Wedding day of timeline & logistics???

So, I've been told my day of was very lazy.

Our wedding was at 5PM.

I got out of bed around 10:30, wandered to my parents' hotel around noon, got picked up by the limo at 1, was at the venue at 2PM to start hair and makeup. Half my BP was mostly ready by the time I got there (actors do their own makeup), we had a pizza party, and I got into my dress around 4:30/4:45?

DH was at his parents'. He got up to watch a soccer game, then got ready when it was over, around 2PM, the limo picked him up to bring him/parents/BP to the venue around 4:30 (I had to RUN upstairs, as I had been visiting the ladies'.)

Ceremony 5PM

Cocktail hour/pictures 5:40ish - 7PM

Entrance to reception - 7PM

Swordfight - 7:05PM

FOB toast/dinner - 7:15PM

BM toast during dinner

First dance/special dances - 8PM

Cake cutting - 9PM? I think

Reception over - 11PM

A lot depends on how long it takes to do your hair and makeup, and get to your venue. Also, if you do a first look (we did not), that can change your schedule.

We're staying at our resort / venue. We've reserved two rooms and on the wedding day, I'll be getting up about 4 hours before our wedding to start getting ready - keep in mind we're doing a sunrise ceremony and will need to be at the ceremony spot about 15-minutes prior (7:00 a.m.)

wake up & Coffee 3:30 a.m.

shower by 4:00 a.m.

make-up 4:20 a.m.

hair - 5:20

Dress & Shoes 6:30

walk to beach dock 6:55

Ceremony starts 7:14 a.m.

Pictures begin 7:45 a.m.

Breakfast / Brunch begins 8:15 - 8:30 a.m.

Cake cutting 10:00 a.m.

Reception over 10:30 - 11 a.m.

My ceremony will be at 4:15pm:


9am - Start hair/makeup with wedding party (also breakfast around this time)
12pm - lunch, groomsmen arrive at venue
2pm - first look
2:30pm - wedding party/family photos
4:15pm - ceremony
5pm - cocktail hour
6pm - entrances, first dance
6:30pm - dinner
7:30pm - speeches, cake cutting
8pm (or possibly earlier, whenever speeches are done) - open dancing
12am - reception over

My ceremony was at 5pm. We were at the salon for hair and makeup starting at 8am. Around noon we got to the venue, where we took getting ready photos/hung out a bit in the bridal suite. Then we had our first look photos and some family photos.

We don't have the final timeline yet, but we can be in the venue at 11am and our ceremony starts at 5:30pm. My sister and I are going to the salon to get our hair done at 9am. We're meeting the groom, officiant, bestman, and planner at the venue at 11:30 to do a quick rehearsal (we didn't have the availability to do it the night before). Then around 12 we will be in the separate bride and groom suites. We're having lunch brought in around 1 and will eat and get ready and have some drinks. I think we're planning to do photos around 3ish. We don't have a big bridal party, just my sister as maid of honor and his brother as best man so we're really just doing a lot of hanging out leading up to the ceremony. My advice is to work in enough time so that you don't feel rushed or stressed.

Ours starts at 6pm and our timeline is still being worked out, but I can arrive at my venue to get ready at noon so I'm getting a hotel that's across the street so I won't have to rush (I don't live in the same city as well). FH does live that way, but he's still getting a hotel nearby since his own party doesn't live out there & they'll be getting rooms to stay in.

Start with the end in mind.


I tied everything to sunset. I knew I wanted an image, last of the night. And worked back for my hour package on vendors, like my photographer. Then started calculating back from the start of official photos to kick off hair and makeup.
As it relates to your timeline. Is there the entire salon or one artist doing all the hair and makeup. One 45 minute slot or do you need 45 mins times X girls. This can equate HOURS of glam squad time.
Go over the formal photography portraits that you want with fam and bridal party. Make sure your photog knows the venue. Like are you going on a 10 minute walk to a different 'perfect spot.' Your photographer is a great resource. Lean on their experience here for their time table. And then tell fam and bridal party to be ready 15 minutes before you intend to start.
Ensure you schedule in meals for everyone.
Not certain if you are serving dinner but watch driving that dinner back and back. I was a guest where the bridal party made cocktail hour turn in over 2 hours because they were taking pictures. Meanwhile everyone was getting drunk and hungry. End result: not good.
Never discount travel time.
Round up on everything.
Your musician or DJ will tell you how much set up time they plan in. Usually this is outside your #hours of service.
Keep writing it out and talking thru it with MOB and MOG as we learned new info from vendors.
I also printed and provided a timeline to family and bridal party. It helped everyone know the expectations and keep the questions down. I know my man has been in a wedding and I asked him questions and he always says, "ah, idk. I can ask." Here's a snip of what I printed for the bridal party. There was a lot more information on this sheet like contact numbers. Family received a modified one.

It was general enough that I wasn't a bridezilla, there's a lot of info NOT on here. But everyone thanked me for the info and organization.
Our ceremony was at 4:30. Cocktails 5 to 6 Dances and moving to dining area 6 to 630 That allowed dinner to be between 630 and 730. I cheated and did cake while the last guests were finishing their dinner to keep the flow going. Dancing 730 to midnight. With last sunset photos of bride and groom at 820.

Here's a sample of what I have. Google Sheets/Excel is useful because you can plan simultaneously for the groom/bride/vendors. The Pre-Ceremony events are broken down by 15 min increments; because our Ceremony and Reception are short and small, we have 5 min increments. Let me know if you want to take a look at other events!