A Perfect Timeline for a Perfect Wedding

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If I could get every couple to obsess over one thing, it would be the timeline. More than the venue and more than the food, a well-planned schedule is what makes the whole day feel calm instead of frantic. Here's a sample to build from.

One quick note before the schedule: if you want everything from getting ready through the first dance, plan for around seven hours of photo coverage.

A sample timeline for a 3pm ceremony

• 1:00pm, getting ready, each of you separately (about 1 hour)
• 2:00pm, bridal party portraits (10 min)
• 2:10pm, buffer while guests arrive (20 min)
• 2:30pm, first look (30 min)
• 3:00pm, ceremony (30 to 60 min)
• 3:30pm, cocktail hour and family photos (1.5 hours)
• 5:00pm, grand entrance (15 min)
• 5:15pm, first dance (15 min)
• 5:30pm, dinner (30 min)
• 6:00pm, speeches and games (1.5 hours)
• 7:30pm, sunset portraits (15 min)
• 7:45pm, cake cutting (15 min)
• 8:00pm, toasts (15 min)
• 8:15pm, bouquet and garter toss (15 min)
• 8:30pm, open dancing (1.5 hours)
• 10:00pm, grand exit

A few things that make it work

• Build in buffer time. Something always runs a little late, and a bit of padding keeps one delay from knocking over the whole day.
• Schedule your portraits for the good light, especially sunset. That's when the magic happens.
• Spread the speeches across dinner courses so nobody's sitting through all of them at once.
• Scout your first-look and portrait spots ahead of time so you're not hunting for a location on the day.
• If you're outdoors, always have an indoor backup. The weather doesn't check your schedule.

Every wedding runs a little differently, so treat this as a starting point, not a rulebook. Send me your details and we'll shape one that fits your day exactly.