Wedding Day Timeline: Plan Like a Pro

From Getting Ready to Happily Ever After – your Ultimate day-of schedule

Planning your wedding day schedule might feel overwhelming, but trust me - the hardest part is just getting started! I hear it all the time in client meetings: “Wow, I hadn’t even thought about that part of the day!” That’s exactly why I’m here - to walk you through a tried-and-true wedding day timeline that sets the foundation for a smooth, stress-free celebration. While every wedding is unique, the basic structure is generally the same and I’ll help you build a schedule that flows effortlessly.

Where to Begin?

The best way to start designing your day-of schedule is by dialing in two key moments:

• What time does my ceremony begin?

• When will dinner be served?

Once you have these two anchors in place, the rest of your timeline will start to fall into place. One crucial detail to consider early on is the gap between your ceremony and dinner - nobody likes to be stuck waiting too long. Keeping this transition as seamless as possible will ensure your guests stay engaged and energized.

From my experience, the most popular wedding timelines include a 4:00 PM ceremony followed by dinner around 6:30 PM - a perfect balance of celebration and flow. Now, let’s dive deeper and craft the perfect schedule for your big day!

TIMELINE BREAKDOWN

Now that we’ve set the foundation, let’s walk through a sample timeline to see how your big day could flow! This example includes a First Look, but don’t worry - I’ve also included a timeline without one later in the post.

One major perk of a First Look? You can get most of your wedding photos done ahead of time, meaning your ceremony and dinner stay closer together on the schedule. That way, guests don’t have to wait around too long while you’re off taking pictures and you’ll be able to enjoy some if not all of your cocktail hour.

Everyone gets to the bar a little earlier.

A Few Must-Know Tips Before You Start

Mind Your Distance: Be sure to factor in travel time. Consider how far apart your getting-ready locations are for your wedding party and account for any extra time your photographer or vendors may need. If you're heading to multiple photo locations, plan accordingly so you're not rushing. Many all-in-one resorts in Muskoka have lodging and venue all on-site which is ideal.

Plan for Delays: Let’s be real, wedding days rarely run on time. Small delays (like travel, a fussy boutonniere or last-minute touch-ups) can add up. Build in a little buffer time so that if things run late, you’re covered. And if everything stays on schedule? More time for extra photos or a breather before the party starts!

Now, let’s dive into the timeline details and bring your dream day to life!

1:00 - GUYS PREP PHOTOS

Getting Ready - I nearly always start my wedding days by shooting the guys first. We'll mess around a bit - boys-being-boys type shenanigans - before getting a little more serious with some portraits of the groom and guys looking sharp. This typically takes a half hour. Once I leave, the guys can take off their suits, grab some lunch and relax for a bit before they're needed at either the first look or ceremony.

Quick Tip: Tell your groomsmen they need to arrive for photos 15 minutes before they actually need to. Everyone has that one buddy who can just never seem to arrive on time. Also, have them practice tying their ties - nothing eats up time like grown men struggling with their tie.

1:30 - GIRLS PREP PHOTOS

There's a lot more going on in the bridal suite than with the guys so I suggest budgeting between 1 to 1.5 hours for this part of the day. I typically arrive shortly before your hair and makeup is finished. This gives me time to catch some of the prep action as well as the general "goings-on" around the room leading right through to putting on the dress and bridal portraits with you and your girls.

Quick Tip: Try to keep the room as clean as possible, easier said than done without question. Start with the bed, make a rule for everyone that the bed is off-limits to 'stuff'. 

2:30 - FIRST LOOK

A quick, but often one of the most emotional times of the day. The First Look takes no more than 10-15 minutes start to finish and is a great opportunity for you to see one another for the first time without any prying eyes from guests, bridal party etc. Even I put on a long lens and disappear in the distance to shoot it - so it's just the two of you!  Your groom will turn and see you looking amazing without an entire room staring at him for his reaction - he can be himself, unguarded and soak in the moment without that pressure.

