Wedding timelines by ceremony time
Each page lays out a full day for one start time, explains the order, and shows how golden hour shifts from April to December.
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Wedding timeline for a 1 pm ceremony
Long day, lunch reception or a break. A 1 pm ceremony makes for the longest wedding day. Hair and makeup starts in the morning, the formal photos are finished by mid-afternoon, and in summer there are still five or more hours until golden hour.
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Wedding timeline for a 2 pm ceremony
Classic for church weddings and winter. Two o’clock is a classic slot for church and register-office ceremonies, and in winter it is often the latest start that still gives you daylight for family photos.
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Wedding timeline for a 3 pm ceremony
Balanced: photos in daylight, evening party. A 3 pm ceremony splits the day evenly: a calm morning, photos in full daylight, and a reception that reaches the evening without dragging.
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Wedding timeline for a 4 pm ceremony
The most popular slot in summer. Four o’clock is a popular summer start because it lines up with the light: family photos during the cocktail hour, then golden hour falls between dinner and the dances.
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Wedding timeline for a 5 pm ceremony
Golden hour close to the ceremony. A 5 pm ceremony gives a slow morning and keeps golden hour close to the ceremony. In late spring and summer it falls during dinner, so portraits are a 20-minute slip-away between courses; in September and October it arrives during the cocktail hour, and the couple portraits straight after family photos are in the best light.
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Wedding timeline for a 6 pm ceremony
Evening ceremony: first look recommended. A 6 pm ceremony is an evening wedding. In midsummer golden hour comes during dinner; in spring and early autumn it falls straight after the ceremony, during the cocktail hour; from October the sun sets before the ceremony ends.