Wedding Day Timeline: Everything You Need to Know

Time: 1 hour

Depending on the logistics of your wedding reception, cocktail hour typically begins immediately after the ceremony if the ceremony and reception are at the same venue, or about 30 minutes later if travel is involved. During this time, guests can queue up for a drink at the bar, and the catering staff will typically serve hors d’oeuvres as well as passed drinks. This is a great opportunity to sneak out with your photographer for photos.

Time: 15 minutes

Following cocktail hour, guests are invited to take their seats for dinner.

Time: 10 minutes

Once everyone has found their seats, the newlyweds are formally introduced to wedding guests, often to a lot of fanfare. Some couples opt to precede their reception grand entrance with an introduction of the wedding party members.

Time: 5 minutes

Keep the energy high by transitioning straight into your first dance with your bride or groom. You can certainly choose to dance for a full song, or you can ask your band or DJ to fade out the song about two minutes in. If you think your crowd will be itching to get on the dance floor, you can also schedule a dance set consisting of three to five songs after the first dance to get the party started before dinner.

Photo by: Leah Gun

Time: 5 minutes

Following your first dance, you and your new spouse might want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for attending. The parents or a family member of the couple typically also offer a welcome toast, thanking guests and inviting everyone to enjoy the meal.

Time: 45 minutes

Typically dinner will last about 45 minutes, depending on the meal-service style you choose for your reception (buffet, family-style, traditional three-course dinner, etc.).

Time: 10 minutes

Wedding party members—namely, the maid of honor and best man——are usually invited to say a few words between courses. This way, you’re spreading the emotional moments throughout the meal, which will help keep guests engaged. Encourage toasters to keep their speeches under four minutes.

Photo by: Ed & Aileen Photography

Time: 10–15 minutes

Following the last parent dance, ask your band or DJ to switch to a high-energy song to get guests out of their seats and onto the dance floor.

Time: 10 minutes

It’s becoming increasingly common to skip these traditions, so don’t feel compelled to include them in your reception schedule. Some alternatives: Have a garter on hand for tossing that’s never actually worn (or removed!), or make the bouquet toss coed.

Time: 10 minutes

About one hour before the reception ends, the catering staff should start preparing tables for dessert and coffee. Cake cutting generally signals to guests that it's okay for them to leave soon thereafter, so don't schedule it too early or else things could start wrapping up before you're ready. This is also a good time to say a few words and thank guests for coming, if you haven’t already done so.

Photo by: Alyssa Lizarraga

Time: 5 minutes

It’s back to open dancing until the last song, which should be scheduled 10 minutes before the conclusion of the reception.

Time: 5 minutes

Your band or DJ can encourage everyone to head outside for the grand exit (more on that in a sec); as they gather outside, you and your spouse can share one final dance, just the two of you.

Time: 5 minutes

Some couples depart amid a sparkler send-off, while others opt for celebratory bells for guests to ring or noisemakers. Grab each other’s hand and make a dash for your getaway car.

This is the most common scenario, where both the ceremony and reception are held at the same venue. This means cocktail hour can begin right after the ceremony has concluded, followed by dinner, toasts, dancing, and cake. Note that the schedule below assumes that the bride, groom, and their attendants will be getting ready at an offsite location (such as someone's home or a hotel), then traveling to the wedding venue.

10:00 a.m. Hair and makeup artists arrive/getting ready

11:00 a.m. Vendors arrive for setup

12:00 p.m. Bride begins hair and makeup

1:00 p.m. Photographer arrives, begins shooting getting-ready photos

2:15 p.m. Bride gets into her wedding dress

2:40 p.m. Couple’s "first look" and portraits

3:30 p.m. All wedding party members arrive at wedding venue

4:00 p.m. Wedding party and family photos with the couple

4:30 p.m. Guests begin to arrive/pre-ceremony music starts

5:00 p.m. Ceremony starts

6:00 p.m. Ceremony ends/cocktail hour begins

7:00 p.m. Cocktail hour ends/guests are invited into the reception

7:15 p.m. Newlyweds' introduction and first dance

7:20 p.m. All guests invited onto the dance floor

7:45 p.m. Guests return to their seats/first course is served

8:00 p.m. Welcome toast

8:15 p.m. First course is cleared and main course is served

8:45 p.m. Best man and maid of honor toasts

9:00 p.m. Parent dances (father-daughter dance and mother-son dance)

9:10 p.m. All guests are invited onto the dance floor

10:00 p.m. Cake cutting/dessert is served

10:50 p.m. Last song

10:55 p.m. Guests depart

11:00 p.m. Last dance

Midnight Breakdown complete

Say you're having an afternoon wedding ceremony at a church and then a nighttime dinner reception. Aim to keep the amount of time between the ceremony and reception around two to three hours; assuming both venues and the hotel are within 30 minutes of each other, that gives guests enough time to go back to the hotel to change and grab a bite or take a quick nap.

