How to create a wedding timeline that works for your wedding day
Carole and I tend to get asked this question quite often and it’s about making a wedding timeline that fits the couple’s needs, so today, I want to focus on the timeline, why it’s important, and what should be in it as well.
Why Wedding Timelines are Important
First, I want to say that a wedding timeline is a bible to your day and how things will operate. It gives you, your bridal party, and more importantly, the wedding vendors a way to know what will (or should) be happening when throughout the day.
One key to having a great timeline is to be specific with regards to what will be happening, the more detailed it is, the better your wedding day will be.
What should be included in a Wedding Timeline?
Typically, timelines are going to have the day before and the wedding day itself, filled with various times, and what will be taking place during that time.
I want you to think high-level details, enough to know what’s happening, but not so detailed it gets lost in reading it.
Here is a bad example:
10:30 Bridesmaids arrive
Here is a great example:
10:30 AM Bridemaids arrived for the hair and makeup session in the bridal suite
And finally, here is an example that is too much:
10:30:00 AM Cindy, Jessica, Amanda, and Tesnia arrive so Brittany can do their hair with the portable kit, Brittany to make Jessica’s hair styled with XYZ-123, and Adam will come and use Blah Blah Blah type of makeup on Cindy but not Jessica because she is allergic and needs her own makeup type.
As a videographer and Carole a wedding photographer, we only need to know that the bridesmaids will be in the suite at 10:30 for hair and make so we can gather clips and images of that.
Now, in these examples, the hair and makeup artist may need to know specific details about what each bridesmaid wants, but that’s not for the timeline, because multiple vendors will be using it to orchestrate the day.
What are some good Wedding Timeline Tips?
Beyond having a good timeline in general, there are a couple of good rules of thumb.
For a happy hour or cocktail hour, you want it to literally be a solid hour, sometimes a bit more, that’s for wedding photos mostly.
You’ll want to make sure there is adequate time for the wedding photographer to take images of the bridal party, of you with all the families on both sides, as well as just the two of you as well.
Next, You don’t need to be granular with the time because truthfully if you want to start the first dance say at 6:13 pm, more than likely it will be 6:10 or 6:20 pm depending on how the day is going.
Just know that a timeline is a general guideline and many times planners will either speed things up or slow things down depending on how the wedding or reception is flowing.
Wedding photographers and videographers usually need 2-3 hours before the ceremony to get what they need for the images and video. DJs usually need a couple of hours to set up and catering needs 3-4 before the wedding. Florists generally 2 hours and depending on the size of your bridal party, hair and makeup artists need 3-6 hours.
I’ve seen where brides will do hair and makeup at 10 am then wait until 3 pm to get into the dress to have the ceremony at 4 pm, there is a lot of downtime from dong hair/makeup to putting on the dress, so make sure your bridal prep is a bit tighter if possible, with still a 30-minute window of wiggle room.
My final piece of advice is to make sure that all the vendors will have the same timeline and they have it at least two weeks before the wedding if not before.
Can you provide an example of a good Wedding Timeline?
Sure, let me provide you with a great working example of a wedding timeline. Feel free to copy it and use it for your own or use this wedding timeline template we created.
Gabriel Wedding Details
Event Date: May 15, 2021
Contacts: Gabriel and Alyssa
10231 Sugar Camp Creek Rd, Bent Mountain, VA 24059
Bride: (540) 929-0028
connect@weddingphotographyandfilms.com
Groom: (540) 555-1212
Rehearsal: May 14, 2021
Silver Hearth Lodge
Setup begins at 4:30 pm, Rehearsal begins at 5:30 pm
Rehearsal Dinner: May 14, 2021
Silver Hearth Lodge
6:30 pm
Catered by Old School Burger Bus
Ceremony Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Silver Hearth Lodge
Happy Hour Time: 4:30 pm
Location: Overlook Pavilion - Silver Hearth Lodge
Reception Time: 5:30 pm
Location: Vistaview Hall - Silver Hearth Lodge
Inclement Weather Backup: ALL events inside
Bride’s Dressing Location: The bridal suite at SHL
Groom’s Dressing Location: Getting mostly ready at the hotel, will arrive at SHL for finishing touches.
Anticipated Guests: 120
Guest Allergies: N/A
Vendor Meals: 7 Meals - 2 Photog, 2 Video, 1 DJ, 1 Photobooth, 1 Venue Coord.
Event Timeline
May 14, 2021
4:30 pm Begin setting up for rehearsal dinner at SHL, guests can begin arriving at this time.
5:30 pm Ceremony Rehearsal begins at Arbor
6:30 pm Dinner served by Old School Burger Bus at SHL
7:30 pm Thank yous to families and bridal party, day-of set up can begin now until 8:30 pm
8:30 pm To the Hotel Roanoke!
May 15, 2021
FINALLY!!!
8:00 am Bride, Bridesmaids and Moms, arrive at SHL for hair & makeup. Artistry by Jolina onsite
8:00 am IF NEEDED - remainder for reception setup!
Day of Setup Team - Chrissy and Amanda (Coordinating), Ushers, ???
9:00 am Morgan Smith Hair onsite
11:00 am Back Creek Studio (DJ) onsite
1:30 pm Groom & Groomsmen arrive at SHL
They will finish getting ready in the Taproom and begin taking pictures.
***Add vendors onsite times*** (Need Photog, Baker times)
2:00 pm Wedding Videographer onsite
2:15 pm Bride Dressing
3:00 pm Silly Shotz Photobooth onsite
3:30 pm Hank’s Catering onsite
4:00 pm Ceremony
4:30 pm Happy Hour
Silly Shotz Photobooth opens
5:30 pm Invite guests into the reception
5:45 pm Intros (see the last page)
Blessing by Cody (officiant)
6:00pm Dinner served, buffet
Silly Shotz Photobooth closes for dinner, will be reopened when done
7:00 pm First Dance - Better Today by Coffey Anderson Father Daughter Dance - You’ll Be In My Heart, Phil Collins
Mother Son Dance - My Wish by Rascal Flatts
Toasts by MOH - Lindsey, and Best Man - Tyler
7:20 pm Dance Floor Opens!!!
8:00 pm Anniversary Dance - Then by Brad Paisley
Cake Cutting - Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers
9:45 pm Last Dance for Guests - Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks 9:55 pm Private Last Dance - It Goes Like This by Thomas Rhett
10:00 pm Formal Exit, Pom Pom Shakers
Guests invited back to Hotel Roanoke for After Party
11:00 pm Cleanup must be finished and out of SHL!
