Wedding day timeline?

Are you having a DJ? Ours is amazing and let us know times she could do it but also said she could read the crowd and let us know when things were winding down so we could do cake cutting and stuff like that.

We are!! That makes me feel better. We haven’t really chatted much since we booked in December, so maybe that’s why I didn’t even think about seeking him for guidance 😊 thanks!

Your DJ could help you with your timeline if you don't have a wedding coordinator. Even my photographer has offered to help with our timeline but we have a coordinator who will be putting it together. I would definitely ask some of your vendors and see if they can help.

My photograPher helped me with the pre ceremony timeline. Like when I need to be in my dress, when bms need to be dressed, etc

My wedding is September 7th, 2019. I just did my timeline rough draft the other day. The guys are getting ready in a different location than us ladies. So hmmm at 830, photographer 1 arrives 1130 to get pictures getting ready, dress, etc. We are doing bride solo and girls pictures at 120, 2bd photographer shows up for guys getting ready at 1230, first look 145 and our pic together, entire wedding party pics 215 with 2 photographers, head back to venue arriving at 330, ceremony 4 or 415 (ceremony and reception in same location already set up for reception) so that depends if all guests ste seated and ready, 30 min ceremony, family pic 445-510, 5-6 cocktail hour and us mingling, welcoming, and greeting our guests, 6pm dinner, speeches during dinner, first dance to follow, and cake cutting, bouquet/garter toss sometime after. Reception over at 10pm.

830 was hair and make up

I agree with other PPs. Your dj and photographer will likely add insight. You should see what time the photograoger needs for detail shots, first look, posed photos, etc. If you're doing those things.

You are a step ahead with the planning ... my vendors are paid as well, except one, we are waiting on licensing info from him but the introduction sounds well planned out. I need to take notes

This is my rough draft timeline: 8-10am finish decorating, 10-1 hair and makeup, 1-3 staged getting ready photos, wedding party photos, guest seating, 3:00 ceremony, 3:30 couple and family photos, cocktail hour, 4:30 entrance and buffet opens, 5:00 toasts during dinner, 5:15 first dance and dancing, 6:45 cake cutting, 7:45 last song and line up for sparkler exit

Ours is roughly the same timeframe - our DJ and DOC will be assisting with the final timeline. But it just depends on the feel of the crowd. We're starting at 3, cocktail around 345, no bridal party entrances but we'll enter around 415-430 with first dance. Dinner will be at 530 roughly. Dancing and toasts, cake around 730. And our exit at 830. It all varies, my DJ said depending on our final meeting she will give us a breakdown and use what we generally want the flow to be to MC and make announcements.

Here is my first draft:

10:00 AM - Coordinator Arrives

10:00 AM - Bridal Party arrives at venue to start hair & makeup, snacks & lunch served

- Hair & Makeup arrives

12:00 PM - Grooms Party has lunch at hotel restaurant

1:30 PM - Grooms Party heads to venue to get dressed in groom's suite

2:00 PM - Groomsmen start to get ready

3:00 PM - Photographer & Videographer arrive, Caterers arrive

3:15 PM - Groomsmen take pictures

3:45 PM - Bridesmaids take pictures

4:15 PM - Bride & bridesmaids puts on dresses

4:30 PM - First look with bride & father

4:45 PM - Groomsmen head out to ceremony space, guests start to arrive & sit down

5:00 PM - Ceremony begins

5:30 - 6:30 PM - Cocktail hour, wedding party/bride & groom portraits/family pictures

6:15 - 6:40 PM - Guests are seated to plated salad

6:40 PM - Bride & Groom, wedding party entrance

6:45 - Bride & Groom first dance

6:50 - Dinner (We haven't decided plated or buffet, leaning towards plated. Plated will take 15 minutes to serve to 175 guests.)

7:15 PM - MOH, BM, FOB speeches

7:45 PM - Father/Daughter dance, Mother/Son dance

8:00 PM - Cake cutting

8:15 PM - 10:30 PM - Dance floor open

9:00 PM - Bouquet Toss

9:05 PM - Garter Toss

10:30 PM - Grand Exit, buses arrive

11:00 PM - All guests out of venue

12:00 AM - All vendors out of venue

Are you doing a first look?

How long do you have your photographer for?

How many members in your wedding party?

Are you getting ready at your venue?

Are your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception in the same place?

Would you like to be at your cocktail hour or use this time as it was traditionally intended for photos?

How many guests?

Do you plan to have a receiving line or do table visits?

Are you doing parent dances, a money dance, an anniversary dance, or any other special dances?

Are you planning any activities (ie: games, grand exit, secret last dance, etc.?)

Also this is my timeline.

You could maybe say i have a type A personality....

7:30 a.m. Girls Breakfast at hotel

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Girls hair and makeup in hotel room

9:00 a.m. Guys Breakfast at hotel

10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Guys hair in hotel room

12:00 p.m. Lunch delivered to hotel rooms

11:00 p.m. Coordinator arrives <Set up decor

12:00 p.m. Florist arrives

1:00 – 1:15 p.m. Photographer and Videographer Arrives and takes detail shots of the dress, rings, invitation, etc.

