Wedding timeline for a 2 pm ceremony
Computed for Saturday, June 19, 2027 in New York (sunset 8:31 pm). Hair and makeup at 10:10 am, photographer at 11:55 am , cocktail hour 2:45 pm, dinner 4:05 pm, golden-hour portraits 8:00 pm.
Why this order
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.
In summer the reception has a long afternoon to fill: a relaxed two-hour drinks reception with lawn games works better than stretching dinner. Golden hour usually lands after dinner and the speeches, so portraits become a short slip-away before the dancing starts.
From November to January in the UK and northern US, sunset can fall within an hour or two of the ceremony ending. Do family photos first, couple portraits straight after, and keep the outdoor shots short.
The numbers behind it
- Hair and makeup: 5 people × 45 minutes ÷ 2 artists = 2 h 15 min, finishing 15 minutes before getting dressed.
- Travel: a 20-minute drive is planned as 25 minutes (20 % padding).
- Cocktail hour: 1 h — long enough for 8 family groupings, the wedding party and quick couple portraits.
- Dinner: plated, 1 h 45 min including three 5-minute speeches between courses.
- Photographer: about 11 hours from 11:55 am to cover every key moment.
What the planner flagged
- Photography coverage (9 h from 11:55 am) ends at 8:55 pm and misses: Last dance, Sparkler send-off. You need about 11 h, or start coverage later.
Sample order of the day
- 10:10 am Hair & makeup (5 people, 2 artists)
- 11:50 am Sam gets ready
- 12:25 pm Touch-ups, a snack, breathing room
- 12:40 pm Alex gets dressed
- 12:50 pm Sam travels to the ceremony
- 1:10 pm Breathing room before leaving
- 1:20 pm Alex travels to the ceremony
- 1:30 pm Guests arrive and are seated
- 1:45 pm Arrive and wait out of sight
- 2:00 pm Ceremony
- 2:30 pm Recessional, hugs and confetti
- 2:45 pm Family photos (8 groupings)
- 2:45 pm Cocktail hour
- 3:05 pm Wedding party photos
- 3:20 pm Quick couple portraits (more at golden hour)
- 3:45 pm Grand entrance
- 3:55 pm First dance
- 4:00 pm Welcome and blessing
- 4:05 pm Plated dinner
- 4:45 pm Speeches and toasts (3)
- 5:50 pm Parent dances
- 6:00 pm Cake cutting
- 6:10 pm Open dance floor
- 8:00 pm Golden-hour portraits
- 10:10 pm Last dance
- 10:15 pm Sparkler send-off
The same 2 pm ceremony through the year
Where 20 minutes of golden-hour portraits land with a classic, no-first-look day, mid-month Saturdays in 2027.
| Month | Place | Sunset | Golden-hour portraits | First look? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | New York | 7:38 pm | between the reception formalities | Optional |
| April | London | 8:00 pm | between the reception formalities | Optional |
| June | New York | 8:31 pm | between the reception formalities | Optional |
| June | London | 9:22 pm | between the reception formalities | Optional |
| September | New York | 7:03 pm | between the reception formalities | Optional |
| September | London | 7:12 pm | between the reception formalities | Optional |
| October | New York | 6:17 pm | between the reception formalities | Optional |
| October | London | 6:08 pm | a 20-minute slip-away during dinner | Optional |
| December | New York | 4:32 pm | a 20-minute slip-away during dinner | Optional |
| December | London | 3:53 pm | during cocktail hour, straight after family photos | Optional |
Other start times: 1 pm · 3 pm · 4 pm · 5 pm · 6 pm · Guides: timeline examples, first look or not.
Frequently asked questions
What time should hair and makeup start for a 2 pm ceremony?
About 10:10 am for five people with two artists at 45 minutes each and a 20-minute drive, so everyone is dressed and out of the door with a buffer. Each extra person per artist adds 45 minutes.
When does the photographer arrive for a 2 pm ceremony?
Around 11:55 am for detail photos, about 2 h 5 min before the ceremony. To cover the day through the exit, book about 11 hours.
When is golden hour for a 2 pm wedding?
In mid-June in New York golden hour starts at 7:50 pm and the sun sets at 8:31 pm; the sample day schedules 20 minutes of portraits at 8:00 pm. It moves earlier through autumn — see the season table on this page.
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