A well-planned wedding itinerary is a sure cure for worrisome wedding day troubles. In addition to getting you down the aisle  on time, a solid wedding timeline will lessen your stress and help you savor every special moment of your wedding day. Here’s how to create a wedding timeline, what to include, and two wedding day timeline examples.
The first step is to record everything that needs to happen on your wedding day:
- Pre-ceremony photographs
- Bride and bridesmaid hair and makeup
- Bride puts on dress and veil
- Arrival at the ceremony
- Receiving line
- Family photos
- Reception
- First dance
- Father/daughter dance
- Mother/son dance
- Welcome toast
- First course (salad/appetizer) served
- Toasts
- Second course (main course) served
- Toasts
- Open the dance floor
- Cut the cake
- Toss the bouquet and garter
- Farewell
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Sample 2 p.m. wedding day timeline:
9 a.m.: Photographer arrives to record wedding preparations
10 a.m.: Bride and bridesmaids get ready
12:30 p.m.: Groom and groomsmen arrive at ceremony venue
1 p.m.: Bride and bridesmaids arrive at ceremony venue
2 p.m.: Service starts
2:30 p.m.: Receiving line
3:00 p.m.: Family photographs
3:30 p.m.: Guests arrive at reception venue for cocktail hour
4:15 p.m.: Grand entrance and first dance
4:25 p.m.: Welcome toast
4:30 p.m.: Dinner is served
5:00 p.m.: Speeches and toasts
5:30 p.m.: Father/daughter; mother/son dance
5:45 p.m.: Open dance floor to guests
6:15 p.m.: Cut the cake
6:45 p.m.: Toss the bouquet
9 p.m.: Farewell
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Sample 4 p.m. wedding day timeline:
11 a.m.: Photographer arrives to record wedding preparations
12 a.m.: Bride and bridesmaids get ready
12:30 p.m.: Groom and groomsmen arrive at ceremony venue
3 p.m.: Bride and bridesmaids arrive at ceremony venue
4 p.m.: Service starts
4:30 p.m.: Receiving line
5:00 p.m.: Family photographs
5:30 p.m.: Guests arrive at reception venue for cocktail hour
6:15 p.m.: Grand entrance and first dance
6:25 p.m.: Welcome toast
6:30 p.m.: Dinner is served
7:00 p.m.: Speeches and toasts
7:30 p.m.: Father/daughter; mother/son dance
7:45 p.m.: Open dance floor to guests
8:15 p.m.: Cut the cake
8:45 p.m.: Toss the bouquet
11 p.m.: Farewell
Remember – this is YOUR special day! Your timeline may not look exactly like above, and that’s ok. Feel free to make yours as simple, or as detailed as you like. Ultimately your day should be spent doing what makes you (and your groom!) happy – and keeping some sort of timeline can help keep you focused on what truly matters.