Wedding day.

Decide what events you want to include. Spotlight dances? Speeches? Tosses? Cake cutting? Then start from the end and work your way backwards. If you need to be out of your venue by 10 pm (for example) and you want a typical four hour reception, the reception would need to start at 6 pm. That means that cocktail hour is 5pm-6pm and the ceremony will be at 4:30 pm if you're having a thirty minute ceremony.

View Quoted Comment My ceremony starts at 6 and I have to be out by 11pm I believe.

Will you want to have a cocktail hour? and how long is your ceremony anticipated to be?

View Quoted Comment Yes cocktail hour. And that I have no idea. I still need to find an officiant

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Yea i think it would help us help you develop a timeline more efficiently if we knew how long your ceremony would be. usually the average ceremony is super short but if you're religious or if you're interested in adding things into your ceremony that expands the time, then that's a factor in your timeline

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If you want to have a cocktail hour, you'll have to cut your reception a little short.

6 pm - ceremony begins

6:30 pm - cocktail hour

7:30 pm - grand entrance

7:35 pm - dinner is served

8:20 pm - speeches

8:35 pm - spotlight dances?

8:45 pm - cake cutting

8:50 pm - open dance floor

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much!!

Check out Jamie wolfer on YouTube. Watching her video definitely helped me out a lot...that and along with my makeup artist provided a mini timeline for herself (arrival time, starting on bridesmaids, starting on myself, and end time). I used the 2 to build mine out especially since we are doing first look pictures.


Also check with the venue. When i spoke with my coordinator they actually told me that they don’t like timelines necessarily. They will use mine as a guide but want things to flow nicely instead of feeling forced/ rushed.

It depends how long you are sent in g your event for and what's including such as dancing , cocktail...etc

The other major decision you need to make, which is often quite different if you are having a local, or distant hotel, type wedding, is getting ready. ..... When you choose group model, you need to set aside 3-6 hours of the day when people all hang out mostly together, rotating turns through a hair dresser or makeup artist. The bigger the group, the longer at takes, and can include mothers. This is most usual if WP stay in a hotel, or most WP beyond an hour drive.
With mostly local weddings, or if people are doing their own hair, or going to a nearby salon or 2 with many hairdressers, the women are in their own homes or rooms, and get ready as for any evening out, and getting ready can be a 1.5 to 3 hour thing, all being done at once or maybe groups of 2 if doing each other's hair, or a salon dash together. Then, gathering at a set time from their homes or hotel rooms. This leaves most of the day open, to see people or quietly prepare yourself for a 6-7 hour all public all the time ceremony, reception, and picture times. Or, set up time. Many people gather an hour or so before the ceremony and spend a half hour or so taking group pictures, with none of the couple together or seeing each other if that is your choice. But each with their own side party as a group, and sometimes bride with each, or groom with each. Also, bride with her parents, and immediate family, and separately, groom with his. Some couples do a short session together, some not.
Doing a half hour to 45 minutes early, means that after the ceremony you do only B and G, B and G with both sets of parents, and whole wedding party with B and G. So, less than half an hour away from guests. You can mingle with people at cocktails if you wish, or limit cocktails to one each and open the dining area after 40 minutes, so all can be seated, then you enter. Photos earlier at least, by side, for groups, is usually a more relaxed pace. And when you have a 4-5 hour slot rather than 6, will leave more after meal social or dancing time. So as a couple, you have a time for visiting with guests, to see everyone ( usually at cocktails, and table visits, you briefly see everyone.) This choice, made after deciding your preference, then seeing if indovidual people want to take care of themselves, or all be together ( people may choose different things) makes a big difference in the schedule earlier in the day. And whether you schedule to go out or have someone come in to do just you, or you and mom or 1 other. And let everyone make their own arrangements. I have never been to a wedding where most women of the wedding party were relatively local, or one or two only came from out of town, where all tge women have chosen to gather in any group bigger than 2. Unless they have houses full of kids, people prefer themselves, or themselves and one other, at home, each their own bed and bath, often each has a regular hairdresser, or 2 will go to one, a local and an out of towner. And very often if a hotel has a salon, people would like to use 3-5 hairdressers at once, or separate appointments. Group getting ready is mostly done for very small wedding parties, in a hotel or one house the night before. I have been in a few large WP where bride has had everyone together, 9 am to 3 or 5 pm. And everyone starts the wedding super frazzled. And sometimes looking the worse or sloppy in appearance from a few mimosas or champagne. Only 1 at a time, but 3-4 over six to 8 hours, including lunch, or breakfast and lunch, faces have time to look bloated, and tempers flare. So be realistic. Will you and 3-10 ladies plus Mother or not, be happy for 15 hours straight in each otger's company, or with the group? Best just for a 2 hour meal and greetings, and separate until the last hour or two, picture and donning of veil? Big groups look like fun on TV, but they can shoot a group scene in short bits and pieces, and edit out frazzled or negative interactions. If you are at all shy, or anxious, generally, don't plan an all group day. Pace out a couple hours here and there. Or nothing the night before. .... Also, for church weddings, and ones relatively local to the couple, there is tge matter of rehearsals. Often a church sanctuary or venue is in use , and your rehearsal will not be the day before. It may be when you and FI and only 1 or 2 others meet with the officiant, not everyone. It may be tues evening from 7-7:40pm, another couple or two having time before and after. So you may have a wedding party dinner / RD, that does not follow a rehearsal. Usually one of 2 previous weekends.That is the traditional local thing, not doing RD the night before. And how you plan your wedding day does change. If you have a RD the night before the wedding for several hours, having people together all the next day may not be desirable. If you have a far earlier RD, or none ( no rehearsal, and each takes their side out sometime) then you might want longer group time the next day.People are right, start with the wedding, the reception. Then, back up through the day, choosing pre-wedding photos, or not. Do you or WP have any venue prep, or things to delivery. Group meals or solo. Group all together for getting ready, or separately and arrive ready to at most pull on a dress ( after a car ride.) Blocks of time where you make choices, and ask your people specific choices re: their own hair and make-up preferences. ( Brides cannot require groups all use one person, or even all get pro services, or styles. Only express a preference). Brides may make arrangements for others, or leave them to plan for themselves. But each choice will block out your timeline. So the pre wedding timeline may not be entirely set u til the last couple months.

From what I gather talking to my different Vendors
It's somewhat goes like this:
Ceremony Cocktail Hour/ PhotosDinner Walk in to reception as Wedded CoupleFirst Dance then EatOr Eat then First DanceWhile you eat is the toastsGo around saying Hi!Poss go to take Sunset PhotosCome back in to Dance (or anything extra like the bride and groom games)CakeDanceFake exit for photo purposes (if you choose to have it, I've heard from multiple photographers it is highly recommended)Back in to danceReal exit, taking off as Happy Newlyweds