10 Essential Wedding Day Timeline Tips Every Bride Should Know

Figuring out your wedding day timeline can feel like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube while juggling glassware—impossible, confusing, and slightly panic-inducing. When I sat down to draft my own wedding day timeline, I completely froze… and I help my brides create theirs all the time!

The truth? You’ve never planned a wedding day before. You don’t know how long things take. You don’t know what goes where. And that’s okay. Once you understand a few key pieces, the whole thing becomes so much easier.

To help you build a day that feels smooth, relaxed, and totally doable, here are my top wedding day timeline tips—tested, trusted, and refined from years of photographing weddings (and surviving my own).

1. Have All Your Details Ready in the Morning

One of the simplest but most impactful wedding day timeline tips: keep all your details together in the morning.

Shoes, jewelry, invitation suite, perfume, rings, vow books—put everything in one spot. This keeps the morning calm and prevents panic-searching for a missing earring or runaway perfume bottle. It also makes your photographer’s job easier so you can roll right into detail photos.

If you’re wondering what to include, yes—I have a blog post about that. (Of course I do.) Check it out here.

2. Share Your Wedding Day Timeline with EVERYONE

This might sound Type A, but sharing your wedding day timeline with your family and bridal party is life-changing. It eliminates questions like:

• “What time are photos?”

• “When should we be dressed?”

• “Do I need to be here now?”

At my own wedding, I sent out a detailed timeline and yes, some groomsmen teased me—but they also admitted later how helpful it was. Less confusion = less stress for everyone.

3. Keep the Bridal Party in Designated Getting-Ready Spaces

A big timeline killer? Missing bridal party members.

Keep bridesmaids and groomsmen in designated getting-ready spaces so no one wanders off (looking at you, groomsman who left to get a beer at 10am). Get the bridesmaids dressed first so everything feels cohesive for “getting into the dress” photos.

Hot tip: have a friend not in the wedding check on the guys so things stay on track.

4. Tell Everyone to Be Ready Earlier Than Necessary

One of my favorite wedding day timeline tips: build in buffer time.

If you need everyone ready at 2:00, tell them 1:45.
If family photos start at 3:00, tell the family 2:45.

Worst case, everyone waits for a few minutes. Best case? You’re on time and not scrambling to track down a missing aunt.

5. If You’re Doing a First Look, Keep the Bridal Party Together

If you choose a first look, keep the bridal party assembled and ready nearby. This ensures everyone is dressed, accounted for, and prepped for portraits immediately after the first look—saving massive time.

6. Save Grandparent Portraits for After the Ceremony

This is a respectful and important wedding day timeline tip: let your grandparents get ready at their own pace. Don’t rush them for early photos. We’ll photograph them after the ceremony when they’re comfortable and relaxed.

7. Give Your Photographer a Family List (With NAMES)

Please, for the love of timelines everywhere, give your photographer a detailed list of family members by name.

Calling “Matt” is way more effective (and polite!) than yelling “bride’s brother!” across the lawn. This helps streamline family portraits so you’re not stuck there forever.

8. Expect the Reception Space to Be Closed Off

Most venues block off the reception space before guests enter so we can photograph it beautifully—no purses, jackets, or half-finished drinks in sight. As soon as the room is ready, I sneak in to capture it.

9. Don’t Stress If You’re Running Behind

Here’s an important reminder when thinking about your wedding day timeline: they cannot start anything without you.

If hair and makeup run long or photos take an extra five minutes, it’s okay. I promise the day will keep moving.

10. Set Aside a Few Minutes for Snacks

Trust me: future-you will appreciate this one.

Ask your coordinator or venue if they can send a small plate of appetizers during portraits or give you a private moment during cocktail hour to eat. You’ll be starving by then.

Wedding Day Timeline Stress? I’ve Got You.

If building your wedding day timeline feels overwhelming, you’re not alone—but you don’t have to do it alone.

I help all my couples map out their timeline from scratch, and I’d love to do the same for you. Together we’ll create a day that feels relaxed, smooth, and totally aligned with your style.

Inquire today and let’s start mapping out a day that feels relaxed, smooth, and totally you.

And if you’re looking for more guidance on building your wedding day timeline, this resource from The Knot breaks down what a typical wedding day looks like.