The Ultimate Wedding Timeline for a 4pm Ceremony

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Planning a wedding can be a whirlwind of details especially when it comes to the timeline of your special day. However, the wedding timeline is arguably the most important aspect of the day to ensure your day runs as smoothly as possible.

You don’t need a second by second schedule, but a basic wedding day timeline will help you feel more relaxed and in control. You don’t want a timeline that makes you feel rushed, stressed or have to miss out on things because you ran out of time. 

But, it’s more than likely that this is the first wedding you will have ever planned, so putting a wedding timeline together can be hard work if you have no idea how long these things are going to take.

So we have created…

A simple wedding day timeline based on a 4pm ceremony, along with some helpful snippets of advice on organising your day. 

From the morning preparations to the evening celebrations, a well structured timeline is key to keeping everything on track. So, our modern wedding timeline templates are on hand to help your big day run smoothly. 

Note: All the timelines below assume that the ceremony and reception are located in the same place. Remember to allow extra time if your guests need to travel between venues. 

If you’re having a summer European wedding, once of the most common wedding ceremony start times is 4pm. This can be to avoid extreme heat hours or to catch the perfect sunset hours. We love 4pm ceremonies because it leaves plenty of time to get ready, eat lunch, travel and just enjoy your morning more. Also your bridal party will thank you that they aren’t having to wake up for a 6am start.

Table of Contents:

1. Pre-Ceremony Preparations
2. Ceremony
3. Post Ceremony
4. Wedding Reception
5. Last Dance and Send Off

1. Wedding Timeline : Pre-Ceremony Preparations

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8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Breakfast and Shower 

Begin the day with a relaxing routine. A light breakfast and hydration are key. Your stomach might be doing flips but it’s important to take time to eat. It’s recommended to eat something you would typically eat, you don’t want to risk something out of the ordinary on your big day. 

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Hair and Makeup

This timing may vary depending on how many people in your wedding party require hair and make up. It’s recommended to discuss this with your hair and makeup artists. If they do a lot of weddings, they will know the best timings. Trust the experts! 

Make sure a bridesmaid or mother of the bride goes first. Bride should always be in the middle or last. 

If you’re having a photographer before the ceremony, ensure the photographers arrive to capture getting-ready moments.

10am : Bouquets arrive, and suppliers begin set up at the venue 

If you’re getting ready at the same venue as your wedding, try to refrain from getting too involved in the setup process on the day. You want to enjoy these special get ready moments rather than stressing about whether the napkins have been folded correctly.

If you’ve got a wedding planner or coordinator, trust them with this. If not, get one of your bridesmaids to help coordinate the set up. 

You can always get your planner or bridesmaid to send you photos throughout the morning if you are a bride who likes to be in full control. 

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch

It’s time to eat again! Make sure you have a light lunch yourself and the bridal party have a light lunch to keep the energy levels up. Particularly if you’re having a few glasses of bubbles throughout the morning. 

And if you’re feeling stuck here are The best and worst foods to have in the bridal suite before your wedding

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Final Touches and Getting Dressed

The bridesmaids, maid of honour, mother of the bride and any other members of your bridal party should be dressed and ready by this point. This is so they can help you get into your wedding dress, and be part of your get ready shots. 

Don’t rush this time, it’s a really special moment. Also to make your life easier, get your wedding outfit, shoes, accessories, lipstick etc ready the night before.

Have it all laid out and ready to go for the wedding day. This will prevent you from running around on the day of the wedding looking for your earrings. 

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: First Look and Pre-Ceremony Photos

If you’re having a first look with your groom, this is the perfect time to have it. An hour gives you enough time to enjoy each others company.

It’s also a peaceful time to get some pre-ceremony shots. If you’re not doing a first look this is the perfect time for photos with your bridesmaids, some Tiktok content or just a fun sing and dance with your besties. 

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Travel to Ceremony Location

If you’re not staying at the wedding venue, give yourself enough time to get to the venue. Make sure your transport is prearranged. 

It’s also important to bring a ‘bridal essentials bag’. This is a task you could give to your mum or a bridesmaid. Pack a bag the day before with essential things you might need on the day.

For example : deodorant, hair pins, body tape, sanitary towels etc. If you’re looking for a Bridal essentials list, read this article Everything You Need To Make A Wedding Day Emergency Kit 

2. Wedding Timeline: Ceremony

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3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Guest Arrival and Seating

Guests arrive, and groomsmen or ushers greet and  guide  them to their seats. 

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: Ceremony

And now you can breathe… don’t forget to ask someone to fluff your dress if needed, before you walk down the aisle. You’ll find that the nerves will fly away once you’re walking down the aisle. This is where the real fun begins. 

3. Post-Ceremony

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4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Reception Drinks and Canapes 

This is when your guests will enjoy champagne, beers or whatever specially selected drinks you have on offer. It’s always a good shout to include some Canapes or nibbles at this point in the day. Firstly to soak up the alcohol and also to keep them entertained until dinner time. 

Usually, this time is when the bride and groom go off with the photographer to do some couple shots. However, we recommend you spend at least the first half an hour of your reception drinks with your guests.

