It seems pretty trivial— you wake up, get ready, get married, and party, right? Well, you’re missing a few details. Weddings have many moving parts. Significant time and discussion should go into planning your wedding day timeline to assure your day runs as smoothly and stress-free as possible.

Your wedding day timeline may vary tremendously from another couple’s depending on—

• getting ready locations

• first looks

• time of bridal party portraits

• number of family portraits

• length of ceremony

• sunset time/ time of year

• plated or buffet meal style

• travel time

• personal preference

Before compiling your timeline, there are a few details you need to know.

1. What time is golden hour?

2. Are you planning a first look?

3. Which times are firm (ceremony, grand entrance, etc)?

4. Will there be multiple locations involved?

Below are two sample timelines. While no sample could possibly address every imaginable scenario, these should help you with the rough amount of time needed for each part of the day. Your wedding planner, venue coordinator, photographer, and DJ are best suited to help with aligning all elements of your wedding day.

Download the customizable sample timeline available here.

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Dream it. Plan it. Love it.