A well-orchestrated wedding day starts with a thoughtfully planned timeline, and creating a wedding day timeline can truly be a work of art! …But where do you start? And what elements need to be included? There are a lot of things to consider! While we are strong advocates of hiring a wedding planner or wedding coordinator to help manage your day, we understand not every couple chooses to do so. And we also understand how overwhelming the wedding planning process can be, which is why Brontë Bride is here to help guide couples on their wedding planning journey, and provide you with the tools to feel confident in your planning and enjoy your wedding day!
Today’s post is all about how to put together your own timeline in a way that works best for you, and we’re happy to have local Wedding Manager & Coordinator, Ashley from Fiore Fine Events, joining us to share her professional advice and expertise! We’ve broken it down into 7 different sections: General Timing & Order of Events, Getting Ready, Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, Dinner & Speeches, Dancing, and End of The Night. Each section outlines the key things to consider, questions to ask yourself as you work through your timeline, as well as wedding timeline tips from Fiore Fine Events. You’ll also find a couple free resources from Brontë Bride’s Wedding Resource Library available below too!
General Timing & Order of Events
Things to Consider:
• What time will the sun set on your wedding day?
• What time of year/season is your wedding happening in?
• Are you wanting to have a first look and do some portraits before the ceremony?
• How many hours of coverage do you require from your photographer?
• Will you be doing a first look?
Photo: Rocky Mountain Photo Co.
Ashley’s Wedding Timeline Tip:
“Keep in mind that there is limited daylight in winter months from November to February, so you’ll need to arrange your timeline in a way that accommodates an earlier sunset. Doing a first look will give you more flexibility with timing since that means some of your portraits will happen before the ceremony. If you don’t want to do a first look, you’ll want to look at having an earlier ceremony time so that you still have daylight for photos even after the ceremony is complete.”
Our Resources
Getting Ready
Things to Consider:
• Who will be getting their hair and makeup done by the hair & makeup team?
• What time does everyone need to be ready by?
• Are you wanting both parties to have their getting ready photos captured?
• Will you have only 1 photographer capturing both parties, or will there be a second shooter present?
• Which part(s) of the getting ready process are you wanting captured on photo/video?
• Will your special details, stationery, etc., be organized and ready to give to your photographer?
Photo: Kadie Hummel Photography
Ashley’s Wedding Timeline Tip:
“If you have a second shooter, then it’s very easy to plan for getting ready photos of both parties. If you only have one photographer, then their time will need to be split between photos of the groom and his party and the bride and her party. It’s usually the simplest to have photos of the groom’s party first, since they don’t need all the time for hair and makeup.”
Our Resources
Ceremony
Things to Consider:
• How many people will be walking in the processional? (ie: walking down the aisle as part of your ceremony)
• Will you be writing/reading your own personal vows?
• Will there be any special components, such as religious or cultural elements, readings, or personal additions?
Photo: Ashley Daphne Photography
Ashley’s Wedding Timeline Tip:
“A typical ceremony is usually around 30 minutes in length, including the processional. However, there are certain factors that might make it longer. Weather is also another factor to consider: If you’re getting married outside in the middle of July, try to plan for a shorter ceremony so your guests aren’t burning up in the heat! Or if you’re having an outdoor ceremony when it’s still cold outside, you don’t want your guests to have to stay in the cold for long.”
Photos
Things to Consider:
• Will you be doing a first look with your partner?
• Are you planning any other special photo moments/first looks? (ie: first look with bridesmaids, first look with father of the bride, reading letters/opening gifts, etc.)
• How large is your wedding party?
• How many different combinations/arrangements are you planning to have taken during family photos?
• Are you wanting to set aside time for portraits at golden hour?
• How many hours do you need to book your photography/videography team for, in order make sure they will be present for every moment that you’re wanting captured?
