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  1.  
    • MrsC2Be
      CommentAuthorMrsC2Be
      Ticker backgroundIs poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadgeTicker foreground
     
    Hi All,

    Can someone give me a timeline for a typical wedding day. Im trying to work out how long each part roughly takes and when the next part starts. Our ceremony is going to start about 2pm.

    Also what time do you invite the evening guests? Get the DJ to start? And cut the cake?!

    You can tell im new to this lol! Thankyou xx

    Members signature icon
    Met In Lanzarote April 2013
    Engaged In Rome February 2016
    Getting Married In Scotland May 2017
  2.  
    • SusanM34
      CommentAuthorSusanM34
      Ticker backgroundIs poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadgeTicker foreground
     
    Hiya, I wasn't sure on this either so I g00g3d it. There were some really useful websites that came up on there and I got some ideas from a few of them Sorry I can't remember the names of them though. Good luck :)

    Members signature icon
    Became Mrs Maunders on 22nd October 2016!


  3.  
    • LauraR322
      CommentAuthorLauraR322
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Hi Kaylie. Our ceremony is at 2.30....wedding breakfast 4-6 and reception at 7.30. I wanted an half hour-hour before the evening started, to chill out and take the first part of the day in. I don't want it to be a rushed day! (That's the plan anyway:-/)
  4.  
    • TheNewMrsBarrett
      CommentAuthorTheNewMrsBarrett
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Hi Kaylie, our timeline was ceremony was 1.30, wedding breakfast started at just after 4 and evening reception 7.30 xx
  5.  
    • TheNewMrsBarrett
      CommentAuthorTheNewMrsBarrett
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Also, dj/singer started with a bit of music about 7.30, we cut our cake at about 8.45 and then had first dance straight after that (singer wanted to make sure all our guests had arrived before we cut cake and had first dance) xx
  6.  
    • KirstyR386
      CommentAuthorKirstyR386
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Our ceremony is at 1.30 (its a church wedding so may be shorter if you're having a civil service). We'll arrive at recption venue from 3pm, wedding breakfast is at 5pm and caterers have said it will take 2 hours for 3 courses, speeches and cake cutting 7-7.30pm. Evening guests arrive from 7.30pm, first dance 8pm and then dance the night away. X
  7.  
    • MrsC2Be
      CommentAuthorMrsC2Be
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      edited
     
    Thanks all for your replies!!

    Its hard because the cutting of the cake and first dance sometimes happens before the evening guests and sometimes after they have arrived so im getting all confused!

    Ill definitely have a ****g00g13 and see for examples there too :)


    ****EDIT : SITE NAME DISGUISED IN LINE WITH FORUM RULES. MODS

    Members signature icon
    Met In Lanzarote April 2013
    Engaged In Rome February 2016
    Getting Married In Scotland May 2017
  8.  
    • SusanM34
      CommentAuthorSusanM34
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    I pulled off a couple of timeline examples from different sites. Then me and the OH went through them and jigged about a couple of bits that we think would fit in better with our day. There are no rules, it's your day so do it however it suits you :)

    Members signature icon
    Became Mrs Maunders on 22nd October 2016!


  9.  
    • Flossie
      CommentAuthorFlossie
      Ticker backgroundIs poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadgeTicker foreground
      edited
     
    This is a timeline of our day:

    Ceremony - 2.00pm
    Drinks reception and photos - 2.30pm
    Wedding breakfast - 4.00pm
    Toast and speeches 6.00pm
    Tea and coffee - 6.30pm
    DJ set up - 6.30pm
    Evening reception - 7.30pm (we've asked evening guests to arrive from 7pm)
    Cut the cake - 8.15pm
    First dance - 8.30pm
    Evening buffet - 9.00pm

    We had no idea either so we asked our venue what timings in their experience work best, and this is what they said :)

    Members signature icon
    Happily married
    18th June 2016
    xx
  10.  
    • FutureMrsW
      CommentAuthorFutureMrsW
      Ticker backgroundIs poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadgeTicker foreground
     
    Our ceremony is about 1pm so we are thinking along the line of:

