A sample timeline for a 4 p.m. ceremony
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 10:00 | Hair and makeup begin |
| 12:30 | Photographer arrives; details and getting-ready photos |
| 1:30 | Lunch break (actually eat) |
| 2:15 | Get dressed; first look at 2:45 (optional) |
| 3:00 | Wedding party and family photos |
| 3:30 | Guests arrive; couple out of sight |
| 4:00 | Ceremony |
| 4:30 | Cocktail hour; remaining family photos |
| 5:30 | Reception begins |
| 10:30 | Last dance and send-off |
Change the ceremony time in the wedding day timeline builder and it recalculates everything. More examples for 2, 3, 5 and 6 p.m. ceremonies are in wedding day timeline examples.
Hand it over
Give one person the authority to answer vendor questions, and give every vendor that person’s number. Share one current timeline (with a version date) with vendors, the wedding party and parents. Read the wedding-week handoff checklist.
Pack by destination
Label boxes for the ceremony, reception, getting-ready room and going home. Inside each: a contents list and who is responsible. Tip envelopes, the marriage license and rings go with one named person.
The night before
Lay out your outfit, charge everything, pack the emergency kit, confirm transport, eat properly and go to bed at a reasonable hour. The night-before checklist covers the rest.
Weather and backup plans
For outdoor weddings: decide the deadline for switching to plan B, who makes the call, and what the tent or indoor layout looks like for your guest count. See the outdoor weather plan.
Enjoy the day itself
Things will go slightly off-plan. Guests rarely notice, and the moments you’ll remember are almost never the ones on the schedule.
