Mindy Weiss on How to Create a Wedding Timeline

A wedding day timeline, also known as a day-of event schedule, is a detailed schedule of events for your wedding day. According to wedding planner Mindy Weiss, the wedding day timeline is the lifeblood of your big day.

“It won’t all happen exactly as you expect. Things may get longer, things may get shorter. But know this will relax you. [Your wedding timeline] will make you feel organized if you know what’s happening one after the other . . . Try not to wear a watch. That day is the day time stands still.” — Mindy Weiss

Here are some factors to consider when putting together your wedding day timeline:

1. 1. Get familiar with how much time each activity takes. Use sample timelines (like the ones below) to learn how long each wedding day activity typically takes. This will help ensure that you allot enough time for each activity. Talk to your wedding photographer to nail down a shot list. They should be able to provide a time estimate for each photoshoot and how best to take advantage of natural lighting. Your caterer, likewise, can provide crucial input on scheduling.
2. 2. Get a head start. Your wedding schedule can start several days before the wedding date if necessary. For example, some people throw events leading up to the wedding day itself, like a rehearsal dinner or family brunch. Include these events in your timeline to get a comprehensive view of your wedding weekend.
3. 3. Account for travel time. If you’re planning a destination wedding, be sure to include relevant flight and shuttle estimations in your timeline. If you’re planning a local wedding, but plan on navigating to various sites throughout the day, include those travel times as well. For example, if your bridal party is getting ready at an off-site location thirty minutes from the ceremony location, include the thirty-minute drive in your timeline.
4. 4. Be as specific as possible. Rather than glossing over events with catch-alls like “wedding ceremony,” “cocktail hour,” and “wedding reception,” break down events into specific moments. For example, the wedding reception could include the wedding party entrance, the newlyweds’ grand entrance, a welcome toast, first dances, cake cutting, bouquet toss, garter toss, and a grand exit—the specifics are up to you.
5. 5. Practice and adjust. “Everybody asks me, ‘Do we have to do a wedding rehearsal?’” Mindy says. “The answer always, forever is ‘yes.’” A rehearsal ensures everyone knows where they need to be when, allowing you to stick to your timeline.

“This is your wedding—your rules.” — Mindy Weiss

Depending on the size of your wedding, there might be plenty to schedule before the ceremony start time. Here’s a sample timeline:

• Couple and wedding party get ready at 8:00 a.m.: Depending on the size of your wedding party and the complexity of your looks, hair and makeup can take several hours. Talk to your hair stylist and makeup artist to get an idea of how much time to budget. Remember to take a break for lunch at around 11:00 a.m.
• First look at 1:00 p.m.: “There’s so much decisions about the first look,” Mindy says. “What is the first look? That is the first time you are seeing your partner that day. Some of my clients . . . want to do the first look—no matter what—when you're walking down the aisle. There are other clients that would like to do the first look earlier, for many reasons. They may be getting married later, so there’s not enough light. They want to get their pictures done [sooner], so they can enjoy the cocktail hour. Whatever your preference is, it must be captured.”
• Pre-ceremony photo shoot with wedding party at 1:30 p.m.: Once your wedding party fully dresses up but before guests start arriving is when you can take photos. You may also want family members included in this photoshoot. “Often, we have the children come with the family so that they don’t get too tired,” Mindy says.
• Pre-ceremony refreshments at 1:45 p.m.: Having refreshments available before the ceremony is a nice way to welcome your guests. “Often, we do not feed the guests at this, but we do offer them a nice cold drink, lemonade, if it's snowing out, some hot apple cider,” Mindy says.

“There are opportunities with certain weddings where they choose to do cocktails and hors d’oeuvres first, before the ceremony. That enables the late guests to get there a little later, although they’re missing the cocktails, and then they can make and not miss the ceremony itself.” — Mindy Weiss

“[In] current times the [couple] has really been customizing their ceremony based on what they feel they should include,” Mindy says. “As far as the order, it’s different for each ceremony.” Here’s what your ceremony timeline might entail:

• Ceremony starts at 2:00 p.m.: Religious wedding ceremonies can take much longer than one hour, but the average secular ceremony can conclude in as little as fifteen to thrity minutes. “If you’re getting married . . . at a house of worship there are very definite rules that we have to follow,” Mindy says. Whether or not your ceremony is religious, Mindy adds, “it’s great to involve your officiant in designing your own service.”
• Officiant and witnesses oversee signing of the marriage license at 3:10 p.m.: Your marriage license makes your marriage official. “The person that you choose to officiate your wedding is a very important decision,” Mindy says. “Not only does this person repeat vows, repeat prayers, repeat stories about the two of you, but they become instrumental in actually bringing the two of you together.”
• Family photos and cocktail hour at 4:00 p.m.: While you pose for family portraits and take photos with your bridal party, your guests could enjoy appetizers and a drink before the reception begins. “That’s typically an hour,” Mindy says. “Sometimes, we’ll have a wine-tasting bar, which is great if you’re having a soft bar, and there’ll be somebody behind there who can really introduce the wine.”

“I believe that vows are the most important part of a wedding . . . Because this is the promise. This is the validation of why you’re getting married.” — Mindy Weiss

The wedding ceremony has ended and now it’s time to celebrate. Here’s a template of a wedding reception timeline:

• Wedding reception begins at 5:00 p.m.: “They’ve eaten; they’ve had a drink. It’s time to go in for the reception,” Mindy says. “We give them about fifteen minutes to all get in, find their table, get settled.”
• Grand entrance and couple’s first dance at 5:15 p.m.: “We grab the couple,” Mindy says. “They come to the dance floor. They do their first dance. Often we invite the family or parents to join, and then we invite the wedding party and then everybody up there. So we have a captive audience, and everyone’s dancing.”
• Welcome toasts at 6:00 p.m.: After the first dance, “we invite the guests to sit down,” Mindy says. “Sometimes there is a person of worship there that may do a blessing before they serve the first course.”
• Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m.: If there will be toasts during the meal service, communicate your timeline with your caterer. “You want to avoid people serving food during the speeches,” Mindy says. “Not only is that rude, but it’s noisy. So let’s try to avoid that.”
• Wedding party toasts at 7:35 p.m.: “My favorite part,” Mindy says. “I would do the . . . main host speech right after dinner. Because it’s nice that they can invite up [one of the couple] to dance after their speech. It’s very heartwarming.”
• Dancing at 7:45 p.m.: “After that, it’s dancing,” Mindy says.
• Cake cutting at 8:30 p.m.: “It’s time to cut the cake,” Mindy adds. “That’s a great moment for the couple to speak, say your thank-yous, not only to the hosts . . . but also to the guests who have traveled and have joined you in your celebration.”
• Open the dance floor at 9:00 p.m.: Some of the best memories spawn on the dance floor. Make sure the videographer sticks around so you can remember the night forever.
• Grand exit at 10 p.m.: Assign someone to prepare the getaway car for your send-off. Distribute sparklers to your guests for the classic, grand finale photo. Some wedding venues have a cut-off time that you will have to schedule around.
• After-party at 11:00 p.m.: “Most recently, we have gone into after-parties, late-night food,” Mindy says. “This consists of greasy, junky food to absorb all of the spirits that you have consumed in the last five hours. It’s very optional. It’s not budget-friendly. But if it’s important to you, it’s really a fun addition to your celebration.”

Have a wedding to plan? Learn how to take on the process strategically. Discover Mindy Weiss’s approach to setting a budget, choosing a theme, and sending invitations when you sign up for the MasterClass Annual Membership.