Your timeline can make or break your wedding day, and it’s one of the things I help every couple plan. Here’s how long each part of the day takes, plus sample timelines you can steal for every kind of wedding.
How Long Does Each Part Take?
- Hair and makeup: About 45 minutes to an hour per person. Finish an hour before you get dressed.
- Getting dressed: 20-30 minutes.
- Details photos: About 30 minutes while you finish getting ready.
- First look + portraits: 20-30 minutes for the two of you.
- Wedding party photos: 20-30 minutes.
- Family photos: 20-30 minutes. Send me your list ahead of time!
- Ceremony: Usually 20-30 minutes. Religious ceremonies can run an hour or longer.
- Cocktail hour: About an hour.
- Reception: About 4 hours, with dinner, toasts, dances, and the party.
Sample Timeline: 5:00 PM Ceremony With a First Look
- 12:00 PM: Hair and makeup underway, photographer arrives
- 1:00 PM: Detail photos
- 2:00 PM: Getting dressed
- 2:45 PM: First look and couple portraits
- 3:30 PM: Wedding party photos
- 4:00 PM: Hide away and relax before the ceremony
- 5:00 PM: Ceremony
- 5:30 PM: Family photos, then cocktail hour
- 6:30 PM: Grand entrance and first dance
- 6:45 PM: Dinner
- 7:30 PM: Toasts
- 7:45 PM: Parent dances, then the party starts
- Golden hour: 20 minutes of sunset portraits
- 9:45 PM: Cake cutting
- 10:30 PM: Send-off
The big win with a first look: almost all your photos are done before the ceremony, so you actually get to enjoy cocktail hour!
Sample Timeline: 5:00 PM Ceremony Without a First Look
- 1:00 PM: Photographer arrives, details and getting ready
- 3:00 PM: Getting dressed
- 3:30 PM: Individual portraits and photos with your wedding party separately
- 5:00 PM: Ceremony
- 5:30 PM: Family photos
- 6:00 PM: Wedding party photos together
- 6:15 PM: Couple portraits (you’ll join cocktail hour late)
- 6:45 PM: Reception begins
Sample Timeline: Micro Wedding
- 2:00 PM: Getting ready and details
- 3:30 PM: First look and portraits
- 4:30 PM: Ceremony
- 5:00 PM: Family photos, then champagne toast
- 5:30 PM: Long-table dinner with toasts
- Golden hour: Sunset portraits
- 8:00 PM: Dessert and dancing
Sample Timeline: Elopement
- Morning: Getting ready, hair and makeup
- Afternoon: Ceremony, private vows, and portraits
- Golden hour: More portraits in your favorite spot
- Evening: Celebration dinner
Planning a City Hall wedding? Here’s my NYC elopement guide.
When Do Toasts, Dinner, and Dances Happen?
Most couples do their grand entrance and first dance, then dinner, then toasts during or right after dinner, then parent dances and open dancing. Doing toasts during dinner keeps the night moving, and gets them done while everyone is still seated and paying attention.
My Wedding Day Timeline Tips
- Plan around sunset. Look up sunset for your date and save 20 minutes for portraits right before it.
- Add buffer time. Build in 15-30 minutes for hair running late or travel.
- Make a family photo list. It’s the easiest way to keep this part fast.
- Share it with everyone. Send your final timeline to your vendors and wedding party a week before.
Free Download: My Wedding Day Timeline
Want something you can print, save or send to your vendors? Download my free wedding day timeline. It walks through a full day, hour by hour, for a 5:00 PM ceremony with a first look. Shift every time to fit your own ceremony and sunset.
Want help building your timeline? It’s one of my favorite parts of planning! Reach out here.
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