The most important thing you can do to minimize stress on your wedding weekend? Make a play-by-play schedule ahead of time for the entire weekend to help you and your wedding party know where to be and what to do at all times. Having a master timeline will keep everything in check—from the start time for getting ready to the wedding party introduction at the reception—and can also be helpful when planning out your vendor deliveries and setup and breakdown times. You can even use this timeline to make an itinerary for your guests to put in their welcome bags. We asked top wedding planners to share day-of timelines to give you a jumping-off point for making your own wedding weekend plan. Feel free to adapt for your own timing and priorities.
Once you’ve found an itinerary that’s perfect for you, we’ll help you craft your own fully customized (and totally free!) day-of wedding timeline—it’s easy, promise.
1. A Traditional Wedding Weekend Timeline: Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding and Brunch
A Friday evening rehearsal dinner, a Saturday evening wedding with an early evening start time, and a morning-after Sunday brunch is one of the most popular timelines for a wedding.
Wedding Planner: Xochitl Gonzalez, founder of AaB Creates
Thursday: Check-in and setup
1:00 p.m. Check-in
Friday: Rehearsal dinner
5:00 p.m. Rehearsal begins
7:00 p.m. Rehearsal dinner begins
10:00 p.m. Rehearsal dinner ends
Saturday: Wedding
9:00 a.m Hair and makeup arrive on-site
12:00 p.m. Bride begins hair and makeup
1:00 p.m. Photographer arrives on-site
1:45 p.m. Videographer arrives on-site
2:15 p.m. Bride gets into her wedding dress
2:40 p.m. Bride and groom first look and photos
3:30 p.m. Bridal party and family shots
Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››
3:30 p.m. Shuttles from hotels begin
4:30 p.m. Wedding party arrives on-site
4:30 p.m. Ceremony musicians arrive and begin to play
5:00 p.m. Wedding invitation start time/DJ or reception band to arrive on-site
6:00 p.m. Ceremony ends/cocktails begin
7:00 p.m. Cocktails ends and guests are ushered into the reception
7:20 p.m. Introduction and first dance—guests asked to join after
7:45 p.m. Guests take their seats and first course is served
8:00 p.m. Welcome speech from parents
8:10 p.m. First course cleared and main course set
8:45 p.m. Toasts from maid of honor and best man
9:00 p.m. Parent dances—father/daughter and mother/son dances
10:30 p.m. Cake cutting
10:30 p.m. First shuttle leaves for hotels
11:30 p.m. Second shuttle leaves for hotels
Sunday: Brunch
11:00 a.m. Brunch starts
1:00 p.m. Brunch ends
2. An Early Afternoon Wedding Weekend Timeline: Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding and Brunch
If your ceremony starts in the early afternoon, you’ll need to plan for a fast-paced morning-of timeline. That means getting a few details (like your nails) out of the way the day before or having an early start time. Take a look at the timeline for a wedding that starts at 2:00 p.m.
