The day, hour by hour
| Time | What happens | How long |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 AM | Hair & makeup begins | 2 h |
| 11:30 AM | Photographer arrives | 1 h |
| 12:30 PM | Getting ready photos | 1 h |
| 2:00 PM | First look | 30 min |
| 2:30 PM | Wedding party photos | 1 h |
| 4:00 PM | Ceremony | 45 min |
| 5:00 PM | Cocktail hour | 1 h |
| 6:00 PM | Grand entrance | 15 min |
| 6:30 PM | Dinner served | 1 h 15 min |
| 7:45 PM | Toasts | 30 min |
| 8:15 PM | First dance | 15 min |
| 9:00 PM | Cake cutting | 15 min |
| 9:15 PM | Dancing & celebration | 2 h 45 min |
| 12:00 AM | Grand exit | 15 min |
Change the ceremony time in the free wedding day timeline and the whole day moves with it.
Why 4 PM works for so many weddings
- A calm morning, and time for a first look and wedding-party photos before the ceremony.
- Dinner at a normal dinner time, so speeches and the first dance land in the evening.
- A full evening of dancing without a very late finish for most guests.
Make it work
- Ask your photographer when the light is softest on your date: in summer it often falls during the cocktail hour or dinner, so plan a short portrait break.
- Keep the cocktail hour to an hour: long enough for family photos, short enough that guests are still hungry, not hangry.
- Put the toasts before or between courses so the kitchen and the speakers both keep to time.
- Check the venue's closing time: dancing until 12:15 AM needs a late licence in many places.