A Step-By-Step Guide to Planning the Ultimate Wedding Day Itinerary

A Step-By-Step Guide to Planning the Ultimate Wedding Day Itinerary

Dreaming up the perfect wedding requires detailed planning. Why not start with breaking down the entire day—from start to finish—into a well-organized timeline? 

But how does this work exactly?

Well, it’s much like creating an itinerary when you go on vacation. You plan what you’re going to do the entire day—what time to wake up, how much time you need to get ready, where to eat, etc. You plan every hour so the day goes smoothly and no time is wasted.                                                                                          

The same goes when creating a wedding day itinerary. Because there are a lot of things to do, you need to break up the tasks into bits within the right time frame.

Sounds hard? Not when you have this guide!

First Things First: Think About the Basics and Logistics 

Your wedding day itinerary would depend on several things. So before making one, ask yourself these questions:

• What season will you be getting married? 
• Wedding ceremonies usually last between 30 minutes to an hour. How long will yours be?
• Will you be getting ready at the reception/ceremony venue, a hotel nearby, or somewhere farther away? 
• Are the ceremony and reception going to be held at the same place? If not, you need to allocate some travel time.
• Does your reception venue have noise restrictions? Do they implement a curfew (like having to wrap the event at a certain time)? 
• When do you want to do couples, family, and group portraits? Before the ceremony or during cocktail hour? Or both? 
• Are you doing traditional wedding activities like ceremonial dances, bouquet toss, toasts, cake-cutting, garter toss, etc.? 

All these things will affect how much time you should allow for each activity and your wedding day itinerary as a whole.

Planning a Wedding Day Itinerary in 9 Easy Steps 

Every wedding is unique, as it should be. But you can use these steps below as a general guide to ensure your wedding day has a good flow to it: 

1. Getting Ready | 9:00 to 12:00

[Start five to seven hours before the ceremony as it takes approximately two to three hours to finish] 

Covers:

Hair and make-up

Dressing Up

 

When it comes to weddings, there’s no such thing as starting too early. If the ceremony starts at 4 p.m., get up as early as 9 a.m. to have a healthy brunch and shake off some face puffiness. 

You would need at least 90 minutes to get your hair and makeup done. If your entourage is getting theirs professionally done as well, you’d definitely need more time.

Putting your wedding dress on, especially if it’s an elaborate, custom-made dress, takes a bit of time as well. With shoes and accessories, you’d need about 20 minutes of additional time to get ready.

You don’t want to have to rush, so start as early as possible!

 

TIP #1:  Your photographer should arrive 30 minutes before getting ready so he can get shots of the rings, dress, invitations, etc.

 

2. Solo and Wedding Entourage Portraits | 12:00 to 14:00

[First look: 20 minutes. Solo portraits: 20 minutes. Wedding entourage: 30 minutes.] 

As soon as you’re all glammed-up, it’s time for your photographer to capture that special moment when you and your partner see each other on your wedding day before everyone else does. This is also the time to take some snaps with your family and the rest of your wedding party

Between the first look, couple’s photos, and wedding entourage photos, it should take around an hour and a half or two hours to finish.

TIP #2:  Don’t skip this part! It may be the only time to preserve a fresh first look before things get hectic.

 

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3. Travel to Ceremony Venue | 14:00

[Arrive an hour before the ceremony]

If the ceremony venue is located somewhere else, you need to allow some time for you and the wedding party to get there. Of course, the travel time depends on how far you are from the venue. Just be sure to arrive at the venue at least an hour before the ceremony, so you have some time to relax before it all begins.

4. Waiting for Guests to Arrive | 15:00 to 15:30

[Around 30 minutes before the ceremony, which might take 15 to 20 minutes]

Covers:

Allow guests to find their seats

Pictures

 
You can ask the photographer to capture photos of guests arriving and those waiting at the venue. This will also give those who are running late a little extra time and allows everyone to find their seats and take their own #selfies.

5. Wedding Ceremony | 16:00 to 17:00

[Takes 30 minutes to one hour]

This time block depends on the type of ceremony you want. Secular weddings take around 15 to 20 minutes, while huge ceremonies with rituals and readings usually last around an hour.

6. Travel to Reception | 17:00 to 17:30

[Takes 30 minutes]

If the wedding reception is in another place, you must allocate at least another half hour to get everyone to the venue.

7. Ceremonial Photos and Cocktail Hour | 18:00 to 19:00

[Photos and cocktail hour: approximately one hour]

Covers:

Pictures

Cocktails

Pictures Cocktails

Take pictures immediately after you get to the reception. You want to make sure that all groups have photos with the newlyweds, so plan accordingly and get it done efficiently. 

For family portraits, give your photographer a rundown of family dynamics or a list to work with prior to the wedding to keep things organized. As you’re taking pictures, your guests can fill the time with light bites, cocktails, and music.

8.  Wedding Reception | 19:00 to 22:00

[Takes approximately 3 hours]

Covers:

Grand Entrance	First Dance	Wedding Toast
Dinner	Cake Cutting	Speeches
Bouquet & Garter Toss	Open Dance Floor

After the cocktails have been served, the formal reception through the couple’s grand entrance, follows. This formally introduces the newlyweds to their guests as a couple and it usually takes around 10 minutes. It is immediately followed by the couple’s first dance, which takes around three to five minutes. After the first dance, it is followed by the welcome toast which is traditionally given by a family member.

Next comes the dinner; allow 40 minutes or so for your guests to eat and chit chat with their tablemates.

Once everyone has had their fill, the groom’s best man followed by the maid of honour are asked to give a two to three-minute speech. 

Then comes the cake cutting (this is the best time to serve the dessert too!), bouquet and garter toss, parent dances, and the open dance floor.

All in all, these activities usually take between two and three hours.

9. Wedding Exit | 22:00

[Takes approximately five to ten minutes]

Depart in style with an exit song and arrange for a firework display while you wave goodbye to your family and friends. Designate someone to throw confetti, hold sparklers, etc., as you dash towards your getaway car, hand-in-hand!

Let The Loft on King Take Care of The Details 

Did our sample wedding day itinerary help you create your own?

If you want to be completely immersed in the magical moment instead of keeping an eye out for issues that could impede on your wedding day, let The Loft on King handle it for you. 

Aside from offering a one-of-a-kind venue, we also have skilled and experienced event specialists who can take care of all the little details for you! From completely customized menus and bespoke hors d’oeuvres to exclusive cocktail creations and full bar service, all you need to do is have a blast on your wedding day and leave the rest to us. 

Get in touch with us to know more or book a reservation!