A Texted Wedding Timeline: Is It Possible?

Planning a wedding can be stressful, but creating a timeline for the big day can help keep things running smoothly. A wedding timeline is a schedule of events that outlines everything from the time the wedding party starts getting ready to the last song of the night. It's important to consider all the unique logistics of your wedding, including the number of guests, whether you're providing transportation, and the duration of the ceremony. Starting the day early is essential, especially if you plan to take photos before the ceremony. It's also crucial to communicate the timeline to all vendors, the wedding party, and other VIPs to ensure everyone knows where they need to be and when. While you can find wedding timeline templates online, it's best to create a timeline from scratch that is tailored to your unique needs and vision. Working with a professional wedding planner can also help guarantee your timeline fits all your requirements and runs like clockwork.

Getting ready: hair, makeup, and breakfast

To ensure your wedding day runs smoothly, it's important to plan a timeline for hair, makeup, and breakfast. Here's a detailed schedule to help you get ready for your big day:

9:30 a.m. – Breakfast

Kick off your wedding day by enjoying a nutritious breakfast with your wedding party. Opt for a balanced meal that will give you lasting energy throughout the day. It's also a good idea to have some light snacks and water available to keep everyone energised.

11:00 a.m. – Hair and Makeup Team Arrives

The hair and makeup team will need time to set up their equipment. Allow them 30 minutes to get settled before the first appointments begin.

11:30 a.m. – Hair and Makeup Begin

As a general rule, allow 30–45 minutes per person for hair and makeup. For the bride, allocate 60–90 minutes. If you have a large bridal party, consider asking the hair and makeup artists to bring assistants to help speed up the process.

When creating the schedule for your bridal party, consider their individual characteristics. For example, those with longer and thicker hair will likely require more time, so scheduling them first is beneficial. Also, think about any external factors, such as childcare arrangements, that may impact their availability.

It's recommended to start with hair styling first, followed by makeup. This ensures the makeup artist can blend the bride's foundation seamlessly near the hairline, and it prevents hairspray from settling on the face after makeup application.

12:30 p.m. – Lunch Delivery

Don't forget to plan a healthy lunch for you and your bridal party. Avoid greasy foods, and opt for a nourishing meal instead.

1:00 p.m. – Photographer Arrives

The photographer will need time to capture the getting-ready moments and detail shots of the wedding attire, shoes, jewellery, etc. Schedule their arrival about an hour before the bride is ready to go.

2:00 p.m. – Hair and Makeup Complete

By sticking to your timeline, your hair and makeup should be completed by this time, leaving you with some buffer time for any final touches or adjustments.

Remember, communication is key. Ensure everyone knows their assigned time slots and is ready to go when their turn comes. This will help keep the day running smoothly and ensure you arrive at your ceremony venue relaxed and on time.

Travel to the venue

If you're getting ready at your ceremony venue, you don't need to worry about this step. However, if you're travelling to the ceremony space, give yourself ample time to avoid travel mishaps. Even if you're providing transportation for your wedding party members and/or guests, be sure to allow at least a 15-minute buffer in case of unexpected traffic or other delays.

If you're wearing a traditional wedding dress, you'll want to give yourself enough time to get dressed and accessorise. The last thing you want is to feel rushed while slipping into your wedding outfit.

If you're planning on taking photos before the ceremony, you'll need to factor travel time into your photo session.

The ceremony

The Day Before:

It is recommended to finalise your wedding day timeline about a month before the wedding date. This will give you enough time to share the details with your vendors and confirm the timing again about a week before the wedding.

The Morning of the Wedding:

Start the day early, especially if you plan to take photos before the ceremony. If your ceremony starts in the afternoon or evening, consider starting your preparations around 9 am. This will give you ample time for hair and makeup, and getting dressed, as well as capturing some special moments with your photographer.

2-3 Hours Before the Ceremony:

The bride, groom, and wedding party should be fully dressed and ready. This is the time for individual portraits, group photos, and a "first look" if desired. The first look is an intimate moment where the couple sees each other for the first time before the ceremony.

1 Hour Before the Ceremony:

The couple and wedding party should have their pre-ceremony portraits done and decamp to a holding area. This is a good time to relax, have a snack, and use the restroom before the ceremony begins.

15 Minutes Before the Ceremony:

Guests will start arriving, and prelude music should be playing to set the mood. You may also choose to offer pre-ceremony drinks to your guests.

• Processional: The officiant leads the way, followed by the groom (or one partner in a queer/non-binary couple), the wedding party, and finally, the bride (or second partner).
• Opening Remarks: The officiant welcomes the guests and may share some words about marriage and the couple's love story.
• Readings and Poems: These can be selected from religious texts or any meaningful sources such as poems, spiritual texts, or even movie quotes. Family members or friends can be invited to recite the readings.
• Unity Ceremony: If desired, a unity ceremony such as a sand ceremony or handfasting can be performed after the readings.
• Vow Exchange and Declaration of Intent: This is the heart of the ceremony, where the couple speaks their vows and declares their intent to marry.
• Ring Exchange: The couple exchanges wedding rings, and they may choose to say a few words about the significance of the rings.
• Pronouncement and First Kiss: The officiant pronounces the couple as newlyweds, and they share their first kiss.
• Recessional: The couple leads the way out, followed by the wedding party and the officiant.