Now while the majority of my couples choose to do a First Look, it's certainly not for everyone - my own wife insisted that I not see her until she came down the aisle and I was totally down for that. I've included a sample timeline later in this post that lays out the timing without doing a First Look. Here are some alternatives to doing a first look.

Quick Tip: The moment and the photos will be great either way so go with your gut when it comes to a deciding whether to do a First Look.

2:45 - WEDDING PARTY PHOTOS

Time to have some fun with your crew. Girls grab your flowers, guys grab the cooler. That's about all you need to know about this part of the day!  I'll take the lead and we'll have some fun.

Quick Tip: Prepare a "Go-Bag". This can be a simple bag with touch-up makeup, dabbers and comfy shoes. We'll likely be walking around a lot so have a pair of comfy slip on shoes/sandals (they'll be hidden under your dress) just for this short period of the day - your feet will thank you.

3:30 - FRESHEN UP

I'll get you back and tucked away in your bridal suite / waiting room to freshen up, bathroom break etc. before your big walk down the aisle. I take this time to go down and take photos of the ceremony set up, guests arriving etc.

4:00 - CEREMONY

Game time. Only tip here is for you and your girls to take your time and enjoy walking down the aisle to your songs - take it all in.

4:30 - FAMILY FORMAL PHOTOS

More than any other photos, these family shots will likely be the most printed images of your day. They're simple, yet warm photos of the most important people in your lives.  Typically this time is reserved for immediate family only ie. parents, grandparents and siblings however it can include as many people as you'd like.  Keep in mind however, the more people involved here, the more time it takes.

Quick Tip: Prepare a specific list of the people you would like in these photos and send it to me ahead of time. Here's a quick post for writing a family photo shot list.

5:00 - BRIDE & GROOM SESSION

Now that you're hitched, we need a photo session worthy of the occasion. This is when we'll go off on our own away from the crowd and have some fun while getting a little romantic and maybe even get a little creative. This is the heart of your photography coverage.

Quick Tip: Ask someone ie. Maid of Honour/Best Man to tag along with us to help with your "Go Bag", hold flowers, help with touch ups etc. It's always good to have an extra pair of hands to help out if needed.

5:50 - FRESHEN UP

Time to get back to freshen up, grab a cocktail etc. before your grand entrance to the dinner and reception.

6:00 - GRAND ENTRANCE

"Introducing for the first time - Mr & Mrs... "  And you make your way into the reception to either sit down and begin dinner service or you can head straight to the dance floor for your first dance.  I've been recommending this option for a while now simply because when you do your grand entrance, everyone is standing and cheering.  The energy in the room is as high as it will be the entire evening so why not head straight to the dance floor.  The crowd will typically remain standing for the entire dance which is a goose-bumpy feeling and spectacular for photos!

Following dinner, you can do your parent dances to bring the energy back up in the room leading into the party!

6:00 - 6:30 - DINNER

Not much to say here other than be sure to think ahead and plan out timing for any speeches that will take place. Often times if there are several speeches you can do one before dinner, between courses and during desert. This breaks them up and allows for a nice flow instead of a series of speeches back to back to back to back to back after dinner while everyone is waiting for the bar and dance floor to open.

This is the point where I will typically hand over the timeline to the MC and DJ to do their thing.

SAMPLE TIMELINE WITHOUT A FIRST LOOK

If a first look isn't in the cards (here are some first look alternatives).  Here's a sample wedding timeline without it.  You'll note the wider gap between ceremony and reception to make room for the bridal party + bride & groom sessions.

1:00 - Guys Prep

1:30 - Girls Prep

3:00 - Ceremony

3:30 - Family Formals

4:00 - Wedding Party Photos

4:45 - Bride & Groom Photos

6:00 - Freshen Up

6:30 - Dinner & Reception

There it is, your basic timeline template to work from.

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