Wedding day time line

I think I would have one more cohesive timeline for you, your FS, and the wedding party. Reading through your timeline, it's kind of difficult to follow. You go from a 2:30 pm first look to an 8 pm cake cutting. You also have the cake cutting on there at 7:45, so I'm not sure what time you're planning to do it. I personally would cut the cake right after dinner instead of opening the dance floor, taking everyone's attention away for the cake cutting, then going back to dancing, but that's personal opinion. Also, will you be doing any speeches? I included in my timeline what time the wedding party needs to be dressed and what time I'm getting into my dress. I think that will be useful for getting ready photos. You'll probably want your bridesmaids to be in their dresses for the photos of you getting into yours.

Something like this might be easier to follow.

10 am- hair and makeup begins

1:30 pm- photographer arrives, getting ready photos begin

2 pm- caterer arrives for setup

2:30 pm- first look

bridal party photos???? family photos????

Ceremony time???

4:30 pm- cocktail hour begins, photos

5:30 pm- entrance into reception

5:40 pm- first dance

5:45 pm- dinner is served

6:45 pm- dance floor opens

8 pm- cake cutting

8:30 pm- photographer leaves

9 pm- last dance

They were more bullet points for what each vendor was doing and when. Also the timeline is for me, I’ll have an official one closer to the day. I just needed the big things planned out.

All our pictures are being taken after our first look at 2:30 so there’s nothing to do but enjoy the reception after the 4pm ceremony. The reason the cake cutting is a lot later is because we are doing a big cake presentation and cutting in an outside area later in the evening. But yeah I think I’ll feel better with a more detailed one like you shared. Thank you!

Hey Nicole!! I think your timeline looks good, especially if this is an outline and you will go into more detail in another list.

What could be an idea for you is to create one ‘master’ timeline but to color-code each task so that you can see who’s responsibility it is.

Do you have a wedding coordinator at your venue for your day?

View Quoted Comment I don’t have a cordinator I’m hiring and wasn’t even thinking I needed one till now! Small back story...both of our second wedding and we have 6 children between us, they will be our wedding party. Wedding is 5 hours from where we live but only 1.5 hours from his family. It’s at his friends lodge and very small. Only 60 people including us. So I figured I’m a pro and don’t need extra help and it’s not in the budget either. But now I’m feeling like I need/want help and recruiting friends to have jobs lol. So I’m not sure what’ll happen, I think a very detailed master list (love the color coded idea) will he best.

I think the timeline looks good but I’ll actually have it by time so is easier to read and it runs smoothly when looking for something. If you’re sending vendors the timeline for reference them I recommend adding arrival time and set up. For example the DJ coverage starts at 5 pm but he needs to get there for set up. Make sure to add this as DJ arrives at 4 pm. My wedding coordinator did this and she says this keeps everyone on check and allows them to know what they need to do. You then follow by adding coverage from 5 to 9. The timeline my coordinator creates allow her to send individual timeline to each vendor so she didn’t have to send a detail timeline to everyone that didn’t need it. Now that’s the program she uses but I can recommend you do it by colors so you only make one. Whatever is general keep it black and specific responsibility to each vendor on their own color. It makes it easier.
I would also do a more simple one for the groom, wedding party and the parents . Adding things as arrive to venue. In my case I even added breakfast an de lunch time to make sure everyone knew how they day was flowing. I also added ceremony entrance, photo time they’ll be included, first dances and cake. This is not necessary in the main timeline but you want your wedding party to know after the ceremony not to get lost. It keeps the timeline running smoothly.

So, you'd be better off formatting your timeline as one timeline instead of separating everything into subjects. I think it's too difficult to understand who's going where at any point and time.

I'm not sure what your ceremony start time is so i'm going to guess:

1:30 pm Photographer arrives for getting ready photos

2;30pm first look

Ceremony

After ceremony pictures

4:30pm Cocktail hour (I would have the DJ start some light background music)

5:30pm Wedding Party Introductions

5:40pm First Dance

5:45pm - 6:30pm Dinner (don't forget you and your FH will be served dinner first so you'll be finished before the guests are finished eating)

6:30pm Mother/Son and/or Father/Daughter Dance if you're doing them

6:40pm Open Dancing

8:00pm Cake Cutting

9:00pm Last Dance

Things to consider: Moving the cake cutting up in the night. Why? If you have the cake cutting in the middle of dancing, a lot of times guests don't come back to the dance floor and may start to leave earlier thinking that dancing is over.

Having an opener to the open dance floor...find a tradition whether it be the first dance, parent dances, or cake cutting to start the party off. It gets people to pay attention and it'll be easier for the DJ to get everyone out and dancing.

Include time after the ceremony for pictures.

Include time to greet your guests! Very important.

Since you have your photographer all night...ask if you can do a quick mid-event photo session with you and your new Hubby. Even better if it's dusk or in the moonlight.