Traditional Wedding Day Timeline

Traditional Wedding Timeline

The key to a wedding day timeline that runs smoothly is planning well ahead. Breaking down your entire wedding day into an organized timeline helps to keep everything on track when the big day finally arrives. The more detailed you can make the plan, the better. As a rule of thumb, wedding ceremonies typically last 30 minutes for simple ceremonies to 90 minutes for full mass ceremonies — although short and sweet wedding programs are okay too, and most wedding receptions typically last four to five hours. Expert wedding photographer James DeCamp has created a sample modern wedding reception timeline based on a wedding ceremony starting at 3:30 p.m. (Adjust the timing as necessary to work with your own ceremony start time).

Note that this wedding timeline also assumes the ceremony and reception are being held at the same venue, which means guests won’t need to travel to a separate party location before cocktail hour can begin. If you’re having your wedding reception at a different site, make sure to add travel time, accounting for the time it will take for the guests to make their way to the post-ceremony festivities.

Use the timeline below as a guide to create your own wedding day timeline.

  • 12:30 p.m.

    Photo & Video Crew Arrive

    The wedding photographers will arrive about 30 – 45 minutes before the bride is ready. During this time, the photographers can get detail shots of the dress, rings, invitations, shoes, etc.
    If you want those super cute photos of everyone together in matching robes, pencil these in after hair and makeup but before the bridesmaids put on their dresses.

  • 1:15 p.m.

    Bridesmaids & Groomsmen Get Ready

    Girls – As the bride’s hair and makeup is nearing completed, the bridesmaids (as well as the mother of the bride, and any other bridal suite VIPs) should be dressed and ready by the time the bride’s hair and makeup is complete. This way, everyone can be in the background of the photos featuring the bride getting dressed and can help her into her gown.

    Guys – The photographer will grab detail shots of the grooms shoes, suit, and any memorabilia that may be guy related (cufflinks, watch, etc.) All the guys at this point should be showered, shaved and getting into their clothes. The Groom can take a few extra minutes and relax.

    1:15 p.m.

  • 1:30 p.m.

    Bride & Groom Get Dressed

    Girls – Once you’re mostly dressed, now’s the time to have the photographer capture those intimate moments of your maid of honor (and maybe bridesmaids, too) helping you zip up your dress and slip on your shoes. Make sure your mom has a role, too! Perhaps she helps with your earrings and jewelry, or adjusts your veil.

    Guys – At this point the Groom should be showered, shaved, and in his pants and shirt. The photographer will capture him putting on his tie, shoes, and dress coat.

  • 2:00 p.m.

    Bridal Party Portraits

    Girls – Once the girls are fully dressed and ready, the photographer will focus on capturing some beautiful portrait and detail shots at pre-scouted locations around your venue without you seeing the groom.

    Guys – Once he’s fully dressed and ready, the photographer will focus on capturing some beautiful portrait and detail shots at pre-scouted locations around your venue without him seeing the bride.

    2:00 p.m.

  • 2:45 p.m.

    Early Guest Arrival - Start of Music

    This is the latest the Bride & Groom can go into hiding. That white dress and tuxedo will be magnets to everyone coming to the ceremony – RUN AWAY. Hide away until the ceremony time. Tank up on some water and get a snack to eat and just relax.

  • 3:00 p.m.

    Start of Music

    Standard Guest Arrival – Pre ceremony music starts

    3:00 p.m.

  • 3:30 p.m.

    Ceremony Start Time

    Some weddings that are NOT in churches don’t have to start at the actual start time listed on the invitation. If there are outside conditions (traffic, weather, etc.) that make a delay needed, feel free to take a few extra minutes to let latecomers arrive. You can start your ceremony about 15 minutes later than the invitation time if need be. More than that and your guests in seats will get fidgity.

  • 3:45 p.m.

    Ceremony

    This is the time block that varies the most for weddings. The time really depends on the type of ceremony you’re having. Typically, non-religious ceremonies last around 20 – 30 minutes, while religious-based ceremonies can last up to an hour and a half. Talk with your officiant and adjust the timeline below to match that timing.

    3:45 p.m.

  • 4:30 p.m.

    Cocktail Hour

    Invite your guests to a cocktail hour while the photographer can capture the family portraits and wedding party photos. The two of you will also escape for some post-ceremony photos with the photographer.

