Day-of logistics calculator
Wedding Timeline Calculator
Enter your ceremony and reception times, then tell us about your first look, wedding party, and meal style to build a realistic minute-by-minute schedule from getting ready through the send-off. Pair it with the shuttle calculator to time guest transportation around your ceremony.
Your wedding day timeline
Day-of timeline
- Getting ready (hair, makeup, dressing)
- 10:05 AM – 1:45 PM
- First look & couple / wedding party portraits
- 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
- Tuck away & final touch-ups
- 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
- Ceremony
- 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- Cocktail hour
- 4:35 PM – 5:35 PM
- Grand entrance & welcome
- 5:35 PM – 5:45 PM
- Dinner service
- 5:45 PM – 7:00 PM
- Toasts
- 7:00 PM – 7:20 PM
- First dance & cake cutting
- 7:20 PM – 7:30 PM
- Open dancing
- 7:30 PM – 10:45 PM
- Send-off
- 10:45 PM – 11:00 PM
Every figure here is a well-worn planning rule of thumb, not a quote. Use it to budget early, then lock in real numbers as you book.
Next: read Wedding Day Timeline Template or fold this into a full plan.
Build your wedding planHow this is calculated
- Built backward and forward from your ceremony start and reception end times.
- Ceremony ~30 min, cocktail hour ~60 min, dinner 60–75 min by meal style, toasts ~20 min.
- A first look moves most portraits before the ceremony; otherwise they fall in cocktail hour.
- Getting-ready time scales with the hair/makeup count; travel legs add ~30 min each.
Every figure here is a well-worn planning rule of thumb, not a quote — use it to budget early, then lock in real numbers as you book.
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Open →Frequently asked questions
What time should we start getting ready?
Work backward from the ceremony. This calculator allows about two hours of hair and makeup (more when several people are getting ready), plus a pre-ceremony portrait block, then tells you exactly when getting ready should start so everyone is camera-ready in time.
Should we do a first look?
A first look lets you take most couple and wedding-party portraits before the ceremony, which frees up cocktail hour to actually mingle with guests. Without one, those photos move into cocktail hour, so plan to step away from your guests for part of it.
How long should the reception be?
A typical reception runs four to five hours: cocktail hour, grand entrance, dinner, toasts, first dance and cake, then open dancing. If the window between your ceremony and end time is tight for your meal style, the calculator flags it so you can push the end time later or shorten dinner service.
Does meal style change the timeline?
Yes. A plated dinner takes longer to serve than a buffet, and a cocktail-style reception spreads grazing over a longer window. The calculator adjusts the dinner block to match your chosen meal style so the rest of the evening stays realistic.
Last reviewed June 2026 by Jared Waterworth. Estimates use widely accepted wedding-planning rules of thumb — see how we estimate. Numbers vary by region, season, and vendor, so verify before you book or buy.