1:15 – 2:15 p.m. Bride and Bridesmaids Photos

1:30 p.m. Bride & Bridesmaid get dressed

2:00 p.m. DJ and strings arrive and set up

2:15 – 2:30 p.m. Groom & Groomsmen get ready photos

2:30 pm First Look

2:30 - 3:15 p.m. Bride and Groom Photos

3:00 pm Cake Arrives

3:30 p.m. Caterer Arrives

3:15 – 3:55 p.m. Wedding Party photos

3:55 p.m. First look with father of bride

4:00 p.m. Wedding Party Hide Strings Arrive

<Guests begin arriving. Direct to ceremony area to find seats

4:00 – 4:30 p.m. Photographer takes photos of ceremony and reception details.

4:30 p.m. Ceremony Scheduled Start Time (45 minutes) <Lock gift room

5:15 p.m. Receiving Line (or table visits if ceremony inside)

5:15 p.m. Bar Opens <Unlock gift room

5:15 – 6:45 p.m. Cocktail Hour

5:45 – 6:15 p.m. Large Kline Family Photo

6:15 – 6:45 p.m. Immediate Family Photos

6:45 – 6:47 p.m. Grand Entrance <Lock gift room

6:47 – 6:50 p.m. First Dance

6:50 – 6:55 p.m. Welcome speech (Bride & Groom)

6:55 – 7:00 p.m. Blessing (Dad?)

7:00 p.m. Buffet Opens (or plated is served)

7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Dinner

7:00 – 7:30 p.m. VENDOR BREAK

7:30 – 7:40 p.m. Bridal Party Toasts

7:40 – 7:45 p.m. Bride & Father Dance

7:45 – 8:00 p.m. Dollar Dance

8:00 – 8:05 p.m. Cake Cutting

8:05 - 8:15 p.m. Bouquet Toss

8:15 – 12:00 p.m. Open Dance Floor

8:30 - 9:00 p.m. Sunset Photos

9:00 p.m. Coordinator is done <Leave gift room key in bridal suite

10:00 p.m. Photographer and Videographer are done

11:50 Last Call

12:00 a.m. Last Dance

My dad is a wedding DJ and I have a better document that this typed out timeline but it's pretty much the same. I can email you a blank one to help you start if you want or you can find templates everywhere. They are so helpful. I have done so many weddings; these are the only aspects of the day I feel the bride should be focused on. Obviously, the event planner / decorator / florist/ etc will all be arriving in the middle of things I have scheduled here. They all have lists of contacts they may reach the day of and I am not one of them lol. They will all have printed out timelines of who to expect and when to expect them.

Wedding Day : Sunday, October 20th 2019

5:00 am- makeup artist begins makeup on girls

(makeup artist is doing makeup for 6 bridesmaids and both of our moms)

12:30 pm- hair stylist will begin doing all of their hair

my separate hair stylist will begin doing my hair at the same time

1:30 pm- photographer / videographers will both arrive to capture small parts of everyone getting ready, etc

3:30- photographer will take pre-planned pictures of bride & bridesmaids & groom & groomsman

4:00 pm- first look w/ my dad (too traditional to let fiance see me before the big moment at our ceremony so I am switching it up and having a sweet moment with my dad )

also at 4:00 pm- DJ will arrive and begin set up

4:30 pm- Dj will begin playing music- (my pre-wedding music playlist)

5:00 pm- Ceremony begins

5:30- Ceremony ends- announcesment of the Newlyweds

5:30 pm- Cocktail Hour begins

During cocktail hour- Martin & I take pictures alone + with immediately family + g-parents etc.

5:35 pm- appetizers are brought out for guests

6:25 pm- DJ makes announcement requesting guests are seated

6:30 cocktail hour ends as DJ makes announcement requesting

that guests are all seated at their tables for the reception

6:40 Grand Entrance announcement by DJ with songs

6:50 Reception begins

6:55 Dinner Released by table

7:25 Toasts

7:50 Cake Cutting

8:00 First Dance

8:05 Father Daughter Dance

8:15 Mother Son Dance

8:20 Dance with sean

8:30 Bouquet Toss

8:40 Garter Toss

8:45 DJ Begins playing dance music

*party continues until venue closes at 11 pm or earlier*

(my wedding is on a sunday)

View Quoted Comment Your timeline is similar to mind, except we are starting an hour later.

View Quoted Comment

Great! I'm glad to hear other brides have similar timelines.

View Quoted Comment Hi! Would you be able to email me that black schedule (and maybe a sample one, if you don’t mind)? My email is **********@*****.***

thank you!

We definitely relied heavily on our DJ and photographer for this. And actually we relied heavily on them working together to get it all figured out and then just telling us when to be where. We're hardly involved in the details at all other than telling them what elements we do and do not want. Aside from the basic like "arrive at venue" and "ceremony starts", they're handling it all and I'm so grateful. (And, like you, I had no idea how any of this worked so I went to the DJ meeting all confused with no answers and worried about it and he was like hey...this is what I do!) I'd highly recommend checking with your DJ before stressing out.

No tips on timeline, just stalking your responses. I'm also an October bride! And also doing things as early as possible.