Wedding Day Timeline

Who this is for

The day in order, on one page. Each row is one thing that happens — a time, what it is, who is making sure it does and where — so the couple, the venue and whoever is coordinating are all reading the same sheet.

Couples, the person coordinating on the day, and anyone with a job to do — a best man collecting the rings, a parent meeting the florist — who needs to know when.

What this helps you track

• What happens, in what order, from set-up to the end of the night
• Who is responsible for each moment, so nothing is left to whoever happens to be nearest
• Where each thing takes place, when the day moves between rooms or venues
• What the suppliers and the venue need to know, written once and handed out

How to use it

1. Write the couple, the date, the venues and the name and number of the person coordinating at the top.
2. Start with the fixed points — the ceremony, the meal, the transport bookings — and write each on its own row with the time you have agreed.
3. Fill in around them: arrivals, photographs, speeches, the cake, the first dance, the last bus. Keep each row to one thing.
4. Give every row a name in the responsible column. If nobody is named, nobody is responsible.
5. Print copies for the coordinator, the venue and every supplier, or download the completed browser version as a PDF and send it round.
6. Keep one copy blank in the browser as a template if you are helping with more than one wedding.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What time should the ceremony be?

That is decided between you, the venue and whoever is conducting it. The sheet has no times of its own — the registrar or celebrant will tell you what is needed where you are, and the venue will tell you what fits their day.

How many rows do I need?

The printed page has room for a full day written one moment per row. If your day is longer or more detailed, the browser version adds rows without limit, and can be printed across pages.

Who should get a copy?

Anyone who has to be somewhere at a particular time: the coordinator, the venue, the photographer, the caterer, the band, the transport, and whoever is giving speeches or doing a reading.

Is there a version with the timings already in?

No, deliberately. Every wedding is a different shape and a pre-filled running order would only need crossing out. Write yours in and it will be right.