When it comes to making decisions for your wedding day, non are quite as important as getting the timeline of the day just right.
If you want the day to run smoothly, with your guests effortlessly moving from one element to the next then your timings need to be spot on.
So here's my best advice to ensure your order of events will please both your suppliers and your guests.
Photo by Electric Blue Photos
Consider the sunset.
You can work the whole day backwards from the time it's likely to get dark. You don't want to miss the opportunity for great photos because you scheduled the ceremony an hour too late and its dark before dinner.
In the summer you can get away with a later ceremony and still have plenty of time for photos, but come winter, the dark nights really impact the time your day needs to start.
The most popular ceremony time is without a doubt 1 - 2pm, but that doesn't mean earlier or later won't work better for you.
Let's say you're planning an August wedding, the most popular month for nuptials, it's likely not going to get dark until 9-10pm, which gives you complete freedom to plan the day how you want it. You might even manage to sneak off with your photographer for some photos as the sun sets after your wedding breakfast.
Photo by https://creekandcountryphoto.co.uk
2. Ensure your guests have plenty of time to get settled before the ceremony starts.
I often see invites asking guests to arrive at 12.30 for a 1pm ceremony. Whilst this is great in theory, the slightest bit of traffic, or guests getting lost en route to your venue and you're already off schedule and the day's barely begun.
I always advice telling the guests to arrive from one hour before the ceremony start time.
"Please arrive from 12pm for a 1pm ceremony"
This gives those guests who prefer a relaxed arrival time to park, get settled, grab a drink from the bar, touch up their make up, and check out the space before anyones asking them to get seated.
Personally, I always prefer the bar to be open for guests on arrival, but not all venues can cater for this, and if you're having a registrar lead your ceremony this can also impact whether alcohol can be served earlier on in the day.
If your venue can't open the bar pre ceremony, ask if they can provide a few jugs of water and glasses to quench your guests thirst when they arrive after a long journey. Especially if you're hosting a summer wedding. There's nothing worse than arriving at noon and not being able to drink a sip of something until 2pm when the ceremony and confetti line are finally over.
Photo & sign by Hawthorne and Ivory
3. Know the length of your ceremony
Ceremony times will vary massively depending on your officiant of choice, so always ask for a rough ceremony time, and consider if you want to head for a confetti photo straight after you say I do.
A registrar ceremony is usually 20 mins
A church wedding can be anything up to 90 mins depending on religion.
A celebrant wedding can be any length depending on the content.
Most of my ceremonies are 30 minutes or so.
Photo by David Scholes
4. Allow plenty of time for your drinks reception
There's nothing worse than a drinks reception with a million activities crammed into a short space of time. If you want to have relaxed drinks, some group photos, some down time for mingling, some lawn games or entertainment, some canapes, and a few couples portraits then I advise having 2 hours between the end of your ceremony and the time your guests will be called to dinner.
This gives your suppliers plenty of time to make everything you want happen whilst also giving you some down time as a couple and some time to enjoy with your friends and fam.
Photo by Adam
5. Keep the speeches short and sweet
The timing of the speeches vary but the most popular choices are before or after the wedding breakfast.
No matter what you see, do not stagger your speeches so that there is one between every course of food. This means your photographer won't get a long enough break to breathe, eat, and get a second burst of energy ready to capture the rest of your day.
There's pro's and cons to all options for the timings of speeches.
Speeches before food...
Pro's :
Your speakers have had less time to drink alcohol
They may be nervous & want to get their speech out of the way
Cons :
People are hangry and might not pay attention as easily
If your speeches run overtime your food is going to be cold and stodgy, not ideal when it's the most expensive meal you'll likely ever eat
Food first, then speeches ....
Pro's :
Everyone is well fed and has a drink in their hand
You can speak for as long as you like
Cons :
Anyone speaking might be a little more drunk and / or nervous
Guests might be restless because they've been sat down for 1-2 hours.
There may be uncleared plates on tables and therefore in your photos.
If you're confident that your speeches are timed well and won't run over schedule then get them out of the way first so everyone can relax, but personally I always say do them after the food or before dessert so your caters are guaranteed to get the food out on time.
You could also time the cutting of the cake with the speeches after your main course has been cleared and then serve your cake for dessert.
6. Allow some downtime and space for flexiblity / unforeseen delays
I always think it's better to have more time for something than to feel like you've rushed through a part of your day.
After dinner is a great time for some downtime before evening guests arrive. This can give guests time to relax, to check in to their rooms if they're staying at the venue overnight, and even sometimes to change into their party outfit, or swap those heels for something comfier!
As a couple this can the perfect time to spend some quiet time together away from the crowd, for an outfit change or touch ups of hair and make up, or even to head out with your photographer for some couples portraits during the sunset.
Photo by Flawless Photography
Here's a few example timelines that work well :
12.30pm Guests arrive
1.30pm Ceremony
2pm Drinks reception, canapes, live entertainment
4pm Call guests to dinner
4.15pm Announce couple into the room & quick thank you speech
4.30pm Dinner served
6pm Speeches & cake cut
7.30pm Evening guests arrive
8pm First dance
Band starts
8.45pm Evening food served
9.30pm Band second set or DJ til late
A slightly later ceremony :
1pm Guests arrive
2pm Ceremony
2.45pm Drinks & canapes
3.30pm Group photos & couples portraits
5pm Speeches
5.30pm Dinner is served
8pm Evening guests arrive
8.30pm Cake cut & first dance
9pm DJ & dancing
10pm Late night food served
A twilight wedding :
5pm Guests arrive
6pm Sunset ceremony
6.30pm Drinks & Photo's
7.30pm Dinner served
9pm Speeches & cake cut
9.30pm Dance the night away
Remember, if in doubt your suppliers are there to help! Ask your photographer, wedding planner, venue coordinator for their advice about what works best at your chosen time of year and venue.
Photo by Scott & Lees
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