Wedding Planner: Heather Allen, Table 6 Productions
Friday: Rehearsal
10:00 a.m. Mani-pedi/beauty appointments
5:00 p.m. Rehearsal begins
6:00 p.m. Rehearsal ends
5:45 p.m. Shuttle pick-up for rehearsal dinner guests
6:30 p.m. Rehearsal dinner
9:30 p.m. Shuttle drop off at hotel for rehearsal dinner guests
Saturday: Wedding
7:15 a.m. Hair and makeup artists arrive
8:00 a.m. Hair and makeup appointment begin
9:00 a.m. Food and drinks delivered to the bride’s room
10:00 a.m. Wedding dress steam and prepped/photographer arrives for getting-ready photos
Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››
11:15 a.m. Bridesmaids finished getting ready
11:45 a.m. Bride puts on dress
12:00 p.m. Bride/father first look
12:15 p.m. Bride and bridesmaid portraits
12:30 p.m. Ceremony setup
1:30 p.m. Preceremony music begins
1:15 p.m. Family photos
1:30 p.m. Wedding party departs for ceremony
1:35 p.m. Guests arrive at the ceremony
1:50 p.m. Bride arrives with parents at the ceremony
2:00 p.m. Ceremony begins
3:00 p.m. Ceremony ends
3:10 p.m. Transportation for guests from the ceremony to reception
3:30 p.m. Couple photos at the ceremony location
4:00 p.m. Cocktail hour begins
5:30 p.m. Reception begins
6:00 p.m. Couple introduction and first dance
6:25 p.m. Father of the bride speech
6:30 p.m. Dinner first course served
6:50 p.m. Best man and maid of honor speeches
7:25 p.m. Dinner second course served
7:45 p.m. Parent dances
8:00 p.m. Dancing begins
8:30 p.m. Dessert course served
9:30 p.m. Cake cutting
11:30 p.m. Reception ends
Sunday: Brunch
10:00 a.m. Brunch
3. A Friday Wedding Timeline: Rehearsal Dinner and Wedding
If you’re starting off the weekend with your wedding, you’ll need to move up the timeline a day ahead. One important thing to consider when putting together a timeline for your Friday wedding is the start time. You may want the ceremony to begin in the evening so guests have time to get off work or travel in for your wedding day.
Wedding Planner: Heather Allen, Table 6 Productions
Thursday: Rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
3:00 p.m. Wedding rehearsal
6:00 p.m. Rehearsal dinner
Friday: Wedding
10:00 a.m. Setup for hair appointments
10:30 a.m. Hair appointments begin
11:00 a.m. Food delivered to bride’s room/lighting setup
12:00 p.m. Makeup appointments begin/chair covers and linens arrive
12:30 p.m. Food delivered to groom’s room
1:30 p.m. Bride gets makeup done
2:00 p.m. Ceremony setup begins
2:30 p.m. Photographer arrives to take getting-ready photos
Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››
4:15 p.m. Officiant arrives
4:20 p.m. Groomsmen arrive to start ushering guests
4:30 p.m. Guests start to arrive to the ceremony
4:55 p.m. Music begins
5:00 p.m. Ceremony begins
5:25 p.m. Ceremony ends
5:30 p.m. Cocktail hour begins
5:30–5:45 p.m. Couple take photos with wedding party and family
5:45–6:30 p.m. Couple takes photos alone
6:30 p.m. Guests are asked to take their seats in the dining room
6:45 p.m. Bridal party and groom are announced
7:00 p.m. First course of dinner is served
7:20 p.m. Maid of honor toast
7:50 p.m. Best man toast
8:30 p.m. Dancing begins
9:15 p.m. Bride tosses bouquet
12:00 p.m. Reception ends
4. An Indian Wedding Weekend Timeline: Mehndi Party, Wedding and Brunch
When it comes to planning out this timeline, consider which traditions and events you’ll include and how they’ll fit into the schedule. Start your wedding on a Thursday or Friday and you’ll have more time to fit in traditional Indian events like the mehndi party in addition to American wedding traditions like a welcome party or rehearsal dinner.
Wedding Planner: Xochitl Gonzalez, founder of AaB Creates
Thursday: Check-in and setup
Morning: Distribute gift bags
3:00 p.m. Guests begin to arrive
7:00 p.m. Welcome cocktails
9:00 p.m. Welcome cocktails end
Friday: Mehndi and welcome dinner
4:00 p.m. Mehndi party
6:30 p.m. Welcome dinner
8:30 p.m. Welcome dinner ends
Saturday: Wedding
10:30 a.m. Baraat
11:00 a.m. Anand karaj
12:30 p.m. Buffet lunch
6:30 p.m. Cocktail hour
7:30 p.m.—11:30 p.m. Reception
Sunday: Brunch
9:00 a.m.—11:oo a.m. Brunch
