Planning a wedding can be a very daunting and overwhelming task, so I thought I’d jot down some notes on each section of the day and give you some example timings that allows you to relax and enjoy the day. First things first, I thought it would be useful to give you an example timeline of the day.
How to nail a super fun wedding timeline!
Example timeline for a Summer Wedding For those getting married between May – September:
11:30am – Photographer arrives for Prep 1:30pm
Photographer leaves for/ goes to venue/ceremony area for guest arrival
2:00pm Ceremony
2:30pm Ceremony ends – confetti!
2:30 – 4:15pm Drinks reception
3:15pm Group Photos
3:45pm Couple Portraits
4:15pm Food
6:00pm Speeches
7:00pm Downtime for fun in the evening/ evening guests arrive 8:00pm First dance 8:45pm Golden hour couple portraits* (check time of sunset as this time)
Example timeline for a winter Wedding For those getting married between Oct – April:
11:30am – Photographer arrives for Prep
1:30pm Photographer leaves for/ goes to venue/ceremony area for guest arrival
2:00pm Ceremony
2:30pm Ceremony ends – confetti!
2:30 – 4:15pm Drinks reception
2:45pm Group Photos 3:15pm Couple Portraits
4:15pm Food / Sunset
6:00pm Speeches
7:00pm Downtime for fun in the evening/ evening guests arrive
8:00pm First dance
8:45pm Night time portraits
9:00pm Party!
How long does everything take? A lot longer than you think! It really is a surprise to so many brides that time just whizzes of during their special day. I would advise any bride to leave a load more time than you first thought. Leave plenty of time for overruns, redo's, packing a bag and applying tit tape! Ideally it’s good to be ready 30 mins before you need to leave so you have some time to relax, have a glass of fizz and enjoy the last moments.
Most non-religious ceremonies last 20-30 mins so just enjoy! It’s worth asking your Vicar/ Priest / Registrar / Celebrant how long they anticipate the ceremony lasting. You may also have to do an interview before the ceremony so make sure you allow extra time for this so things don’t overrun.