Wedding Timeline Tips

I get asked for wedding timeline tips regularly, with one of the most popular questions being: “can I attend my own cocktail hour?”  How appealing it is to get to mingle with guests, try the sips and snacks you invested in and overall get to enjoy more of your wedding festivities…AH! Nothing sounds better.

I’ve seen couples structure their day in all sorts of ways to accommodate all sorts of priorities.  Some couples don’t see each other before their wedding and spend all of cocktail hour taking photos – that is the original purpose of cocktail hours after all: to give guests something to do while you take photos. Other people get all their photos done beforehand and kick off cocktail hour with their guests. And many of my couples do a bit of everything (family photos before the wedding, a few moments alone after and a few minutes with their guests).

But ultimately it all comes down to what your priorities are on the day of and how you’ll structure your day to reflect that.

It comes down to one question: are you willing to see each other before the ceremony and do a first look?

Traditionally, if there is no first look, the only opportunity for alllllllllllll photos is between the ceremony and reception. And truthfully, even an hour-long cocktail hour isn’t long enough for what couples have come to expect of the final wedding photos.

Doing a first look allows you to knock out couple photos, family photos and wedding party photos beforehand and in at a more relaxed pace. It allows you to go from the ceremony straight into all the celebratory madness that is your friends and family!

Participating in cocktail hour also means you avoid spending the night going table to table since you start chatting with your guests earlier and more time to be able to celebrate with our guests. And yes, people will still clap and cheer for you during your introduction into the reception, even if they see you at cocktail hour. 😉

To demonstrate, here are example timelines showing you what your post-ceremony timeline could look like with and without a first look!

WITH NO FIRST LOOK
5:00 pm – Ceremony Begins
5:30 pm – Ceremony Ends & Cocktail Hour Begins
5:35 pm – Family Formals Begin
5:50 pm – Family Formals End
5:55 pm – Bridal Party Photos Begin
6:10 pm – Bridal Party Photos End
6:10 pm – Bride & Groom Portraits Begin
6:20 pm – Bride & Groom Portraits End
6:25 pm – Bride Gets Her Dress Bustled
6:30 pm – Cocktail Hour Ends & Reception Begins

WITH FIRST LOOK

All posed photos completed before ceremony
5:00 pm – Ceremony Begins
5:30 pm – Ceremony Ends & Cocktail Hour Begins
5:35 pm – A few “just married” portraits of the Bride & Groom!
5:45 pm – Bride & Groom Join Cocktail HOUR
6:20pm – Bride & Groom Tuck Away for Grand Introduction
6:30 pm – Cocktail Hour Ends & Reception Begins

Whichever route you decide, it’s important that you rank your priorities and create a day that reflects what’s ultimately important for you two.

If you loved these wedding timeline tips, see more wedding advice on the blog HERE!