Wedding day timeline for a 6 pm ceremony
An evening ceremony shortens the day. Speeches often move to between courses, and many couples do portraits before the ceremony so the evening flows straight from vows to dinner.
With a first look
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm | Hair & make-up |
| 2:45 pm | Photographer arrives (details shots) |
| 3:45 pm – 4:30 pm | Get dressed |
| 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm | First look & couple portraits |
| 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm | Guests arrive & seated |
| 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Ceremony |
| 6:30 pm – 6:45 pm | Confetti & group photo |
| 6:45 pm – 7:45 pm | Drinks & family photos |
| 8:00 pm | Guests seated for dinner |
| 8:00 pm – 9:45 pm | Dinner |
| 8:45 pm – 9:15 pm | Speeches (between courses) |
| 9:50 pm | Cake cutting |
| 10:00 pm | First dance |
| 10:00 pm – 11:59 pm | Party |
| 11:59 pm | Last song & send-off |
Without a first look
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm | Hair & make-up |
| 3:45 pm | Photographer arrives (details shots) |
| 4:45 pm – 5:30 pm | Get dressed |
| 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm | Guests arrive & seated |
| 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Ceremony |
| 6:30 pm – 6:45 pm | Confetti & group photo |
| 6:45 pm – 8:15 pm | Drinks, family & couple photos |
| 8:30 pm | Guests seated for dinner |
| 8:30 pm – 10:15 pm | Dinner |
| 9:15 pm – 9:45 pm | Speeches (between courses) |
| 10:20 pm | Cake cutting |
| 10:30 pm | First dance |
| 10:30 pm – 11:59 pm | Party |
| 11:59 pm | Last song & send-off |
Assumes a 30-minute ceremony, four people for hair and make-up with one stylist (about 45 minutes each), ceremony and reception at the same venue, and the party ending at 11:59 pm. Change any of these in the planner.
Other ceremony times
Planning the months before the day as well? The wedding timeline planner builds a 12-month checklist from your date, and the wedding planning template is ready to edit.
6 pm wedding timeline questions
What time should hair and make-up start for a 6 pm ceremony?
With four people getting ready and a first look, about 12:30 pm. Allow roughly 45 minutes per person, finishing at least 15 minutes before getting dressed.
When should guests arrive for a 6 pm wedding?
Ask guests to arrive 30 minutes before the ceremony, at 5:30 pm. Some couples print the earlier time on the invitation for exactly this reason.
Does a first look change the schedule?
Yes. Couple portraits move to before the ceremony, so the time after the vows is shorter and you can join your guests for drinks. Without a first look, plan about 90 minutes for photos and drinks after the ceremony.
Can I change this schedule?
Open the wedding timeline planner, enter your ceremony time, ceremony length and number of people getting ready, and every time shifts automatically. You can then edit, drag and export the schedule as a PDF for your suppliers.