    Note: If you don’t opt for a pre-wedding first look, this is also when you would traditionally take your photos together, as well as family portraits and portraits with the entire bridal party. Make sure to give plenty of time for this. Large families will take 30-40 minutes to get together and photograph, then 15-20 minutes for the whole wedding party images, then the photographer will want AT LEAST 30 minutes (45-50 even better) with just the two of you.

  • 4:30 p.m.

    Family Photos

    Have your family stay after the ceremony for formal photos. Make sure your photographer has a shot list of every family combination you want captured, and designate a family member to help the photographer identify everyone. It will be much easier for your sibling or cousin to go find Aunt Linda if she wandered away because they already know who she is.

    4:30 p.m.

  • 4:50 p.m.

    Wedding Party Photos

    The photographers will start off with session with the ENTIRE wedding party (flower girls, ring bearers, ushers, etc.) for big group portraits and then start splitting the guys from the girls and doing small groups and individual shots. These photos are meant to be casual and fun, capturing the moments of celebration between the bride and her friends and the groom and his buddies. If you want any special shots, such as toasting with champagne, make sure you have the props ready (clean flutes, for instance). Photos of the ring bearers and flower girls will be here too.
    The groups will start getting smaller as we move thru all of them, releasing people to go to the cocktail hour.  Lastly we will start with intimate images of just the wedding couple.

  • 5:10 p.m.

    Portrait Photos Together

    This is an ideal window of time for your photographers to capture some intimate portraits of just the two of you at pre-scouted locations in and around your venue.

    5:10 p.m.

  • 5:50 p.m.

    Guests Invited to Dinner

    DJ will announce for the guests to find their dinner seats

  • 6:00 p.m.

    Grand Entrance

    There are so many ways to do the reception timing but here is one way that checks a number of boxes right at the start:

    6:00 p.m.

  • 6:10 p.m.

    First Dance

    It works great if you go from your grand entrance right into your first dance. This keeps the formalities and the fun going. You can dance for a full song for your first dance, or fade out a couple of minutes in.

  • 6:15 p.m.

    Cut The Cake

    After the first dance go right over to cutting the cake and then take a seat at the head table for toasts. This frees the caterer to slice and dice while dinner is being served.

    6:15 p.m.

  • 6:20 p.m.

    Welcome Toasts From Hosts

    The first two toasts in the wedding reception timeline are considered welcome toasts and they are typically offered by the parents or a family member of the newlyweds — traditionally, the father of the bride speaks first and sometimes the father of the groom. This is also a good time for the newlyweds to say a few words and thank their guests for coming.

  • 6:30 p.m

    Dinner

    Talk with the caterer about how long to have this time. If its buffett and 200 people it will take longer than table served for 50.  Generally you want to start. the next event about 10 minutes after the last person got their plate to keep things moving.

    6:30 p.m

  • 7 p.m.(ish)

    Sunset Photos

    Set aside time in your wedding itinerary to take additional portraits together during the 20 (or so) minutes leading up to sunset, which offers opportunities for some incredible natural lighting. TimeAndDate.com will give you the exact sunset time on your date and location to the minute.

    The actual time of sunset varies widely, depending on where and what time of year you’re getting married. In the winter months, pre-sunset photos may need to be scheduled for as early as around 5 p.m. mid to late summer it will be more like 8:45 pm

  • 7:15 p.m.

    Bridal Party Toasts

    As dinner is wrapping up, the best man and maid of honor can offer their toasts during this slot of the wedding schedule. Your friends may be long winded. For all the toasts, set a time limit and recommend advising your speakers stay within that limit. No more than five minutes usually works well.

    7:15 p.m.

  • 7:30 p.m.

    Parent Dances

    If you are doing father-daughter and mother-son dances I recommend doing them immediately after the toasts, and then transition into an open dance floor. After the last official dance, switch to a high-energy music and have your band or DJ encourage everyone to join you on the dance floor. Talk with whoever is doing the music (Band or DJ) and get some guidance from them.

  • 7:45 p.m.

    Open Dance Floor

    Dance until the night ends!

    7:45 p.m.

  • 8:45 p.m.

    Bouquet Toss and Garter Toss

    First up is the bouquet toss followed by the garter toss (if those are traditions you’re keeping).

  • 10:00 p.m.

    Grand Exit

    Arrange for a final song with your DJ or band ahead of time, as well as to be alerted that the song is coming up. Say your final goodbyes and hug your final hugs. If you’re having an exit with sparklers or other festive flair, have a designated member (or members) of your bridal party organize all the guests along your exit path and hand out the goods. When your final song comes on, grab hands and make a dash for happily ever after!

    10:00 p.m.