What is the secret to a stress-free wedding day? Scheduling plenty of prep time!
We help several brides each year and are always asked, “when should we start during the day?” or “Why do we have to start that early?” Typically, hair and makeup can take about 75 minutes per person. With Team DeeDee, we have it down to a tee and rotation. We like to start hair and makeup with the bride 1.5 hours before when she needs to be ready and then work backward in 15-minute increments depending on how many bridesmaids, Jr. bridesmaids, mothers, grandmothers, friends, etc. will be getting their hair & makeup done the morning of the wedding.
We’ve created an easy-to-use Excel Google Sheet to help you plan your ideal wedding day. We have two versions: one for in-studio and one for on-location. Each has a first look or no first look option. You will only be able to edit the color blocks. Keep in mind multiple people may be viewing this sheet at the same time, so take turns.
How to use our spreadsheet:
- First, open the spreadsheet in Google Docs. Select File > Make a Copy
- Second, Select File > Make a Copy so you can save it to your Google Drive and come back to it later.
- Third, input your times in Rows B2 – B6.
- Lastly, print your timeline for your vendors, bridal party, and family.
Do you want to leave feedback on our timeline calculator? Comment on this post! We’d love to hear what you have to say and any adjustments you think should be made.
Other timeline items to consider on your big day:
When should your photographer arrive? Typically 1-2 hours before the bride is ready to get dressed. It is generally best to arrive towards the latter portion of the bride’s hair and makeup styling when the bride is closer to finishing because this makes for more flattering photos. This also gives your photographer plenty of time to capture the details — gown, shoes, jewelry, etc. — in addition to the hustle and bustle of the room and the often emotional interactions between the bride and her bridesmaids and relatives.
How much drive time should I consider? If you’re traveling to a salon, give yourself a little extra time to account for packing and unpacking the car and corralling everyone to and from the salon and venue — it’s better to have too much time than not enough.
How long will family photos take? Two to three minutes per shot if your family is properly organized! Work back with your photographer on which photos you’d like. Also, let them know at rehearsal how the family photos will go so everyone will be paying attention when it is their turn.
Didn’t have a first look? Allow 30 minutes post-ceremony for photos of you and your groom. If you did have a first look, you’d still want 15-20 minutes post-ceremony for just the two of you.
What is the maximum gap between the ceremony and the reception? One hour. Should you need more time than we suggest, we recommend a place for your guests to visit or consider hosting a cocktail hour.
What about the reception? The ideal length is 6 hours. This would allow one hour for cocktails, two hours for dinner, and three hours for dancing. The typical order of events goes as follows:
- Wedding Party Introduced by DJ
- This is immediately followed by the Bride and Groom’s First dance, then the Father/Daughter dance, and the Mother/Son dance.
- Welcome toast: Given by the bride’s father or by the bride and groom. Dinner is served!
- Toasts: Ladies first! Start with the maid of honor, followed by the best man. Following, The bride and groom can give a toast here if desired.
- Mother of Bride Tribute: This is a new trend that many Brides want to include. The Father gets to walk the Bride down the aisle and gets a first Dance, but what about Mom? We’ve seen everything from a special dance, speech honoring the Mother of the Bride, and Bouquet dedication to Mom instead of a toss.
- Guests invited to dance: Open the dance floor and start the party!
- Cake cutting is typically two hours before the reception ends. Some couples opt to cut the cake earlier in the night, like following their introduction or the toast. This ensures that all guests see the cake being cut and allows the bride and groom to have fewer obligations throughout the night.
- Bouquets and garter tosss usually happen right after the cake cutting.
- Late-night snacks are a new popular trend. Many couples start passing around bite-size snacks at this point to refuel guests.
- Farewell: If you’re doing a sparkler farewell, for example, have guests start lining up 10 minutes before you plan to exit.