A good wedding timeline isn't about squeezing in as much as possible. It's about making sure guests are never standing around wondering what happens next. Here's the shape we see work best for a typical afternoon ceremony, with the reasoning behind each step so you can adapt it to your own day.
Ceremony and drinks reception
Ceremony at 2pm, lasting 20–40 minutes. The bar should be open the moment it ends, because the drinks reception is the longest stretch where guests have nothing scheduled.
Allow 90 minutes for the reception and photographs. Any longer and guests start to flag; any shorter and the photographer is rushed. Background music from Lunar Sound fills the gaps between conversations.
The wedding breakfast and speeches
Sit down around 4pm. Many couples now put the speeches before the meal, so the speakers can relax and eat — and so the kitchen isn't held up by a long best-man speech.
A reliable radio microphone makes a bigger difference than people expect. If guests at the back can't hear, the jokes die.
The bar can slow or close during the meal, then reopen properly afterwards. Our wedding drinks planning guide has the volumes for each stage.
The turnaround and evening guests
After the meal the room is often turned around for the evening. Use that time: open the bar fully and let day guests stretch their legs outside.
Evening guests typically arrive around 7–7:30pm. Have the bar fully staffed for that wave — it's the busiest 30 minutes of the night.
First dance to last orders
First dance around 8pm, then straight into the dancefloor. Evening food about 9pm catches the energy dip before it happens.
Last orders 30 minutes before your venue's curfew, with the bar closed 15 minutes before, keeps the end of the night calm. A wedding bar hire team will manage that for you.
In winter, remember it's dark by 4pm: move photographs earlier. See winter wedding lighting ideas.
More wedding planning: weddings by Lunar Events Group