    1pm - Ceremony (church so quite long)
    2:30pm - Drinks @ Reception and few formal photos
    4pm - Sitting down and Speeches/Toasts (OH wants them before meal)
    4:30pm - Afternoon Tea
    5:30(ish) - Time for mingling and more photos etc.
    7:00pm - Evening guests arrive
    7:30pm - Cut the cake/first dance
    8:00pm - Hog Roast




  11.  
    • CommentAuthorFayeJ67
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    our time line is this:

    12.30 Reception
    1pm photos, drinks reception and canapes
    2.30 to 3pm Sitting down - 3 course meal
    4.30 ish (probably closer to 5 pm) - Speeches
    Then time for mingling, more photos etc.
    7pm evening guests arrive
    7.30 cut the cake and first Dance
    8.30pm Hog roast!
    12pm everybody goes home!
  12.  
    • CatherineR
      CommentAuthorCatherineR
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Service - 2pm
    Photos - 2.45pm
    3.15 Leave for reception
    4-4.45pm Drinks and mingling
    5-7pm wedding breakfast and speeches
    7-7.30pm mingle/private photo shoot/band set up/cake cutting
    7.30-9.30pm band first set
    9.30pm - break/buffet nibbles
    10-11.30pm band second set
    11.30pm-12am guests depart/band leave

    This was our rough guide for the day but just go with the flow as it's just a lovely day :) xx

    Members signature icon
    Married my wife on 15.08.15
    Honeymooned on the Isles of Scilly :)

  13.  
    • CatherineR
      CommentAuthorCatherineR
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    If you have evening guests, get them to arrive around the time the band arrives to set up. Cake we did earlier as some people (elderly/people with children/disabled) left after the first band set and for your band/DJ, a good time to start is around 7.30/8pm but no later!

    Members signature icon
    Married my wife on 15.08.15
    Honeymooned on the Isles of Scilly :)

  14.  
    • KayleighS46
      CommentAuthorKayleighS46
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Ours is

    Ceremony 2.00pm
    Drinks and Photos - 2.30pm to 4.00pm
    Toasts/Speeches - 4.00 - 4.30pm
    Meal - 4.30pm - 6.00pm
    drinks/freshen up - 6.00pm - 7.30pm - allows evening guests to arrive and sweet table/photobooth and band to set up
    Evening reception - 7.30pm
    Cutting cake - 7.45pm
    First dance/Band starts - 8.00pm
    Buffet - 9.00pm
    DJ carries on till end of the night - 10.00pm - 1.00am

    xx

    Met 2013
    Propsed 2014
    Will Be Mrs Brookes 2016
    always & forever xxx
  15.  
    • VikkiH53
      CommentAuthorVikkiH53
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Our ceremony is at 1pm and everything is in the same venue so we have:

    1pm ceremony
    1:30 welcome drinks, canapés and photos
    3:00 wedding breakfast
    5:00 speeches
    7:00 evening guests arrive
    7:25 cutting of cake
    7:30 first dance
    8:30 hog roast
    9:00 ice cream cart
    11:30 disco ends, fire pit and smores
    12:00 carriages

    As you can see our day is rather surrounded by food!!!
  16.  
    • KatieR332
      CommentAuthorKatieR332
      edited
     
    POST DELETED FOR BREAKING FORUM RULES. LINKS AND ADVERTISING ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE FORUM. MODERATORS
  17.  
    • Becci93
      CommentAuthorBecci93
      Ticker backgroundIs poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadgeTicker foreground
      edited
     
    Your link will be removed as per forum rules unfortunately

    Our timeline was going to be
    image.jpeg
    image.jpeg


    Speak to your Reception venue though ours were a bit help

    Just realised you can't really see the writing
    11.45 vintage bus collects guests and takes the to church
    12.30 church ceremony begins
    1.15 photos and bus ride to the reception
    2 canapés and arrival drinks at reception and more photos
    3.30 receiving line
    4 speeches
    4.30 wedding breakfast
    -7.30 even guests arrive
    7.45 cut the cake
    8 memory balloon release
    8.15 first dance
    8.30 party / bbq