Post-Ceremony:

After the ceremony, there is usually a cocktail hour while the couple escapes for some post-ceremony photos. This is a great time for the couple to take a break and re-energize before joining the cocktail hour to greet their guests.

Remember, this timeline can be adjusted to fit your unique wedding plans and cultural traditions. It is also a good idea to build in some buffer time to account for any unexpected delays.

Cocktail hour

During cocktail hour, the bar will be open and catering staff will serve hors d'oeuvres and drinks to get your guests in a celebratory mood. This is also a great time to sneak out with your photographer for sunset photos.

If you're doing a "first look" before the ceremony, you'll have more flexibility with your cocktail hour. You can schedule family and bridal party photos before the ceremony and only use a portion of the cocktail hour for sunset photos.

Morning Wedding Timeline

• 7:00 a.m. Hair and makeup artists arrive/getting ready
• 7:30 a.m. Bride begins hair and makeup
• 8:00 a.m. Vendors arrive for setup
• 8:30 a.m. Bride gets into wedding dress
• 9:00 a.m. Wedding party and family photos start
• 9:30 a.m. Guests begin to arrive/pre-ceremony music starts
• 10:00 a.m. Ceremony start time
• 10:30 a.m. Ceremony ends/mimosa bar opens
• 11:00 a.m. Newlyweds' introduction
• 11:05 a.m. Brunch reception begins
• 11:45 a.m. Best man and maid of honour toasts
• 12:15 p.m. First dance
• 12:45 p.m. Cake cutting/dessert is served
• 1:30 p.m. Guests depart
• 2:30 p.m. Breakdown complete

Cake and Punch Reception Timeline

• 8:00 a.m. Hair and makeup artists arrive/getting ready
• 9:00 a.m. Bride begins hair and makeup
• 10:00 a.m. Photographer arrives/begins shooting getting-ready photos
• 11:00 a.m. Bride gets into wedding dress
• 12:00 p.m. All wedding party members arrive at wedding venue
• 12:15 p.m. Couples' "first look" and portraits
• 1:00 p.m. Wedding party and family photos start
• 1:30 p.m. Guests begin to arrive/pre-ceremony music starts
• 2:00 p.m. Ceremony start time
• 2:30 p.m. Ceremony ends
• 2:30 p.m. Guests move to reception space/light bites and drinks are served
• 3:30 p.m. Cake cutting/dessert is served
• 3:45 p.m. First dance
• 5:30 p.m. Guests depart
• 6:30 p.m. Breakdown complete

Cocktail Party Reception Timeline

• 10:00 a.m. Hair and makeup artists arrive/getting ready
• 11:00 a.m. Bride begins hair and makeup
• 12:00 p.m. Photographer arrives/begins shooting getting-ready photos
• 1:00 p.m. Bride gets into wedding dress
• 2:00 p.m. Vendors arrive for setup
• 3:00 p.m. All wedding party members arrive at wedding venue
• 3:15 p.m. Couples' "first look" and portraits
• 4:00 p.m. Wedding party and family photos start
• 4:30 p.m. Guests begin to arrive/pre-ceremony music starts
• 5:00 p.m. Ceremony start time
• 5:30 p.m. Ceremony ends
• 5:30 p.m. Cocktail party reception begins/bar opens/first round of hors d'oeuvres are passed
• 6:00 p.m. Sunset couples' portraits
• 6:45 p.m. "Dinner" rounds of food (heartier menu items) are passed
• 7:15 p.m. Best man and maid of honour toasts
• 7:30 p.m. First dance
• 9:00 p.m. Cake cutting/dessert is served
• 10:00 p.m. Guests depart
• 11:00 p.m. Breakdown complete

Dinner and speeches

Dinner

The average wedding reception is about 5 hours, including one hour for cocktails and 4 hours for dinner and dancing. The dinner and speeches will take up one of these hours.

If you're having a seated dinner, the first course will be served after the initial toast. Guests will already be seated and probably hungry, so it's the perfect time to start eating. The band or DJ will play subdued, conversation-friendly background music as the waitstaff serves. If you're having a buffet, your coordinator, emcee, or bandleader will dictate how the rotation will work by calling each table when it's time to line up for food.

Speeches

The traditional order of wedding speeches is as follows:

• The father of the bride or parents of the bride
• The father of the groom or parents of the groom
• The maid of honor
• The best man
• The master of ceremonies (optional)

However, you don't have to follow this order exactly, and it will depend on your relationship and family situation. For example, if the groom's parents are hosting, they might speak first.

The sweet spot for speeches is about 3/4 of the way through dinner as guests are finishing their meals and still seated. That way, once the speeches are done, guests will be ready to hit the dance floor.

The entire speech portion of the reception should be kept to a maximum of 20 minutes, so each speech should be brief. If there are more than four speeches, ensure they are very short.

Sample Timeline

6:30 p.m. Guests enter the reception

6:45 p.m. Wedding party and couple entrance

6:55 p.m. First dance

7:10 p.m. Guests sit for dinner and welcome speech

7:20 p.m. First course

7:35 p.m. Maid of honor and best man speeches

7:55 p.m. Entrées served

Frequently asked questions