Timelines

A must have piece of paperwork for your wedding day - a detailed timeline. Now, most things will either fall behind or will happen earlier then expected but your wedding day will be full of changes and surprises. A detailed timeline not only helps your wedding party but it can be a saving grace for your vendors - photographer, caterer, officiant etc.

Depending on the number of events happening during the day you may want something as detailed as below. The bride listed the time, the name of the event happening and who is involved.

8:00 – 10:00 Hair Appointment (Laura, Kristen, Teddi, Jess, Cathy) LV, KV, CV drive together. TL, JV to meet us there.
9:00: Blythe gets access to reception room and starts set up, Len to come at 1:45 or so to set up centre pieces
9:00 Photographer at Hilton Spa to start taking pictures
10:00 – 11:00 Drive to Wooden Sticks, Melissa to meet us there at 11:00
Need to bring dress, shoes, tiara, veil, rings, over night clothes...
11:00 – 2:00 Make up and get dressed (Laura, Kristen, Teddi, Jess, Melissa, Cathy, Laura P, Kyley, Lindsay, Alicia) Rita and her assistant (make up artists) will arrive at 12:00. Rita’s phone number:
11:00 Boys get showered and dressed
12:00 NH/RH go to Garden Basket to pick up sandwiches for the boys in Stouffville (Joanne to order)
12:30: Lunch – Joanne to order and pick up sandwiches from Vince’s and bring to cabin. Joanne also to bring some water and snacks for late night?
12:30: 2nd Photographer arrives at Gar Lehman to take pictures of the boys getting ready.
1:00: Boys leave Stouffville (already dressed) and drive to Wooden Sticks (RH, NH, MH, JH drive together)
1:30: Len arrives with Flowers. Delivers the bouquets and then starts to get centrepieces set up.
1:45: Boys arrive at Wooden Sticks and go to the “waiting room”
2:00 – 4:00 Pictures: One photographer with boys, one with girls.
3:15: Boys go to ceremony area and be ready greet and seat guests (except Matt)
3:30: Harpist and flutist start playing (we owe them $25 for extra time)
3:45: Music playing as guests arrive. Barb and officiant (owe him $160 cash) and parents arrive at ceremony spot.
3:50: Laura and girls leave cabin and go to wait inside the banquet room
3:55: Matt to be waiting in the tent and ushers join him and they head to the ceremony. All boys leave (when Heather tells you to) and head to the ceremony spot. Boys walk down aisle (see ceremony plan). John to wait at the back near the parking lot to walk Cathy in.
4:00: All guests are seated, ceremony starts (see Ceremony Plan)
4:20: Ceremony over, guests go up to patio (or tent if is it raining) and cocktail hour begins.
4:20: Ice cream served to guests, bar open, water bottles out, harpist and flutist move up to play. ***They will need help getting their stuff up there***
4:25: Appetizers and water to bridal party before pictures
4:30: Bridal party and immediate family to take pictures – start at ceremony site or gardens
5:30: Matt and Laura do pictures alone on golf course with 2 golf carts – Bridal party and family goes back to reception for drinks and to get ready to seat the guests.
5:50: Bridal party goes into reception room to get ready to seat the guests.
6:00: Room opens for dinner
6:20: Everyone seated in the banquet room.
6:25: Bridal party entrance along with Matt and Laura
DJ to announce: Parents will start us off: Joanne and Rich and then Cathy and Jack. Then the bridal party - Order of coming in is Melis and John, Teddi and Nick, Jess and Kevin, Kristen and Adam then Laura and Matt
6:30: Adam welcomes guests: Thanks for coming, housekeeping stuff (bar closed during dinner, wine on the tables, where the washrooms are etc) and then talks about logistics (we are going to eat and have some speeches etc during the meal and then we are going to need to move some of the tables to make room for the dance floor.) Announce kissing game (people need to demonstrate, be creative!!) Have fun!!
6:35: First course of dinner is served
6:50: Main course served
7:05: Adam does speech – at the end he welcomes Kristen to do her speech
7:15: Kristen does speech – at the end she introduces the slide show
7:25: Slide Show – then Adam to announce cleaning of the room, then parents speeches and dessert
7:30: Wooden Sticks clears the dishes – 15 minutes
7:45: Cathy and Jack speech
7:50: Joanne and Rich speech
7:55: Dessert
8:05: Matt and Laura speech then Adam announces tables are being moved (people should go to the bathroom etc), cake cutting to follow shortly, dancing and party to follows after that.
8:10: Remove tables from dance floor: will take 15 minutes
8:25: Cake cutting
8:30: DJ announces first dance: Always be my baby, Mariah Carey
8:31: Party starts!!

Later in the night:
Father Daughter: Best Day, Taylor Swift
Mother Son: Blessed – Elton John
Anniversary song: Better Half – Keith Urban

10:15: Dessert table out
10:30: Bouquet toss
12:00: Bohemian Rhapsody
12:30: Bar Closes
1:00: Party leaves the reception hall and goes to the cabins. Before everyone leaves, we need to clean up the room.

Or you could opt for something a little less detailed:

WEDDING DAY SCHEDULE
Time Events Duration
7:10 AM First Tee off for Guys 5 hrs
9:00 AM Hair & Makeup for Girls in 3 hrs

Cabin & Access to Reception Hall
12:00 PM Candid Photos to start, 1 hr

finishing of Hair & Makeup, Getting Ready
1:00 PM Bride Photos 1.5 hrs
2:30 PM Groom Photos 1 hr
3:00 PM Guest to Arrive and be seated 30 min
3:30 PM Ceremony 30 min
4:00 PM Receiving Line 30 min
4:30 PM Wedding Photos & Cocktail 1.5 hrs
6:00 PM Guest to be move into reception hall, 2 hrs

Dinner & Speeches
8:00 PM Music and Dancing 5 hrs
10:00 PM Bouquet & Garter Tosses 30 min
10:30 PM Cutting Cake / Dessert & Coffee 30 min

12:30 AM Last call for Bar
1:00 AM Majority of Guest Depart
1:30 AM Limo to leave with Bride and Groom

for Hotel

If you are unsure of when things should happen, have your wedding planner or the event coordinator at the venue have a look over it. They have been doing this for years and will have a good idea of timing for events like the receiving line.