What should I include Wedding ceremony and reception time line?

Question

Im am writting out my time ine for my wedding. What should be included in it and what is usually the order it should be.

Answer 1

Anything and everything.

I've done event timelines before when I was a corporate event planner, and when you create the master copy for yourself (you should make simpler copies for your wedding party), you should include every detail possible, including time to eat a snack before your ceremony, last minute bathroom runs, etc. I know it sounds incredibly anal ad tedious, but you'll feel better on your wedding day knowing that you have everything planned out and have allowed extra time if things run late (always overestimate time).

Important things to include:

- Any time people are supposed to meet up (like at hair, make-up and nail appts).

- When things need to be done (ex. All groomsmen should report to hotel room no later than 12:30 p.m. to get ready).

- When vendors are expected to arrive (ex. When do you expect your bouquets to get to the site?).

- When everything should be set up for the ceremony and reception (chairs, tables, centerpieces).

- When the bride and the bridesmaids need to be ready for pre-wedding pictures, same goes for groomsmen (should coordinate with photographer).

- Coordinating getting to ceremony site (especially if you don't want to see each other before!).

Anything you can think of, add to a master list for you and your wedding coordinator if you have one. The separate "itinerary" for the wedding party should not include vendor information and such. They don't need to know that and it will confuse them.

Answer 2

Here is how we did our wedding day.

-Bride/Bridal party arrived at church 45 minutes before the ceremony to do pictures

-25 minutes before the ceremony the bride/bridal party went into the dressing room and the groom arrived

-Ceremony

-30 minutes for pictures at the church

-5 minute drive to Country Club

-30 minutes for pictures before the reception

-Introduction of Bridal party

-Introduction of Bride & Groom

-Salads served

-Toasts given by best man/maid of honor

-Dinner served

-First dance

-We didn't do a mother/son or father/daughter dance - but this is typically where you would have those

-All guests invited on the dance floor

-About an hour after that we cut the cake

-1/2 hour after we cut the cake we did the bouquet and garter toss

-Some more dancing

-Last song of the evening

Answer 3

it all depends on what you like. this is your day, not anyone elses.

You can have the reception before the ceremony to allow you and your future husband to leave the ceremony and go off to the honeymoon (or wherever) or after the ceremony.

Include the basic needs though. At the reception you need time for thing like the 1st dance of the married couple, the father daughter dance, meal time (dinner or lunch), speeches, thanks to all, dancing...etc. It's whatever you like. If you don't want any of that, then just plan it out according to what you like.

Also be sure to allow more time for things than you normally would. It's better to be ahead of schedual than to have everyone staying 2 hours extra while you still need to do 40 other things and the cake hasn't even been cut yet.