The wedding day timeline may be the most important aspect of wedding planning. No two weddings are the same. The variables are endless. Venues, timing, wedding parties, guest lists, events, and so on. There is a lot going on in the background. It’s not easy to pull together a truly wonderful day when it is so easy for anything to fail.

You can count on only one thing being consistent: timing is everything.

Whether it’s an awkward moment where guests are standing around with nothing to do or a too-tight timeline where the entire day is running behind, nothing affects the mood and memories of a wedding day more than the timeline. 

The couple will most certainly laugh at the memory of the flower girl dumping all the petals in the middle of the aisle. However, they will most certainly cringe when thinking about how the caterer running late threw off the entire reception. 

How to get started

As the wedding planner, you have the unique ability to direct the wedding day timeline and give the couple the peace of mind needed to be fully present and enjoy their once-in-a-lifetime day.

In this blog, our experts will guide you on the best tips for creating the most successful wedding day timeline. Let’s dive in!

Creating the ultimate wedding day timeline

The ultimate wedding day timeline will keep everyone on the same page. From the wedding party to VIP guests (like the bride’s 95-year-old nana) and vendors. It eliminates any confusion on what is happening when, where they need to be, and who is involved. 

To create the timeline, first, meet with the soon-to-be-newlyweds couple to discuss the details of their wedding. Even the most traditional couples may surprise you with an activity or tradition they want to include to personalize their wedding day. 

The couple may not know all their details at this meeting. You can start with their ceremony time and work out from there. Be realistic in estimating how much time is needed for often overlooked aspects of the day like transportation. Have the couple ask their vendors for time estimates of services to keep the day running smoothly and efficiently.

Plan for plans to change; and for back and forth communication with the couple. Timeline Pro simplifies and streamlines communication. Instead of relying on email threads, clients can tap on any timeline event to leave a comment right in the app. An alert is sent to you immediately. Creating streamlined, professional communication and saving you precious time.  

Collect contact information about booked vendors and VIP family members. Include the name and phone number of a responsible person (not in the wedding party) who can be trusted to handle unexpected tasks like unlocking a door or giving directions to a lost vendor.

Communicating the wedding day timeline

Once you have the master timeline complete, you can duplicate it with Timeline Pro and create vendor-specific timelines (such as one for the photographer, florist, and makeup artist, etc). Vendor-specific timelines are efficient, including the information each vendor needs without overwhelming with details they don’t.

You can also create group-specific timelines like a wedding party timeline, or event-specific timelines like the rehearsal dinner timeline, or ceremony timeline.

These are so useful to ensure important information (like when and where the family portraits are scheduled) isn’t lost on Uncle Mike, who’s honestly skimming the info just to find out what time the cake is cut. 

The master timeline is a priceless resource for the wedding planner and the couple getting married. Because it is comprehensive, it can be confusing and hard to understand for guests or vendors. The vendor, group, and event-specific duplicate timelines are perfect to keep everyone focused on their individual part on such an important day. 

How to handle timeline delays

Wedding day delays. Words that make every wedding vendor sick to their stomach. When building each wedding day timeline, plan in a few time adjustment buffers. Someone will be late, something will go missing, somehow traffic is suddenly bumper to bumper. Something will attempt to derail the timeline. It’s more than likely to happen with so many moving parts coming together in one day. 

Timeline Pro allows you to plan down to small intervals. This great feature helps you weave in a few well-placed time buffers in the day. In the best-case scenario, buffers aren’t needed. Then the wedding party gets a moment to catch their breath or have a bathroom break. 

Wedding timeline planning: including the wedding party, vendors, & VIPs

Sharing the wedding day timeline is imperative to a smooth wedding day schedule. At a minimum share the wedding day timeline with the wedding party, all vendors, and the VIPs. Unlike printed copies or emails lost in spam folders, sharing is simple with Timeline Pro. Share your timeline in one click with clients and vendors to get in-app feedback on each step. 

The recipient of the timeline is not required to create an account or log in. All they need is a simple tap on a portion of the timeline they want to give feedback on. The feedback is then sent to the creator of the timeline as an alert. The creator can either dismiss it (because it has already been addressed) or fix it on the timeline itself.

Clearly communicating with all the people who play a critical role in the wedding day streamlines everyones’ to-do lists, relieves any anxieties, and smooths the process of planning the perfect wedding day for your couple. 

Essential information to include in your master wedding day timeline

The wedding day timeline is so much more than a schedule. It is the go-to resource for anything and everything you could need to know in the chaos of the wedding day. One month before the wedding date, confirm that the timeline has the following information: 

• Venue Addresses For Ceremony And Reception: The Actual “Gps-Able” Address 
• A Vendor List With Names And Phone Numbers Of Two Contacts For Each Vendor
• List Of The Wedding Party Members And Their Phone Numbers
• List Of VIPs And Their Cell Numbers (Integral Friends And Family Members).
• The Rehearsal Information: Address And Start Time
• The Dinner Information Address And Start Time
• Arrival Time Of All Vendors
• Hair And Makeup Schedule And Start Time
• Dressed-And-Ready Deadline Time
• Wedding Party Venue Arrival Deadline
• Ceremony And Reception Start Time And End Time
• Important Reception Times (Dinner, Toasts, Cake Cutting, Dancing, Exit)

Because of that, no two wedding day timelines will ever be the same but it is helpful to have an outline to work from. Timeline Pro includes a template to get you started, inspire ideas, and keep you organized. Add and remove steps to fit every unique wedding day. The timeline is flexible, make it yours.

An elevated wedding day experience

The most important thing a wedding planner can do is to plan for the unexpected. With so many integral people coming together, something is likely to go wrong.

Sudden weather changes, a key family member running late, a vendor mix-up, it all happens. Have a contingency plan in your mind for the unexpected, and have an effective way to communicate changes to all the VIPs. 

As a wedding planner, you work hard to make each wedding a day to be remembered with joy and happiness. From the little things to the big things, they’re all big things on a wedding day. 
Having a concrete timeline planned and communicated with all of the key people of the wedding is the number one way to get a little control of the nearly uncontrollable.

The main goal: give your clients the peace of mind they so very much need. Gift them a dreamy, smooth wedding day by creating a comprehensive wedding day timeline.

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