  18.  
    • AnikaM60
      CommentAuthorAnikaM60
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    I wasn't sure about this either. I just thought up rough times. I know my ceremony starts at 2 and will be roughly 45mins so I just went from there. Leaving 30min for photos and 25min to get to venue and get settled in. But I will g00gl3 it properly before I send invites out
  19.  
    • NicoleW665
      CommentAuthorNicoleW665
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    I didn't know either so I asked my venue for a rough idea as they know how long it takes them to serve the wedding breakfast and rearrange rooms and what not, as soon as you have your venue booked (if you havent already) maybe ask them :) x

    Members signature icon
    When we met: August 2009
    When we announced engagement: December 2015
    When we will get married: September 2017
  20.  
    • MrsC2Be
      CommentAuthorMrsC2Be
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    thanks guys, good to get real timescales!!! Helps me a lot :D x

    Members signature icon
    Met In Lanzarote April 2013
    Engaged In Rome February 2016
    Getting Married In Scotland May 2017
  21.  
    • DanielleG93
      CommentAuthorDanielleG93
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    thank you everyone, these have given me a better view on timings

    Members signature icon
    Mrs Barlow to-be
    2nd September 2017

  22.  
    • StephanieM158
      CommentAuthorStephanieM158
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    We have a really "quick" wedding. lol

    4:00 pm - ceremony
    4:30 pm - photos
    5:00 pm- speeches
    5:30pm- BBQ
    6:30pm- First Dance
    7:00pm- Cake cutting
    7:30pm- Disco/evening

    This will most probably be the quickest day of my life :D

    Members signature icon
    Met 2004
    Engaged 2014
    Getting Married 2016
  23.  
    • MrsC2Be
      CommentAuthorMrsC2Be
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    haha StephanieM158 why so quick?!

    hmmm is it more traditional to have the speeches before the wedding breakfast or after? and why have people chose a different order?!
    (im creating an order of service and wondering what order to do it in!)

    Members signature icon
    Met In Lanzarote April 2013
    Engaged In Rome February 2016
    Getting Married In Scotland May 2017
  24.  
    • StephanieM158
      CommentAuthorStephanieM158
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Didnt want to be spending a fortune on wedding breakfast and we could only get a registrar for 4pm.
    He wanted the big white wedding i wanted a quick marriage ceremony on the sun. So it was a compromise. I dont like the fuss and i hate being the center of attention so a late wedding with no breakfast was a compromise.

    Im sure speeches come after meal but before desert.... Its been a while since i went to a wedding. Lol

    Members signature icon
    Met 2004
    Engaged 2014
    Getting Married 2016
  25.  
    • MrsC2Be
      CommentAuthorMrsC2Be
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    could people give me their opinions on the below timeline:

    2 Ceremony Begins
    2.30 Vows + Kissing
    2.45 Drinks + Canapes
    3 Photos
    4 Receiving Line
    4.30 Wedding Breakfast
    6.30 Speeches (what happens at this point between last speech and cake cutting/first dance?!)
    7 Evening Guests Arrive
    7.30 Cake + First Dance
    DJ until 12am

    thanks so much :)

    Members signature icon
    Met In Lanzarote April 2013
    Engaged In Rome February 2016
    Getting Married In Scotland May 2017
  26.  
    • MrsC2Be
      CommentAuthorMrsC2Be
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    I like that your having a BBQ though, everyone loves BBQ's so you wont get any complaints about food! Only a couple of months to go I see, do you have everything prepared?!

    Haha me too! x

    Members signature icon
    Met In Lanzarote April 2013
    Engaged In Rome February 2016
    Getting Married In Scotland May 2017
  27.  
    • StephanieM158
      CommentAuthorStephanieM158
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Nope. Lol.
    I have loads to do but i cant bring myself to do them. (stags really getting to me) when thats passed i will probably get the oomf to do it again)

