Wedding day·Free, no account

Wedding day timeline.

Build a sample wedding day schedule around your ceremony time, from getting ready to the send-off. Adjust the first look and reception length, then confirm the timings with your suppliers.

Revised 30 June 2026

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Your day · ceremony at 4:00 PM
4:00 PM ceremony

From 11:00 AM when hair and makeup begins to 9:30 PM at the send-off, here is the run of the day, set around your ceremony.

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  1. 11:00 AM
    Hair & makeup begins
    Allow five hours for a party of four to six.
    1
  2. 2:00 PM
    Photographer arrives
    Details, dress, and getting-ready frames.
    2
  3. 2:30 PM
    First look & couple’s portraits
    A private moment before the guests.
    3
  4. 2:45 PM
    Wedding party & family photos
    Done early so you join your own cocktail hour.
    4
  5. 3:30 PM
    Guests arrive & are seated
    Doors open; ushers seat the front rows.
    5
  6. 4:00 PM
    Ceremony begins
    Processional to recessional, about thirty minutes.
    6
  7. 4:30 PM
    Cocktail hour begins
    Drinks and canapés while the room is turned.
    7
  8. 5:30 PM
    Grand entrance & guests seated
    Introductions, then everyone finds their table.
    8
  9. 5:45 PM
    Dinner is served
    Courses out; the room settles in.
    9
  10. 6:30 PM
    Toasts
    Keep them to three; warn the speakers in advance.
    10
  11. 6:50 PM
    First dance
    Then straight into the night.
    11
  12. 7:00 PM
    Parent dances
    Optional, many couples fold these in.
    12
  13. 7:15 PM
    The floor opens
    Band or DJ takes it from here.
    13
  14. 8:00 PM
    Cake cutting
    A quiet lull, then back to dancing.
    14
  15. 9:30 PM
    Last dance & send-off
    Sparklers, a getaway car, or simply the lights up.
    15
Planning note

Confirm photo timings with your photographer and meal service with your caterer. Add travel time between venues and leave room for delays before sharing the final schedule.

Plan the months
The longer view.

Back from the wedding date to today, 36 milestones across eight phases.

Open the planning timeline →
See it in place
A day on a wedding site.

The run of the day beside the schedule and travel, set into a site built like a card.

See a live example →
For your party
One schedule, everyone has it.

Add your confirmed events to an Aisle wedding website so guests can find the schedule and travel details.

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Timelines by ceremony time
1 PM ceremony2 PM ceremony3 PM ceremony4 PM ceremony5 PM ceremony6 PM ceremony7 PM ceremony

Common questions

How do I make a wedding day timeline?

Start with your ceremony time, then work backward through getting ready, photographs and travel. Add the reception events afterward. This generator provides sample timings; confirm the duration of each part with your venue and suppliers.

What time should the ceremony start?

Consider sunset, temperature, travel time, venue access and when the reception must finish. Ask your photographer and venue which times work for your date and location. The right time depends on the day you are planning.

Does a first look change the timeline?

Yes. The first-look option puts couple and group photographs before the ceremony. Without it, those photographs move into cocktail hour. Confirm the time needed and the people involved with your photographer.

How long should the reception be?

Choose four, five or six hours in the generator, including cocktail hour. It adjusts the sample send-off time to match. Check your venue access, catering schedule and any additional staffing or bar charges before setting the final duration.

For agentsThe same numbers are callable as get_day_of_timeline over the Aisle MCP server, in ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor.

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