Photo: Sue Moodie Photography
Ashley’s Wedding Timeline Tip:
“There are several things to consider photo-wise when planning your wedding day timeline. Think about which moments are most important to you to have captured. Some standard photo opportunities to consider are: getting ready photos, a first look, family photos, couple’s portraits, wedding party photos, golden hour portraits, as well as photos of you with your guests, speeches, cutting your cake, having your first dance, father/daughter dance or mother/son dance and even photos of you and your guests breaking it down on the dance floor.“
Our Resources
Cocktail Hour
Things to Consider:
• What portraits will need to be taken between the ceremony and the reception? (ie: couple’s portraits, wedding party photos, family photos)
• How long will your photographer need for family photos?
• Are you wanting to join cocktail hour with your guests?
• Will you be serving food to your guests during cocktail hour?
• Does your planner/venue team need time to flip the space for the reception?
Photo: Sue Moodie Photography
Ashley’s Wedding Timeline Tip:
“Think about what still needs to happen and what’s important to you when determining how long your cocktail hour will be. Do you need to get all your photos (couple portraits, wedding party and family) during cocktail hour because you didn’t do a first look? Or maybe you are planning to have most or all of your photos taken before the ceremony, and you would like to enjoy cocktail hour with your guests. Keep in mind that if the majority of the photos need to be taken after the ceremony, there may not be much time leftover to enjoy cocktail hour with your guests, unless you plan to have a gap between the ceremony ending and cocktail hour beginning. If you are having the ceremony and reception at two different locations, or if the venue requires time to flip the room from the ceremony set up to the dinner set up, then you’ll need to plan for a longer break between your ceremony and reception.“
Dinner & Speeches
Things to Consider:
• Will you be doing a grand entrance? (welcoming the new couple – or the whole wedding party – at the start of the reception)
• What type of dinner service will you be providing at the reception? (ie: buffet, plated, family style)
• How many people will be giving speeches?
• When will you be giving your thank you toast/speech?
• If you’re doing a cake cutting, when will that be happening?
• Are there any additional activities, traditions, or experiences that you’ll be adding to the reception schedule? (ie: slideshow, shoe game, kissing game)
Photo: Sue Moodie Photography
Ashley’s Wedding Timeline Tip:
“We usually recommend doing speeches throughout dinner, especially if you have quite a few. Guests can sometimes get bored if they don’t have anything to do while speeches are happening. Some couples choose to close the bar and have catering staff wait to serve or clean up dishes during speeches, to decrease interruptions. A plated dinner takes longer, so speeches may need to be more spread out. Whereas, a buffet happens all at once so you can usually start speeches shortly after dinner begins and keep them going while guests are finishing up their meal.”
Our Resources
Dancing
Things to Consider:
• When will you be having your first dance (as the newlywed couple)?
• How many other dances are you planning to have scheduled as well? (ie: father/daughter, mother/son, full wedding party)
• Which songs have you chosen, and how long are they?
• When do you want the dancing/party portion of the evening to officially begin?
Photo: Kadie Hummel Photography
Ashley’s Wedding Timeline Tip:
“The most common time for couples to have their first dance is after the dinner, speeches and cake cutting/dessert service has happened. Keep in mind that if you want photos of this, it needs to be scheduled within your photography hours.“
End of the Night
Things to Consider:
• Will you be having a late night snack?
• How many hours is your DJ booked for?
• What time is last call?
• What time will the bar stop serving drinks?
• What time does the venue say everyone needs to be out by?
• Are you required to have all your decor and rentals packed up at the end of the night as well? Or can you/your vendor team take down the following day?
• Will you be having some sort of send-off? (ie: sparkler send off)
• Will there be any transportation services available for guests at the end of the night? (ie: shuttle service, alternative option for guests instead of driving home themselves)
Photo: Ashley Daphne Photography
Ashley’s Wedding Timeline Tip:
“If you’re wanting to do a sparkler send off, I usually suggest a “fake” send off around 9:30 or 10pm just before your photographer is done for the night.“
Tips from the Pros
From Contributor,
Ashley from Fiore Fine Events
Fiore Fine Events is a Calgary-based wedding and event company that specializes in Management and Planning Assistance.
Cover Photo: Sue Moodie Photography
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