    Members signature icon
    Met 2004
    Engaged 2014
    Getting Married 2016
  28.  
    • TheNewMrsBarrett
      CommentAuthorTheNewMrsBarrett
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    MrsC, I think your timeline sounds about right. The only thing I will say is our photos took longer than an hour but that might have been because we were inside and BM and 2nd photographer had to keep getting guests back from the the bar area lol! We didn't bother with a receiving line either so think our photographer used that extra time too. I'm not sure what he tradition is any more re speeches, we had ours at the start of the wedding breakfast mainly due hubby wanting to get his over with so he could relax and enjoy the meal!
  29.  
    • CommentAuthorNicolaB7220
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    There is no rule now about when you do speeches. We chose to do them once everyone was sat at the table and before the wedding breakfast was served and we did this as my dad was really nervous, right from us getting engaged lol, so I did it first to get it out of the way so he could relax and enjoy his meal. I don't think he would have eaten anything had he had speeches coming up afterwards.

    Our day went as follows:

    2pm Ceremony
    2.30pm Confetti, photos/filming, bucks fizz and mingling
    4pm Announced the wedding breakfast - everyone to take seats
    4.15pm Speeches
    4.30pm Wedding breakfast
    6pm Giving out gifts (then mingling and some people checked into rooms etc, me and OH had further photos/filming)
    7.30pm Evening reception starts
    8.10pm Cutting the cake followed immediately by the first dance
    8.30pm BBQ
    12.30am Finish
  30.  
    • CamilaL
      CommentAuthorCamilaL
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Great to see so many timelines ideas :)
    Has anyone had the cake cutting before the evening? I am planning on serving the cake as dessert and have no idea what time to cut it. :/
  31.  
    • MichelleC961
      CommentAuthorMichelleC961
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    for those who are already married, between end of wedding breakfast and evening guests arriving how long gap did you had and what did you do, did you have music or did people just mingle?

    Then from evening guests how long did you have before dj or band started?

    I'm worried that there is a lull and guests get bored- we are going to have a close up magician for a couple of hours in the evening to entertain guests but not sure what time to have him from

    Members signature icon



  32.  
    • DanielleS0709
      CommentAuthorDanielleS0709
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Mines seems a lot different lol I think it's different here in NI. All the weddings here go like this and this is how ours went:

    1pm - ceremony.
    2pm - ceremony over, meet and greet with guests outside
    3pm - head off for photos
    3.30pm - guests arrive at hotel, singer in foyer until 5.30
    5pm - bridal part arrive at hotel and mingle with guests
    6pm - speeches
    6.30pm - wedding breakfast
    8pm - mingle with guests, Photobooth up & running
    9pm - band starts, 1st dance
    11pm - evening buffet
    11.30pm - dj starts
    2am - over.

    Members signature icon
    21st May 2016 xxx


  33.  
    • DanielleS0709
      CommentAuthorDanielleS0709
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Sorry Michelle can't help you there, all our guests were there all day

    Members signature icon
    21st May 2016 xxx


  34.  
    • CommentAuthorNicolaB7220
      BadgeBadge
     
    We had just over an hour gap and guests just mingled. It was a lovely day so people were sitting out making the most of the sunshine. Some got drinks from the bar. Some went for a walk around the beautiful grounds. The day guests who were staying over went and checked into their rooms and freshened up etc. Nobody got bored. Evening guests started arriving at 7.30pm and the DJ was playing some music but not 'disco' type music, just background until we cut the cake and did our first dance and then the party started after that.
  35.  
    • MichelleC961
      CommentAuthorMichelleC961
      Ticker backgroundIs poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadgeTicker foreground
      edited
     
    i think my order will be a combination of a few

    1pm church ceremony
    2pm church ceremony over- officially Mrs clayton-Hughes
    2.30pm arrive venue guests enjoy reception drinks and canapés and acoustic guitarist whilst we have photos
    4pm receiving line
    4.30 wedding breakfast and speeches- we are breaking it up and having speeches between courses
    6.30-7.30pm mingle with day guest
    6.30-8.30pm we are thinking of having magician to entertain guests
    7.30pm evening guests start to arrive
    8.15 cut cake
    8.30 band start- these are people OH knows so have 2 bands and a couple of djs mixing it up until 2am ( if we last that long lol)

    Members signature icon



  36.  
    • CommentAuthorSamanthaW362
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    thats amazing timeline,
 

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