Timeline

Here is our first draft:

9:30AM Bridal party picked up to head to venue.

10AM Bridal party arrives at venue for hair and makeup appointments.

Snacks and lunch served.

10:30AM Masseuse arrives.

12PM DOC arrives to oversee setup.

Groomsmen have lunch at hotel restaurant.

PM Florist arrives to begin setting up.

1:30PM Groomsmen depart for venue in transportation.

2PM Approximate arrival of groomsmen, head to groom’s suite.

3PM Photographer arrives to begin shooting.

Catering team arrives to begin setting up.

Bridal party hair and makeup appointments end.

Videographer arrives.

4PM Security team arrives.

Desserts delivered.

4:15PM Bride puts on dress.

Buses pickup guests.

Cigars and scotch served to groomsmen.

4:30PM First look with FOB.

Guests begin to arrive.

DJ arrives to begin setting up.

4:45PM Pre-ceremony music begins to play.

5PM Line up bridal party to start ceremony.

Nanny arrives to begin sitting services.

5:30PM Approximate ending of ceremony.

Guests directed toward cocktail hour.

Post-ceremony wedding pictures with families.

6:30PM Cocktail hour ends. Guests directed towards seats for dinner. Plated salad set.

6:40PM DJ announces entire bridal party for entrance.

6:45PM 1st Dance.

Welcome toast and prayer by bride and groom.

6:50PM Dinner service begins.

7:30PM Toasts by MOH, BM, FOB.

8PM Cake cutting.

Nanny departs.

8:10PM Father/daughter dance.

Mother/son dance.

8:15PM DJ opens dance floor.

Catering team serves desserts.

9PM Bouquet and garter toss.

1st bus departs venue to go back to hotel.

Late night snacks served.

10:30PM Guests directed outside for final farewell.

Buses arrive for transportation back to hotel.

After party.

11PM Reception ends, cleanup begins.

Leftover food given to TBD.

12AM Breakdown concludes. All vendors out of venue.

View Quoted Comment Thanks this is very helpful! I think my plan right now is to make a list of everything that needs to happen and then arrange it into times

View Quoted Comment

That's a great idea!

Hi Amanda

The piece of advice I share with couples when planning their timeline is to start at the end (or with concrete times) and work your way backward.

Don't forget to work with your photographer and beauty team and they will have the biggest impact on your pre-ceremony timeline!

Here are some helpful community discussions to guide you through -

Timeline

Timeline

Do you plan on taking photos before or after the ceremony? Will you do a first look?

View Quoted Comment Hey Thanks! We are not doing a first look but hoping to get some photos done before the ceremony with our party and families separately

I'm still working on my timeline but here it is, The ceremony starts at 5 and we are not doing a first look. I'd start with the time you have to be up, the time the ceremony starts and the time you leave the reception. Make a list of the things that have to happen and the things that you want to happen. Put them in order of what will happen first and then go in and add an amount of time that you think it will take, a song is like 4 minutes long , so you can give it 5 to be safe with time. photos tend to take a hour or two. Then go in and add times to the activities so like the first dance -6:15, cake cutting -7:30 Sorry if I was confusing at all, this is my first time answering a question! Hope it was helpful!

10 am to 1:00 -Hair and makeup

2:00 Photographer arrives and takes bride and bridal party, bride with family photos and

3:00 The girls head to the church.

3:30 Photographer takes Groom and groomsmen, groom with family photos

4:45 Guests start arriving for ceremony

5:00 Ceremony starts

5:40 Ceremony ends, Reception begins

5:45 to 6:45 Bride and Groom shots, Bride and Groom with family and extended families, Bride and Groom with full bridal party

6:45 Newlyweds' Arrival and eat

7:00 Cake cutting and Toasts

7:15 Father Daughter dance (Daddy Dance with me)

7:20 Mother son Dance (Still need to find one)

7:25 First dance (I get to love you)

7:30 Anniversary dance for the Married couples (Any Way The Wind Blows)

7:35 Dancing for the guests (

Once in a lifetime, It had to be you, God gave me you)

7:50 Bouquet and toss

8:00 Final Farewell, send off

View Quoted Comment This is very helpful 😊 Thanks!