Wedding Day Timings: An Expert Guide

Your wedding day timings are crucial to ensuring your day runs well. Despite what you read online, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. There are lots of factors to consider and you’ll need to think about this earlier than you might realise. When you start booking vendors, you might need to confirm their working hours, so having this information to hand, even if just pencilled in at this point, is really helpful. 

Here are my starting points, and advice for how to have a wedding day that flows seamlessly.

WHAT IS YOUR CURFEW? 

Working backwards from your end time is the best place to start. If you’ve booked an incredible band and DJ, you want to make sure that they perform for their full set allocation.

If you’re getting married at a venue, don’t assume they will be lenient with the end time. The curfew is extremely strict at all wedding venues because they are running a business, have licensing laws and neighbours to consider. However, many do have the option to extend their curfew by an hour, and if you have a party crowd coming or are having a summer wedding I’d definitely recommend doing this.

If you’re having a marquee wedding on hired land, you’re likely to have an end time that you must adhere to. And even if you’re hosting a wedding on family property where you’ll have a lot more flexibility, it’s always good to be mindful of neighbours and I’d still recommend having a firm end time for the main action. Bar staff will need to leave, musicians and DJs will need to pack away and honestly, there really does need to be a cut off point. If you are carrying on the party – be prepared to pay staff overtime or self-serve drinks, definitely switch to plastic cups and assume that you will need to hire different equipment for the music, as it’s highly unlikely the band / DJ / production company will let your friends use their kit. 

Remember it’s a long day, people get incredibly drunk at weddings and as fun-sucking as it sounds, a firm finish is exactly what people need at the end of a wedding celebration.

HOW MUCH TIME IS NEEDED FOR DINNER & SPEECHES?

This is a part of the day that will inevitably vary from wedding to wedding. If you have a small wedding party of 50, three speeches and serve two feasting style courses, this will obviously take less time than seating 200 guests for a three course individually plated dinner with five speeches. 

The key here is communication with your wedding party and key wedding suppliers. Ask your caterers how long they will need to serve and clear food. Check with anyone who is doing a speech how long they are speaking for and add 5 / 10 minutes. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and speeches are always longer than anticipated. 

Remember that drinks will need to be topped up or toast drinks poured and caterers won’t want to serve or clear while people are making speeches. Most of the weddings I plan have speeches in-between courses and while this is fun and keeps the atmosphere moving, it definitely takes longer than having the speeches in succession at the beginning of the meal. I’ve also found that having speeches between courses means that people are more likely to get up and go to the toilet or out for a cigarette, which can slow things down. 

And finally on this point, I always factor in a small amount of ‘downtime’ after dinner. This is where the evening bar can open, the atmosphere can build and it gives a bit of time for more portraits and outfit changes ahead of the first dance.

There will be multiple peaks to your wedding day and the energy will ebb and flow. You just need to make sure those quieter moments are a reset for guests. Make sure music is playing and the cocktails are flowing. This after dinner downtime also gives you a bit of wiggle room should things be running late, meaning that you won’t eat into band time! 

WEDDING DRINKS RECEPTION TIMINGS

Most of my clients really want to have a long drinks reception. However, 2 hours for this part of the day really is the limit. Guests will start to get hungry and restless, and this is not a vibe you want on your wedding day. If the weather is on your side and you’re also having speeches during this time, then go for the 2 hour window (this is also useful if you’re having lots of formal family photos, or want to go off-site for some of your portraits). However if you’re getting married in the UK and aren’t having any speeches during this time, I’d say 90 minutes is plenty of time for your drinks reception. 

Also speak to your caterers about whether they are able to bring forward meal service if the weather is looking truly awful. As we all know, the weather doesn’t always play ball in the UK. There have been a few times where I’ve made a call with my clients to shorten the drinks reception because getting people into their seats and eating is key to keeping that atmosphere up. This might not be possible to change on the day, however in the week leading up to the wedding it would be. Again, it’s all about communication. 

CEREMONY TIMINGS

I’d usually allow an hour for the ceremony. This will vary depending on what type of ceremony you’re having, who is conducting the ceremony and also, whether you’re someone who is punctual by nature or not…

Remember to factor in confetti time. If your ceremony is being held in a different location to the reception, allow time for guests to travel between the two. This is one of those occasions where I’d recommend opting for the later curfew, or starting your day earlier. 

Which leads nicely to the question…what is the optimum time for your wedding ceremony?

Personally, I like a 1pm or 2pm ceremony. I think this allows plenty of time for getting ready without a crack-of-dawn start, but means you won’t feel like the day is rushed. However I’ve also planned weddings with later start times and they’ve felt so gloriously relaxed, and the party vibes are strong, because people feel like they are coming out for the night rather than a day time event. 

KEY MOMENTS TO FACTOR IN 

Within the above, if you’d like to do a bouquet toss, an exit from the church in a vintage car, cake cutting or any other wedding tradition you want to make a ‘moment’ of – remember you’ll need to factor this in too.

EXAMPLE TIMINGS