8:00 a.m. Hair and makeup artists arrive/getting ready

9:00 a.m. Bride begins hair and makeup

10:00 a.m. Photographer arrives, begins shooting getting-ready photos

11:00 a.m. Bride gets into her wedding dress

Ceremony vendors arrive for ceremony setup

12:00 p.m. All wedding party members arrive at ceremony venue

12:15 p.m. Couples' "first look" and portraits

1:00 p.m. Wedding party and family photos with the couple

1:30 p.m. Guests begin to arrive/pre-ceremony music starts

2:00 p.m. Ceremony starts

2:45 p.m. Ceremony ends/guests have a break before the reception begins

3:00 p.m. Reception vendors arrive for reception setup

3:30 p.m. All guests depart from ceremony site

4:00 p.m. Ceremony site cleaned up/vendors depart

4:30 p.m. Reception doors open/guests begin to arrive

5:00 p.m. Reception invite time/cocktail hour begins

6:30 p.m. Cocktail hour ends/guests are invited into the reception

6:45 p.m. Newlyweds' introduction and first dance

All guests invited onto the dance floor

7:15 p.m. Guests return to their seats/first course is served

7:30 p.m. Welcome toast

7:45 p.m. First course is cleared and main course is served

8:15 p.m. Best man and maid of honor toasts

8:45 p.m. Parent dances (father-daughter dance and mother-son dance)

9:00 p.m. All guests invited onto the dance floor

10:00 p.m. Cake cutting/dessert is served

10:50 p.m. Last song

10:55 p.m. Guests depart

11:00 p.m. Last dance

Midnight Breakdown complete

There are many pros to having an AM wedding. First of all, brunch receptions can be more affordable than evening weddings—venues might have lower rental rates since your event isn't during peak hours, brunch fare tends to be less pricey than traditional dinner entrees, and your alcohol tab will likely be lower. But you will have to get up early (sorry, there's no way around it!), and the getting ready process might feel a bit hectic. To ease the morning rush, it's best to get ready at the venue, if possible.

7:00 a.m. Hair and makeup artists arrive/getting ready

7:30 a.m. Bride begins hair and makeup

Photographer arrives, begins shooting getting-ready photos

8:00 a.m. Vendors arrive for setup

8:30 a.m. Bride gets into her wedding dress

9:00 a.m. Wedding party and family photos start

9:30 a.m. Guests begin to arrive/pre-ceremony music starts

10:00 a.m. Ceremony starts

10:30 a.m Ceremony ends/mimosa bar opens

Couples' portraits

11:00 a.m. Newlyweds' introduction

11:05 a.m. Brunch reception begins

11:45 p.m. Best man and maid of honor toasts

12:15 p.m. First dance

All guests invited onto the dance floor

12:45 p.m. Cake cutting/dessert is served

1:20 p.m. Last song

1:25 p.m. Guests depart

1:30 p.m. Last dance

2:30 p.m. Breakdown complete

If you prefer something more low-key than a traditional sit-down dinner, consider the cake and punch reception. Back in the day, these types of celebrations were pretty common—wedding ceremonies were usually held in a church, followed by a cake and punch reception in the church basement. These days, couples are putting a modern spin on the idea, serving an array of tasty hors d'oeuvres, sweets, and drinks in lieu of a sit-down dinner. And contrary to popular belief, a cake and punch reception does not mean a dry wedding. Since you won’t be serving a full meal, schedule your reception in the afternoon.

8:00 a.m. Hair and makeup artists arrive/getting ready

9:00 a.m. Bride begins hair and makeup

10:00 a.m. Photographer arrives, begins shooting getting-ready photos

11:00 a.m. Bride gets into her wedding dress

Vendors arrive for setup

12:00 p.m. All wedding party members arrive at wedding venue

12:15 p.m. Couples’ "first look" and portraits

1:00 p.m. Wedding party and family photos start

1:30 p.m. Guests begin to arrive/pre-ceremony music starts

2:00 p.m. Ceremony starts

2:30 p.m. Ceremony ends

Guests move to reception space/light bites and drinks are served

3:30 p.m. Cake cutting/dessert is served

3:45 p.m. First dance

All guests invited onto the dance floor

5:20 p.m. Last song

5:25 p.m. Guests depart

5:30 p.m. Last dance

6:30 p.m. Breakdown complete

Turn the traditional cocktail hour into the main event with nonstop rounds of hors d'oeuvres and small plates. If you plan the food and drink menu right, your guests will be fully satiated even without a sit-down meal, and you'll end up with a more relaxed-yet-festive atmosphere. If that sounds like your ideal wedding vibe, just be sure to word your invitations precisely so guests won't arrive expecting a five-course dinner by saying something like, "cocktail reception to follow" or "cocktails and hors d'oeuvres to follow.” (We have tons of intel on how to word your wedding invitations, plus we offer free consultations with our stationery experts.)

10:00 a.m. Hair and makeup artists arrive/getting ready

11:00 a.m. Bride begins hair and makeup

12:00 p.m. Photographer arrives, begins shooting getting-ready photos

1:00 p.m. Bride gets into her wedding dress

2:00 p.m. Vendors arrive for setup

3:00 p.m. All wedding party members arrive at wedding venue

3:15 p.m. Couples' "first look" and portraits

4:00 p.m. Wedding party and family photos start

4:30 p.m. Guests begin to arrive/pre-ceremony music starts

5:00 p.m. Ceremony starts

5:30 p.m. Ceremony ends

Cocktail party reception begins/bar opens/ first round of hors d'oeuvres are passed

6:00 p.m. Sunset couples' portraits

6:45 p.m. "Dinner" rounds of food (heavier menu items) are passed

7:15 p.m. Best man and maid of honor toasts

7:30 p.m. First dance

All guests invited onto the dance floor

9:00 p.m. Cake cutting/dessert is served

9:50 p.m. Last song

9:55 p.m. Guests depart

10:00 p.m. Last dance

11:00 p.m. Breakdown complete