Day of timeline

Hey! I found this article helpful while planning my own timeline (can't attest to how accurate it is though since my wedding hasn't happened yet!): https://www.minted.com/wedding-ideas/wedding-reception-timeline. Your vendors (hair/makeup team, photographer, etc) will confirm if timing for their services looks right and will help adjust as necessary.

I'm having my ceremony and reception at one place; here's what my timeline currently looks like:

12:00pm-3:00pm - bridal party hair and makeup (on location; for three people)

3:00pm-5:00pm - pictures (we intend on knocking out most of our pictures beforehand)

5:00pm-5:30pm - guests arrive

5:30pm-6:00pm - ceremony

6:00pm-7:00pm - cocktail hour (additional extended family pictures, then mingling with our guests)

7:00pm-7:15pm - invitation to dinner (it'll take people some time to collect their escort card, find their table, etc. - something I didn't think about initially!)

7:15pm-7:25pm - grand enterance

7:25pm-7:30pm - first dance

7:30pm-7:35pm - welcome toasts

7:35pm-8:20pm - dinner

8:20pm-8:30pm - wedding party toasts

8:30pm-8:40pm - parent dances

9:10pm-9:20pm - cake cutting

9:50pm-9:55pm - last dance

9:55pm-10:00pm - grand exit

Hi there! My wedding also has not yet happened, but I am following this timeline (posted below). I am getting married the weekend before Christmas so we have to start early in order to get photos. (Also, there is no way my FH is going anywhere near a dance floor until he's eaten and had a few drinks in him LOL)

8:30AM Casual Breakfast (Donuts, Fresh Fruit and Coffee etc)
9:00AM-1:00PM Gettin' Ready! (Bride + 5 Bridemaids + MOTB)

1:00PM-1:30PM Light Lunch

1:30PM-3:00PM Photos (I'll be doing first looks with my bridesmaids and dad, a modified first look (blind letter reading) with my FH, and we will also knock out photos of just me with my bridesmaids and just the groom with his groomsmen during this time)

3:00-3:30PM Guests Begin Arriving, will be able to sign our photo guest book and grab a hot (spiked) beverage and a blanket

3:30PM Ceremony

4PM-5-PM Cocktail Hour (1 hour) and Photos for Bridal Party from 4:00-4:30, Photos for Bride & Groom from 4:30-5:00PM (We will not be doing a "First Look")

5PM-5:15PM Seat guests/Invitation to Dinner (15 min)

5:15-5:20PM Entrances (5-10 min) (Our bridal party will not be making an entrance because we are not doing a Sweetheart table as opposed to Head Table)Announcements + start dinner (10 min)

5:20PM Announcements & Prayer

5:30PM Serve Dinner

6:30PM Cake Cutting + Serve Dessert + Speeches - We want to have toasts during dinner or dessert to keep people listening

7:00/7:15PM- 7:30PM First Dances

7:30PM Extras (We're not doing a bouquet toss or garter toss because there will be a grand total of 2 single people at our reception but we will do a dollar dance or a fun game)
8:00PM PARTY TIME!
9:00PM First shuttle arrives to pick up the parents with little ones w/bedtimes (20 kiddos at this wedding under the age of 9 LOL) and pizza arrives for the guests who are staying to party

10:00PM Bar closes

10:20-10:25PM Last Dance

10:30PM Send-Off and Last Shuttle arrives

Hope this helps! (:

So our timeline was basically created by our hair stylist & makeup artist, our photographer and our venue coordinator. Our venue coordinator scheduled the time of the ceremony and sent us a timeline for the reception based on answers to a questionnaire she had us previously fill out. Then I spoke with our photographer to determine when photos would need to be taken and she emailed me a timeline for photos. I also spoke with our hair stylist and makeup artist to figure out when they would arrive and when each girl would need to arrive for their services. She based her timeline on when our photographer said everyone needed to be dressed for photos. It was so easy because I didn't have to sit down and figure it all out on my own. I would definitely recommend speaking with your vendors. Below was my timeline.

7:45 am – Marina (hair stylist) and Nicole (Makeup artist/assisted Marina since Marina’s original assistant had family emergency)

8:00 am – Marina does bridesmaid’s #1 hair

8:15 am – Nicole preps groomswoman hair

8:45 am – Marina does groomswoman’s hair

9:15 am – Nicole preps grandmother of the bride’s hair

9:30 am – Marina does grandmother of the bride’s hair

9:45 am – Nicole preps bridesmaid #2’s hair

10:00 am – Marina does bridesmaid #2’s hair

10:15 am – Nicole preps bride’s hair

10:45 am – Marina does bride’s hair

11:00 am – Nicole does bridesmaid #2’s makeup

11:45 am – Marina does mother of the bride’s hair/Nicole does bride’s makeup

12:00 PM – photographers arrive/Lindsey (main photographer) goes with girls to take getting ready photos and detail photos and Jason (secondary shooter) scopes out venue for good locations to take photos then goes with the guys to get ready photos

12:30 pm – Marina does bridesmaid #'s 3 hair

12:45 pm – Nicole does mother of the bride’s makeup

1:15 pm – Marina does flower girl #1’s hair/Nicole does flower girl #2’s makeup

1:30 pm – Nicole does flower girl #1’s makeup

1:35 pm – Marina does flower girl #2’s hair

2:00 PM – hair and makeup totally finished/Jason takes groomsmen/groomswoman photos

2:30 PM – bride is dressed/Lindsey takes bridesmaids photos

3:00 PM – bride’s first look with her dad

3:10 PM – 3:40 PM – bride and groom’s first look/couple photos

3:45 PM – bride is hidden before guests arrive

4:30 PM – ceremony started

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM – ceremony ended/receiving line/start of cocktail hour/family photos, full wedding party photos & more couple photos

6:00 PM – cocktail hour ends/ballroom opens for guests to make their way to their seats

6:15 PM – formal introductions

6:20 PM – first dance as husband and wife

6:25 PM – three toasts (father of the bride, brother of the bride/bridesman and best man)

6:35 PM – salad course is served

6:45 PM – buffet opens

7:30 PM – cake cutting/dessert served

7:35 PM – father daughter dance followed by mother son dance

7:45 PM – trivia game

8:00 PM – dance floor opens

9:55 PM – last dance

10:00 PM – reception is over/after party starts at bar within the venue

Hi Cheyenne!! This article has great scheduling tips and a sample timeline you can use as a starting point: 9 Wedding Day Timeline Rules Every Couple Should Follow!