9 Wedding Day Timeline Tips

When it comes to your wedding day, timing is everything! Running even a few minutes late has a knock on effect that can throw the whole day off track. A detailed timeline may be the most valuable tool in minimising stress and helping you to slow down and savour every moment of your day whether you’re a DIY couple or planning to work with a professional planner. 

It’s likely that this is your first time planning a wedding, and it can be hard to know how much time you need to set aside for each portion of the day. Remember that you have valuable resources in your suppliers, who are experienced and have been through countless weddings before, so they can give you their expert advice.

I’ve teamed up with James from The Event Shop, an award-winning, full-service Wedding Management & Planning company, to bring you our top tips to help you create the perfect timeline for your wedding day.

1. Consider the unique logistics of your wedding day

This is the who, what, where, when and how of your day! Where will you and your partner be getting ready? How long will it take to travel between locations? Are you planning on doing a 'First Look’ or any photos pre-ceremony? How long will your ceremony be? What time will food be served? When do you plan to take family photos and photos of the two of you? How many people are doing speeches? Are you doing a bouquet toss? When is your First Dance? What time is your evening food being served? When does the transport depart the venue after the wedding? I could carry on with the questions, but you get the idea.

2. Rely on your team of suppliers

You’ve picked the best of the best in your team of suppliers. We’ve experienced countless weddings so we’re great at making suggestions that cater to our areas of expertise. You have valuable resources in us and we are here to help, so never hesitate to ask us for our advice, recommendations, ideas and suggestions!

3. Build in some buffer

As you start creating your timeline, build in some buffer. Even an extra 10-15 minutes between each portion of the day will help minimise the knock on effect that can throw the whole day off track should something run slightly behind schedule. However, keep in mind that there are two parts of the day that really shouldn’t be adjusted - the ceremony start time and the time the caterers will start serving your guests.

4. Start with the ceremony and work backwards and forwards from there

The ceremony is the best place to start when creating a timeline because it is a fixed, central point in your day. By starting with the ceremony, you’ll be able to work back from there, to add the time you’ll need for each part of the morning, as well as working forward to plan all the post-ceremony fun - from the arrival drinks to the meal, the speeches to the First Dance, the evening’s entertainment and beyond.

5. Don’t keep your guests waiting

Your wedding day will feel like the fastest day of your life, so it’s important to allow for time to slow down and enjoy every moment of your day, and to be present with the friends and family you’ve chosen to celebrate with. Consider having a few quiet moments with your partner immediately after the ceremony. Split up bridal party portraits, family portraits, and portraits of the two of you so that you don’t keep your guests waiting… and so you can enjoy the celebrations with them!

6. Split up the portraits

A great way to ensure that you have plenty of time with your partner, and your friends and families is to split up the portraits. You can do some bridal party portraits ahead of the ceremony, saving only the combined bridal party portraits for after the ceremony. You can do some family portraits ahead of the ceremony, too, saving the combined family portraits for after the ceremony. You can also do just a few portraits of the two of you after the ceremony and before the reception, and then steal away for just 10-15 minutes during golden hour to capture some more - your photos will have a different look and feel being photographed in different light!

7. Share your timeline with your suppliers

Sharing is caring! Your wedding day timeline should be formatted clearly and given to all of your suppliers well in advance of the wedding so that everyone knows where they are supposed to be and when. Be sure to email the timeline to your suppliers at least a week before your wedding, and it wouldn’t hurt to have printed copies of your timeline at the ready, too. On the day of your wedding, your wedding planner or responsible person on the day should be the ‘keeper of the timeline’, making sure things are running smoothly, but also enlist a family or wedding party member, such as the maid of honour and best man, to keep an eye on the clock and make sure everything is going according to schedule.

8. Work with a wedding planner

It takes a lot of time and hard work to create your dream wedding. You want the day to go as perfectly as possible while you enjoy all of the fun and celebrations with your family and friends. Wedding planners are very detail-oriented and ensure that nothing is left out. These professionals know what weddings demand and are familiar with the fine details.

9. Take the pressure off

Most importantly, having a wedding day timeline means taking the pressure off you and your partner. A detailed timeline may be the most valuable tool in minimising stress and helping you slow down and enjoy every moment of your day. Whether you’re working with a wedding planner or not, you’ll need a detailed timeline. It helps your guests know where to be and when, it helps the caterers know when to be prepared to serve, it helps the DJ know when to be ready to get everyone hyped, and most importantly, it helps you be able to relax and enjoy THE BEST day of your lives!