Wedding planning: mock timeline for your wedding day

Feb 25

Having a wedding timeline allows you to see how your wedding day will run and see if you need to make any changes to it. Below are two different timelines for the ceremony and reception. The first timeline is with a first look and the other is without. The amount of time given for each part of the ceremony and getting ready process is roughly how much time your photographer needs to capture everything.

With a first look

getting dressed 25-30 mins

first look 25-30 mins

wedding party 30 mins

immediate family 20 mins

guest arrive about 40 mins prior

ceremony 30mins - 1 hour

extended family photos 20 mins

just married photos 10 mins

bustle/join cocktail hour 30 mins

reception all night

With no first look

getting dressed 20-30 mins

bridesmaid photos 20-25 mins

groomsmen photos 20-25mins

guest begin to arrive 40 mins prior

ceremony 30 mins- 1 hour

family formals 35 mins

bridal party 10-15 mins

bride and groom 10 -15 mins

reception all night

The biggest piece of advice I can give for a timeline for your reception, is to make sure all the traditional events happen at the very beginning of you reception and NOT sprinkled throughout the reception. By having everything at the beginning of your reception, the older generation is able to leave early without feeling like they are missing anything.

Another reason is that you do not want your guests to get bored. They came to celebrate you and your significant other getting married and want to have fun doing it. So the less you have to interrupt the dancing, the better! I have two timeline ideas for you to considered for your reception below.