From AM to PM: Four Sample Wedding Day Timelines

You might think all wedding day timelines are the same; ceremony, drinks, dinner, dancing, right? Well there's often a lot more planning going on in the background to make you hit those key moments on time.

If you've ever attended a wedding as a guest and been waiting around for food/a drink/the bride/the music, you'll know that nothing affects the vibe of a wedding day quite like a lull. A wedding day timeline ensures your day has a good flow to it, lets everyone know where to be when, and makes sure all your guests are well fed, watered and entertained at the right moments.

Oh, and it means you'll spend your own wedding day relaxed and not rushing through your photos or with one eye on the kitchen wondering when the starters will arrive. Every wedding day timeline can be different, but we figured we'd help you figure yours out with four sample wedding day itineraries that can be adapted for your day.

The summer wedding timeline is probably the one you're most used to. Of course the itinerary differ slightly depending on your ceremony time and style (you need to give up to an hour for a Catholic ceremony but a civil wedding can be wrapped up in 20 minutes).

You may also need to allow time for guests to get between different venues - do make sure they know what time they are expected at the drinks reception though, so they don't nip off to the pub for ages in between. Summer weddings can start that bit later as there are plenty of sunlight hours compared to winter.

8am Breakfast and showers 10am Begin hair and make-up or grooming prep 11am Bouquet and buttonhole deliveries 1pm Bridal party pictures and bubbly 2pm Groom (if applicable) arrives for ceremony, guests start to arrive

2:15pm Bride (if applicable) departs for the ceremony 2:30pm Ceremony 3:15pm Confetti toss and hugs outside the ceremony venue (allow extra for a formal reception line) 3:30pm Couple departs for photographs 4pm Drinks reception

4:30pm Couple arrives back from photos 5:30pm Seat guests for dinner 7pm Start speeches and serve dessert 7:30pm Couple cuts the cake 7:40pm Couple pops off for some golden hour shots (dependent on sunset times and weather!)

8.30pm Evening guests arrive 8:45pm First dance and band starts 11pm DJ begins and late night food is served 2am Music finishes (and the inevitable sing-song begins in the residents' bar!)

If you're opting for a classic wedding day timeline, the general running order of a winter wedding will go much like a summer one, but do chat to your photographer about making use of daylight hours to get your photos in before it gets dark, which is as early as 4pm in December.

You may decide to do a first look before your ceremony, so you can get some pics in then, but if not, have your ceremony early so you have lots of time for photos. Again, change this timeline up slightly if there's a long drive between the ceremony and reception venues.

8am Breakfast and showers 10am Begin hair and make-up or grooming prep 11:30am Bouquet and buttonhole deliveries 12:30pm Bridal party pictures and bubbly 1pm Groom (if applicable) arrives for ceremony, guests start to arrive

1:15pm Bride (if applicable) departs for the ceremony venue 1:30pm Ceremony 2:30pm Confetti toss and hugs outside the ceremony venue (weather dependent) 2.45pm Couple departs for photographs 3pm Cocktails and canapés for guests

3:45pm Couple arrives 5pm Seat guests for dinner 7pm Start speeches and serve dessert 7:45pm Cut the cake 8pm Evening guests arrive

8:30pm First dance and band starts 10:30pm DJ begins and late night food is served 1:30am Music and bar wrap up.

The idea of an evening wedding has become really popular in recent years, particularly for city weddings and restaurant wedding venues. Because these weddings tend to be more informal, they won't have a full ceremony - or may not have a ceremony at all.

A lot of couples will meet ahead of their ceremony for their portraits so they can relax and enjoy the evening with their guests without having to duck away.

2pm Have lunch with the bridal party 3.30pm Start hair and make-up or grooming prep 5.30pm Get bridal party and family photos 6pm Do a first look with your partner, have a drink together and some portraits 6.30pm Guests start to arrive

7pm Ceremony 7.30pm Drinks reception 8.30pm Guests called for dinner 9.45pm Speeches (as dessert is served) 10:15pm Cut the cake 10:30pm Dancing 1:00am Taxis home

The idea of a brunch wedding hasn't quite caught on in Ireland just yet, but in other countries a morning celebration, that wraps up by mid-afternoon is quite popular - and in the US, these kind of weddings are getting pretty trendy.

This one won't be for everyone, but a brunch wedding is a good option if you don't want your day to be too boozy, likewise it's a more family-friendly idea if you're inviting lots of kids.

8am Breakfast 8:30am Begin hair and make-up or grooming prep 10:30am Bridal party photos 11am Guests start to arrive 11:30am Ceremony 12.15pm Drinks and nibbles (couples go for photos for half an hour)

1pm Speeches (while still at the cocktail hour) 1.30pm Seat guests for lunch 3.00pm Cut the cake 4pm Farewells (couple might then continue a photo session with the photographer)

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From AM to PM: Four Sample Wedding Day Timelines

You might think all wedding day timelines are the same; ceremony, drinks, dinner, dancing, right? Well there's often a lot more planning going on in the background to make you hit those key moments on time.

