There’s a lot that can go into your dream wedding, from catering to reception speeches; everything needs time and place to create a truly special experience. The best way to have a perfect wedding day (aside from the enduring love between you and your partner) is a detailed day-of wedding timeline. At Rose Hill Flowers, our experts have seen it all, and some of the most memorable weddings have happened because of the precise scheduling for every hour from day to night.
While being organized speaks for itself, it’s sometimes hard to make sense of all the different factors that create the perfect wedding day. So many people are involved, from your wedding party, family, friends, guests, and, most importantly, your vendors; and they all rely on a timeline structure to the day. Having a robust itinerary is the defining difference between a hectic day and a smooth one, especially since it will outline the who, what, where, and when of everything going on during your wedding. We also highly recommended that you hire a wedding planner, so you can focus on what’s most important: enjoying the day to its fullest.
A lot goes into planning a wedding day timeline, yet it has great returns down the road. Not only will it ease any confusion and scheduling conflicts, but it will also keep everyone on the same page through your special day. A clear breakdown for each moment will hold everything and everyone accounted for.
Getting On the Same Page: Making a Timeline Template
One of the best ways to organize all the small and large details is to get them out of your head and onto the page. As wedding professionals, our favorite tip is to utilize an Excel spreadsheet to create a structured wedding day template. It’s good practice to have everything finalized and begin coordinating with your vendors about a month before your wedding date. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t update the spreadsheet as small changes come up. Creating a template is especially important when working with a wedding planner or anyone helping you organize your special day. When creating your template, a couple of essential things to consider are travel times between venues (if you have multiple ones) and ensuring you and your wedding party get the opportunity to eat before the ceremony.
4 Hours — Getting Ready
Allot about four hours for you and your wedding party to prepare before your big day officially begins. A sample itinerary could look like arriving at the bridal suite at 9 am for hair and makeup, then getting dressed and taking photos before a 1 pm ceremony. So, pop the champagne and enjoy a fancy food spread to take in the moment fully. One element to consider is bringing in a photographer to capture the “getting ready” part of the day. For grooms, while this may seem like a long time to prepare, this time can also be used to settle any last-minute vendor questions, enjoy a round of golf or poker, or even give yourself a moment to sit with your vows as a time of reflection.
2.5 Hours — Photos
When estimating the right amount of time you will need for your photos, think about what kind of photos you’ll take. As you plan with your photographer, map out what sessions you’d like them to come in for. Will you be capturing “getting ready” photos? Will your photographer be spending time with just the bride? The entire wedding party? A first look? Family photos? Make a list of all these sessions with their estimated times and work backward from the ceremony starting time to find the perfect arrival time for your photographer. To make sure everything happens on time, ensure everyone is ready to go before the photographer arrives.
1.5 Hours — Ceremony
What makes your wedding day special is that it’s uniquely yours. You get to shape it to whatever form and length you’d like. However, no matter how long your ceremony is, it’s good practice to factor in the before and after transition times in your schedule. While the modern wedding often is between 20 and 30 minutes, buffering in at least 15 to 30 minutes before and after the ceremony to make sure people have enough time to get to where they need to go, whether it’s to their seat or the cocktail hour, is a must.
1 Hour — Cocktail Hour
As the name suggests, scheduling an hour for cocktail hour is a reasonable amount of time for guests to mingle after your ceremony and transition to the reception area without feeling rushed. Ensure that your bartenders have the supplies and space to serve your guests comfortably. Before cocktail hour comes to an end, begin ushering guests into the reception area where they will take their seats for dinner. It may take about 15 minutes for everyone to finish conversations, grab one last drink, and locate their table.
1 Hour — Reception Entrances, First Dance, Parent Dances, Speeches
Scheduling the formalities into your wedding day timeline can require some nuanced detail. It’s essential to keep your venue, wedding planner, and caterers informed of how you’d like the flow of the celebration to go. If you’d like to coordinate a fun entrance with your wedding party, factor in a couple of extra minutes and plan with your band or DJ so they can assist. When moving into your first dances, outline if you’d like to include your parents or if you’d like to have everyone dance along with you. Everything should have a structured time, place, and coordination.
Once the first dances are done, it’s time for speeches and toasts! This time can typically take 10 to 30 minutes, so we recommend that you check in with people making toasts to make sure everyone is aligned with how much time they have to speak. In addition, we suggest you serve either a salad or your first course with a glass of champagne before the speeches begin. This will help keep your guests’ stomachs and glasses full.
3 Hours — Dinner, Dancing, & Cake
After wiping away your tears from laughing and crying, it’s time for dinner and dancing! One thing to consider is scheduling your cake-cutting before you head to the dance floor while you still have everyone’s attention. Make sure to give guests a lot of time to celebrate with cultural traditions or show off their dance moves. Before providing a proper sendoff, you can play a meaningful “last song” to cap off the celebration on a high note. This is also an opportunity for a beautiful “grand exit” for you and your partner.
Your dream wedding should be a reality, and with a detailed plan, it will be. With a well-crafted timeline, you’ll be able to be fully present and enjoy your special day as it’s happening. So take some time to think about what you want your celebration of love to look like, and start writing ideas down. Surround your ideas with details, and you’re well on to creating an air-tight timeline. For more wedding planning tips or to create a stress-free wedding design, connect with the experts at Rose Hill Flowers.
