Free interactive tool
Wedding day timeline builder
Enter five details. Get a minute-by-minute timeline with vendor overlap, golden-hour portraits, and the planner buffers most templates leave out.
Your timeline
| Time | What | Who's running it |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Hair & makeup begins | Couple + bridal party |
| 1:30 PM | First look | Couple + photographer |
| 1:45 PM | Couple portraits | Photographer |
| 2:30 PM | Wedding party photos | Photographer + party |
| 3:15 PM | Guests arrive / prelude music | DJ/musicians + ushers |
| 3:30 PM | Family photos start | Photographer + family |
| 3:45 PM | Final getting-ready buffer | Planner |
| 4:00 PM | Ceremony begins | Officiant + couple |
| 4:30 PM | Cocktail hour starts | Caterer + bar |
| 5:30 PM | Guests seated for reception | Planner + DJ |
| 5:35 PM | Grand entrance | Couple + DJ |
| 5:45 PM | Welcome toast + blessing | Host |
| 5:50 PM | Dinner service begins | Caterer |
| 6:45 PM | Toasts (best man + maid of honor) | Host |
| 7:00 PM | Golden hour portraits (sneak away) | Couple + photographer |
| 7:00 PM | First dance + parent dances | Couple + DJ |
| 7:15 PM | Dance floor opens | DJ |
| 8:00 PM | Cake cutting | Couple + caterer |
| 8:30 PM | Late-night snack drop (pizza/tacos) | Caterer |
| 9:20 PM | Last call + send-off setup | Bar + planner |
| 9:30 PM | Grand exit / send-off | Everyone |
The 5 things this timeline gets right that most don't
- First-look math. If you do one, prep starts 5 hours before the ceremony (not 4) and 90% of portraits happen before guests arrive.
- Golden-hour portraits. 30 minutes before sunset, sneak away for 10 minutes. The photos are non-negotiable; the timeline above auto-places it.
- 15-minute pre-ceremony buffer. Something always goes wrong. Build the buffer in.
- Late-night snack at hour 3. Pizza, tacos, or sliders at the dance floor stretch the night and lower the morning hangover count.
- Cake cutting at hour 2.5, not the end. People leave after cake — push it to the natural energy peak instead.
Save and share this timeline
Sign up for Wedding Planner Central ($19/month) to save this timeline to your wedding, share it with your planner, photographer, DJ, and caterer in one click, and get auto-notifications if any vendor's arrival time slips.