Most wedding timelines online are an image with fixed times. The moment one thing changes — the ceremony starts half an hour later, the cocktail hour runs long — you redo the whole thing by hand. This one is a spreadsheet: you type the start time and the durations, and every other time works itself out.
Download it
- Wedding day timeline template (.xlsx) — with a 4pm ceremony example filled in. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
Free, no sign-up and no email.
How it works
Six columns: time, duration in minutes, moment, where, who or which vendor, and notes.
- You type the first time.
- Every later time is the one before plus its duration. Change the length of the cocktail hour and everything after it moves.
- If a moment has a fixed time — a church slot, the shuttle — type it over the formula in that row. Everything after it then counts from there.
The example: a 4pm ceremony
| Time | Duration | Moment |
|---|---|---|
| 15:30 | 30 min | Guests arrive |
| 16:00 | 30 min | Ceremony |
| 16:30 | 60 min | Cocktail hour and couple photos |
| 17:30 | 15 min | Grand entrance |
| 17:45 | 75 min | Dinner |
| 19:00 | 20 min | Toasts |
| 19:20 | 10 min | First dance |
| 19:30 | 20 min | Cake cutting |
| 19:50 | 130 min | Dancing |
| 22:00 | 15 min | Send-off |
It is an example, not a rule. For an earlier or later ceremony, change the first time and the durations, and the rest follows.
The blocks that run long
Cocktail hour
It is the buffer of the day. Couple photos and family group photos happen here, and they almost always take longer than planned. Do the group shots first, while everyone is easy to find, and do not cut this block to win time back at dinner.
The grand entrance
Seating a hundred people takes a while, especially if they are hunting for their name on a board. A clear, alphabetical seating chart by the door saves ten minutes.
Toasts
Three at most, and tell each speaker how long they have. It is the block that gets away from you most easily, and the hardest to cut once it starts.
Who gets a copy
Every vendor, one to two weeks before: venue, caterer, photographer, videographer, music and transport. Everyone should work from the same version, and one contact person — not either of you — should have it on their phone on the day.
If the rest of the planning still needs a home, the wedding checklist template puts this task two to three months out, next to everything else.
What comes before the day
A timeline only works once you know who is coming and what each guest eats. That is the RSVP's job: with our RSVP with meal choice, every guest answers with their dish and allergies, and you download the list for the caterer. €49, paid once.
Frequently asked questions
What does a wedding day timeline include?
Every moment of the day in order, with a time and a duration: guests arriving, ceremony, cocktail hour, entrance, dinner, toasts, first dance, cake, dancing and send-off. Vendors work from it, so nobody has to decide anything on the spot.
What is a good timeline for a 4pm ceremony?
The template's example: guests from 3:30, ceremony at 4:00, cocktail hour and photos at 4:30, entrance at 5:30, dinner at 5:45, toasts at 7:00, first dance at 7:20, cake at 7:30, dancing from 7:50 and the send-off at 10:00. Change any duration and the rest moves.
How long is a wedding reception?
In the template's example, about four and a half hours from the grand entrance to the send-off. Most of it is dinner and dancing, which are also the two blocks you can stretch or shorten most easily.
Which parts of a wedding day usually run late?
Photos, the grand entrance and the toasts. Leave slack in the cocktail hour and keep toasts to three. If something has a fixed time, such as a church slot or the shuttle, type it over the formula in that row.
Who should get a copy of the wedding timeline?
Every vendor, one to two weeks before: venue, caterer, photographer, videographer, DJ or band and transport. And the person who will deal with surprises on the day, who should not be either of you.
Does the template work in Google Sheets?
Yes. It is a normal .xlsx and the times recalculate the same way in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
Template by the Wedding30s team. The example durations are a guide: adjust them with your venue and vendors.