From AM to PM: Four Sample Wedding Day Timelines

From AM to PM: Four Sample Wedding Day Timelines

From AM to PM: Four Sample Wedding Day Timelines

The summer wedding timeline is probably the one you're most used to. Of course the itinerary differ slightly depending on your ceremony time and style (you need to give up to an hour for a Catholic ceremony but a civil wedding can be wrapped up in 20 minutes).

The Classic Summer Wedding

The Classic Summer Wedding

8am Breakfast and showers 10am Begin hair and make-up or grooming prep 11am Bouquet and buttonhole deliveries 1pm Bridal party pictures and bubbly 2pm Groom (if applicable) arrives for ceremony, guests start to arrive

The Classic Summer Wedding

2:15pm Bride (if applicable) departs for the ceremony 2:30pm Ceremony 3:15pm Confetti toss and hugs outside the ceremony venue (allow extra for a formal reception line) 3:30pm Couple departs for photographs 4pm Drinks reception

The Classic Summer Wedding

4:30pm Couple arrives back from photos 5:30pm Seat guests for dinner 7pm Start speeches and serve dessert 7:30pm Couple cuts the cake 7:40pm Couple pops off for some golden hour shots (dependent on sunset times and weather!)

The Classic Summer Wedding

8.30pm Evening guests arrive 8:45pm First dance and band starts 11pm DJ begins and late night food is served 2am Music finishes (and the inevitable sing-song begins in the residents' bar!)

The Classic Summer Wedding

If you're opting for a classic wedding day timeline, the general running order of a winter wedding will go much like a summer one, but do chat to your photographer about making use of daylight hours to get your photos in before it gets dark, which is as early as 4pm in December.

The Classic Winter Wedding

You may decide to do a first look before your ceremony, so you can get some pics in then, but if not, have your ceremony early so you have lots of time for photos. Again, change this timeline up slightly if there's a long drive between the ceremony and reception venues.

The Classic Winter Wedding

8am Breakfast and showers 10am Begin hair and make-up or grooming prep 11:30am Bouquet and buttonhole deliveries 12:30pm Bridal party pictures and bubbly 1pm Groom (if applicable) arrives for ceremony, guests start to arrive

The Classic Winter Wedding

1:15pm Bride (if applicable) departs for the ceremony venue 1:30pm Ceremony 2:30pm Confetti toss and hugs outside the ceremony venue (weather dependent) 2.45pm Couple departs for photographs 3pm Cocktails and canapés for guests

The Classic Winter Wedding

3:45pm Couple arrives 5pm Seat guests for dinner 7pm Start speeches and serve dessert 7:45pm Cut the cake 8pm Evening guests arrive

The Classic Winter Wedding

8:30pm First dance and band starts 10:30pm DJ begins and late night food is served 1:30am Music and bar wrap up.

The Classic Winter Wedding

The idea of an evening wedding has become really popular in recent years, particularly for city weddings and restaurant wedding venues. Because these weddings tend to be more informal, they won't have a full ceremony - or may not have a ceremony at all.

The Evening Soirée

A lot of couples will meet ahead of their ceremony for their portraits so they can relax and enjoy the evening with their guests without having to duck away.

The Evening Soirée

2pm Have lunch with the bridal party 3.30pm Start hair and make-up or grooming prep 5.30pm Get bridal party and family photos 6pm Do a first look with your partner, have a drink together and some portraits 6.30pm Guests start to arrive

The Evening Soirée

7pm Ceremony 7.30pm Drinks reception 8.30pm Guests called for dinner 9.45pm Speeches (as dessert is served) 10:15pm Cut the cake 10:30pm Dancing 1:00am Taxis home

The Evening Soirée

The idea of a brunch wedding hasn't quite caught on in Ireland just yet, but in other countries a morning celebration, that wraps up by mid-afternoon is quite popular - and in the US, these kind of weddings are getting pretty trendy.

The Brunch Party

This one won't be for everyone, but a brunch wedding is a good option if you don't want your day to be too boozy, likewise it's a more family-friendly idea if you're inviting lots of kids.

The Brunch Party

8am Breakfast 8:30am Begin hair and make-up or grooming prep 10:30am Bridal party photos 11am Guests start to arrive 11:30am Ceremony 12.15pm Drinks and nibbles (couples go for photos for half an hour)

The Brunch Party

1pm Speeches (while still at the cocktail hour) 1.30pm Seat guests for lunch 3.00pm Cut the cake 4pm Farewells (couple might then continue a photo session with the photographer)

The Brunch Party

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