How to build your wedding day timeline
A simple way to plan the day, so everyone knows what happens when.
A good timeline is what makes a wedding day feel calm. It tells your vendors when to arrive, tells your guests where to be, and gives you room to enjoy it. You do not need to plan every minute. You need to plan the important ones.
A good timeline is what makes a wedding day feel calm. It tells your vendors when to arrive, tells your guests where to be, and gives you room to enjoy it. You do not need to plan every minute. You need to plan the important ones.
1. Start with the fixed points
Write down what cannot move: the ceremony time, the dinner time and the time the venue closes. Everything else fits around them.
2. Work backwards
If the ceremony is at 16:00, when do the guests need to arrive? When must you be ready? When does the photographer need to start? Count backwards from each fixed point and write the times down.
3. Look at the light
Sweden changes a lot through the year. In June the light lasts well into the evening. In December it is almost dark by 15:00. Ask your photographer when the best light falls on your date, and plan your portraits for then.
4. Add a little time
Things take longer than you think: getting dressed, photos with family, moving guests from one place to another, serving a dinner and having the guests give their speeches. Add 5 to 15 minutes in between the big moments. It is what makes a day feel calm.
5. Give each vendor their part
Share the full timeline with everyone, and also tell each vendor the times that matter to them: arrival, setup, deadlines. Ask them to confirm in writing.
6. Choose one person to own it
One person should hold the master version and make the calls on the day. It is usually your coordinator. It should not be you.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 11:00 | Hair and makeup begin |
| 13:00 | Florist and venue setup finished |
| 14:30 | Photographer arrives, first photos of the couple getting ready |
| 15:30 | Guests arrive and are welcomed |
| 16:00 | Ceremony |
| 16:30 | Drinks and family photos |
| 17:30 | Couple portraits |
| 18:30 | Dinner starts |
| 19:30 | Speeches |
| 21:00 | First dance and party |
| 23:30 | Last song, send-off |
This is only an example. Your numbers will depend on your venue, your guests and the season.
A professional wedding day timeline used by TWA coordinators. Structure your entire wedding day minute by minute — arrivals, ceremony, portraits, dinner, speeches, first dance and everything in between. The same tool our planners use, now available for you to download and make your own.
Download, print or use digitally.
You will get it in both Swedish and English
Want someone to keep it on track on the day? We match couples with the right wedding planner or coordinator, free of charge. Find your match.
Start with the fixed points, work backwards and add buffers. A simple and near fool proof way to build a timeline everyone can follow.