Say hello to your friends, have a drink, enjoy the moment you worked so hard to plan. Your photographer will still be there to take photos of in the moment memories. 

We suggest at least 1.5hours for the reception drinks and canapes. You’ll be surprised how quickly it goes. 

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Couple’s Portraits

Then at 5pm you can go with the photographer for either Intimate couple photos around the venue or for family portraits. Typically in European summer weddings, you will have the couple shots later on in the evening towards sunset, for the warm beautiful lighting. 

4. Wedding Timeline: Reception

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5:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Guest Seating and Couple’s Grand Entrance

Guests find their seats. It’s great to have someone on the day to guide people to their seats. Your wedding planner can do this. Or if you don’t have a planner, the bridesmaids or groomsmen can be great alternatives. 

Then once the guests are seated, it’s time for your grand entrance. Opt for someone to introduce you into the dinner setting. 

6:00 PM – 6:45 PM: Speeches 

This timing will depend on how many speeches you have. We recommend doing the speeches before dinner.

Because speeches can be quite nerve wracking for some people, so doing them before the dinner can mean they can relax and enjoy the dinner afterwards. 

Whilst the number of speeches is up to you, it’s recommended to stick to 3 speeches max. Also advise your speakers to keep their speeches short, 5 minutes is more than enough to keep people entertained. 

Also let your wedding planner know the order of the speeches, so they can organise the speakers accordingly.

7:00 PM – 7:30 PM: First Dance and Parent Dances

If you’re having a first dance, now’s the time. It’s also a great time for any parent dances or any other dances you have planned. If you’re not into the idea of a first dance, you could just pick a feel good song that you both love, that you know your guests would love and ask all your guests to join you on the dancefloor for the first song. 

7:30 PM – Late : Dancing and Entertainment

Open the dance floor for your guests and any entertainment you may have. This is also a good time for any other entertainment like photobooths, games etc. 

Remember the guests will only be on the dancefloor as much as the bride and groom are. So if you want a crazy dance floor, make sure you get your dancing shoes on. 

8:30 PM – 9:00 PM: Cake Cutting and Dessert

If you’re having a cake, this is usually a good time to do it. Get a wedding planner or a member of the wedding party to announce the cake cutting.

The cake cutting isn’t a tradition that people always keep but it is a good photo opportunity. 

If you’re not doing cake cutting – this is a great time to sneak off with your photographer for some sunset hour shots. You will love these! 

9:00 PM – 10:30 PM: More Dancing and Fun

Continue dancing and celebrating. Around 10pm is a great time for late-night snacks to be served (if planned). Guests may start to get a bit peckish by this time, and who doesn’t like a late night wedding pizza? 

Last Dance and Send-Off

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If you’ve hired transport for your guests, make sure your last dance and send off is at least 15 minutes before the transport arrives. Your transport will probably only have a 15 minute leeway time for your guests to get onto the transport. This is something you can discuss with your wedding planner. 

If you haven’t got transport for your guests, ensure the finishing time is clear on the invites so people can organise their transport home ahead of time if needed. 

Here’s a Recap

So to recap, here is the recommended wedding timeline for a 4pm wedding ceremony

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Breakfast and Shower 

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Hair and Makeup

10:00 AM  : Bouquets arrive, and suppliers begin set up at the venue 

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch 

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Final Touches and Getting Dressed

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: First Look and Pre-Ceremony Photos

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Travel to Ceremony Location

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Guest Arrival and Seating

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: Ceremony

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Reception Drinks and Canapes 

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Couple’s Portraits

5:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Guest Seating and Couple’s Grand Entrance

6:00 PM – 6:45 PM: Speeches 

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM: Dinner

8:30 PM – First Dance and Parent Dances

8:30 PM – Late : Dancing and Entertainment

9:00 PM – 9:30 PM: Cake Cutting and Dessert 

9:30 PM – 12:30 AM: More Dancing and Fun

12:30 AM – Last Dance and Send-Off

We’ve also created this helpful infographic for you to save and download!

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Additional Tips For Planning your Wedding Timeline for a 4pm Ceremony 

1.Allow Time

Always allow time for guests moving from one part of the day to another. This is particularly important for larger venues where guests have to move from room to room. It can take guests up to half an hour to get into their seats for dinner. 

2. Bridal Party Size

The number of bridesmaids you have will really affect your timeline – the more bridesmaids the longer hair and makeup will take. 

3. Photographer Shot times

If you want to spend more of the drinks reception with your guests rather than with your photographer.

This is something you can discuss with your photographer beforehand. It’s your day so they can help you work out the best way to still get your shots but also ensure you don’t miss out on too much time with your friends and family. 

4. Make Guests aware of Timings

Ensure guests are aware of the time that they have to arrive and leave. Make this clear on the invites. If you’ve done a wedding website, it’s great to send a reminder email the week of the wedding to reminder people. 

By following this timeline, your 4 PM wedding ceremony will flow smoothly, allowing you to enjoy every moment of your special day. But always liaise with your wedding planner or coordinator to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Additional Resources

• Links to Wedding Packages in Central America under $10,000: 
• Whats the difference between a wedding planner and wedding coordinator?