Timeline help ‼️

Originally we weren't going to have a first look, but my husband wanted to and my photographer highly suggested it. My recommendation is to take separate bridal party and family photos ahead of time. For instance, I would take all of your photos with your bridesmaids and any you want with your side of the family before the ceremony starts. After the ceremony, I would take full bridal photos, full family photos, and then photos with your spouse. By taking some photos ahead of time, this will cut down on the time it takes for photos during cocktail hour. My brother didn't do any photos ahead of time and it took about 45 minutes longer than he planned. He also missed a good portion of his reception because his photographer kept pulling him and his wife away for photos of the two of them. Your photographer should be able to give you an idea of how long it would take based on how many people you have.

We aren’t doing a first look (FH is very superstitious about not seeing me before I walk down the aisle).
This is what I roughly have at the moment.
4:30-5:00 Ceremony5-6 Cocktail Hour/Photos6 Reception Begins/Entrance6:05 First Dance (If we don’t do this before dinner, I’m terrified I’ll spill something on myself)6:10-6:55 Dinner6:55 Cutting Cake/Toasts (there will be cupcakes for the guests)7:10 Parent Dances7:20 Dancing for All8 Bouquet/garter toss8:15-8:30 Dollar Dance (my FH wanted to do this)8:30-9:15 Dancing for All
We haven’t decided if we are doing a send off or if we’re having everyone leave and then we have a last dance together. We only get 5 hours of event time so it’s a lot to try and fit in. We can arrive four hours prior to set up, so we will probably use some of that time to take bride/bridesmaid, groom/groomsmen pictures as well as my pictures with my mom and dad. After the ceremony, we will have the full bridal party, full family photos (which is going to be a bear) unless we just keep it to our parents and siblings and then our couple photos.
Obviously the timeline for these things is fluid and we will see what it turns out to be closer to our day. Hopefully we can get as much as possible done before the ceremony 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

This is a sunrise wedding and the timeline is still our rough draft

Matt & Alex in place to greet guests

06:45

Officiant (Bill Camp) Arrives - Groom gives “tip”

07:00

Matt & Alex stand near top of Dock out of Tiki View

07:00

Margo arrives at Tiki and Alex greets

07:05

Margo & Alex get ready to walk to Matt

07:10

Procession Begins with “The Prayer” (04:25)

07:14

Alex w/ Margo meet Matt and walk down aisle

07:15

Ceremony Starts @ Sunrise (0719)

07:17

Recessional song as soon as ceremony ends

Wedding Photos after ceremony

07:45

Reception (open seating except M-A-M) – Music

08:00

Open Bar / Brunch Begins

08:30

Cutting of the Cake

10:00

End of Reception

11:00

2PM - I arrived at venue to get ready/DH gets ready at his parents' place (BP with us, respectively)

4:30PM - DH and family and his side of BP arrive at venue

5PM - ceremony

5:30ish-6:45ish - pictures in park next to venue

5:30ish-7PM - cocktail "hour" for guests

6:45ish - we sign license, I change my shoes, have a mini cocktail hour for ourselves

7PM - entrance into reception

(special swordfight skit)

7:15ish - dinner/toasts

8PM - special dances, then open dance floor

(cake was cut somewhere in here)

11PM - end of reception

9AM- Arrive at venue to finish setup. 10:45A- Bridal party starts HMU. 12:45- I start hair and makeup. 3:00P- Get dressed. 4:00PM- line up for processional. 4:30P- Ceremony begins. 5-6P- cocktail hour/photos. 6:05P- Grand Entrance 6:10P- First Dance. 6:15P- Dinner is served. 7PM- Toasts. 7:05- Father/Daughter Dance. 7:10P- Cake cutting. 7:15-11PM- Dancing. We purposely wanted a long reception so we are doing last song at 11PM.

I have just started putting this together and very open to suggestions but:

4:30pm - Welcome Cocktail

5pm - Ceremony

5:30pm - 7:30pm - Cocktail "Hour" (FH is French and wedding cocktails there apparently last like three hours! This was a compromise lol) But I like this so that we can take our photos and then participate in the cocktail hour as well.

7:30pm - 8:45pm - Dinner/Speeches/Cake Cutting

8:45pm - First Dance

9pm - 1am - Dancing

Good luck with yours!

My MUA is coming to me and I can set up the night before so:

9:00 Wake up (I am sure we will already be up but this is a hard wake up)
9:30 Breakfast
10:30: hair and makeup artists arrive-start hair
1:00: lunch
2:15: Photographer arrives
2:30 Get dressed
3:00 Bride gets into her dress
3:30 Bride/bridesmaids/mothers head out for formal pictures
4:40 Head to venue (it is down the street from hotel)
4:55 line up
5:00 ceremony starts
5:15 Husband and wife
5:20 Cocktail hour starts/pictures
6:15 introductions
6:20 Welcome and Toasts
6:25 Dinner is served
7:00 Cake Cutting
7:10 Father Daughter Dance
7:15 Mother Son Dance
7:20 Open the dance floor
10;30 Last Call
11:00 Last Dance

This is our rough sketch but not finalized timeline with no first look before the ceremony.

11:30 AM Bride Arrival to Style Salon

2:30 PM Groom Arrival to Speakeasy and Access to Bridal Parlor

*FIRST LOOK: No

3:30 PM Invitation Time

4:00 PM Ceremony Begins

4:45 PM Ceremony Ends / Cocktail Hour Begins / Bar Opens

(*Note: the bar will open at the immediate conclusion of the ceremony and run for 4.5 consecutive hours)

5:45 PM Cocktail Hour Ends/ Guests Seated

6:00 PM Grand Entrance

- First Dance

- Toasts: TBD

6:30 PM Dinner Service Begins

7:30 PM Dinner Service Ends / Family Dances:

-Father/Daughter Dance

-Grandfather/Daughter (2 dad&mom's)

-Grandmother/Daughter & Grandmother/Son Dance

-Mother/Son & Mother/Daughter

-Anniversary Dance

Open Dance

8:30 PM Cake Cut

-Bouquet/Garter Toss

Open Dance

9:15 PM Approximate Bar Close (dependent upon time bar was opened)

10:00 PM Grand Exit / DJ music ends

11:00 PM all vendors must be gone and party. event is closed.

an update we want to incorporate is that we are changing outfits from his military suit to his tuxedo and my cathedral gown to mermaid style gown and we would love to share a first look of this after the ceremony sometime during cocktail hour.

Also considering to pay a fee to be able to arrive 2 hours ahead of the 11:30 set time just so I could have more time for photos so my fiancé can take his photos around the venue without seeing me 😀