.
How to build the timeline
- Fix the ceremony time. Everything else counts from it.
- Work backwards for getting ready. About 45 minutes per person for hair and makeup, then photos.
- Decide on a first look. If you see each other before the ceremony, most couple photos can be done early.
- Allow a cocktail hour. It covers family photos and moving guests to the reception.
- Place speeches during or just after dinner, while guests are seated and attentive.
- Add buffers. Fifteen minutes here and there absorbs the delays that always happen.
- Share it with your photographer, venue, caterer, band or DJ, and the wedding party.
A sample day for a 4 PM ceremony
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Hair and makeup start |
| 1:00 PM | Photographer arrives |
| 2:00 PM | Dressed and ready |
| 3:30 PM | Guests arrive |
| 4:00 PM | Ceremony |
| 4:30 PM | Cocktail hour |
| 5:30 PM | Guests seated, grand entrance |
| 5:50 PM | Dinner |
| 6:45 PM | Speeches |
| 7:15 PM | First dance, dancing starts |
| 9:30 PM | Last dance and send-off |
Where do people run late?
Hair and makeup, and family photos. Give both more time than you think, and give your photographer a list of family groups in advance.
For guests, share a short version on your website; see wedding weekend itinerary. For the months before, see the wedding planning timeline.
Questions
What is a typical wedding day schedule?
Getting ready in the late morning, photos in the early afternoon, the ceremony, a cocktail hour, then dinner, speeches, the first dance and dancing until the send-off.
How long between the ceremony and the reception?
About an hour to an hour and a half, usually filled with a cocktail hour.
When should speeches happen?
During or just after dinner, when guests are seated. Keep each to two or three minutes.
Who needs a copy of the timeline?
Your photographer, venue coordinator, caterer, band or DJ, officiant and wedding party.