The Ultimate Wedding Morning Timeline (So You’re Not Rushed)

As a wedding planner, one of the most common regrets I hear after a wedding day is, “I wish we hadn’t felt so rushed in the morning.” Your wedding morning sets the tone for the entire day, so creating a thoughtful, well-paced timeline is one of the best gifts you can give yourself—and your wedding party. Here’s some tips for planning & structuring your morning timeline correctly to ensure a smooth, stress-free start to your big day.

Decide the Getting Ready Location

Remember that your getting ready location will need to have time and space. A standard hotel room may not be enough space, and one night at a hotel will not provide enough time. If you choose to use a hotel, you will need to book two nights at the hotel so that you can use the entire day for hair and makeup without worrying about check-out times. Ideally, you should upgrade the room to a suite for more space and use it also as the room that you return to for your wedding night.

Book Hair & Makeup Early

Find out how many ladies need hair and makeup first (don’t forget mom!). Then, lock in your glam team early and make sure they know how many people they’ll be working on and so there won’t be any pricey surprises. This determines how many artists you’ll need and how early you’ll need to start. A great rule of thumb is to schedule one hour per person for makeup, and one hour per person for hair. Your planner or stylist should create a detailed schedule assigning people to specific time slots to keep everything on track. No one should be in the hair and makeup chairs at the same time. Consider starting as early as 6-7:00am depending on your party size and timeline. Work backward from the ceremony time.

Photographer & Videographer Scheduling

You’ll want the bride and bridal party completely finished with hair and makeup at least 45 minutes before you want to leave the space. Your photo & video team should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to that so they can get photos of the dress hanging, and do some lay flat shots of your invitation, rings, shoes, etc while you are finishing hair and makeup.

Bridal Party Toast in Matching Pajamas – 15 minutes

Plan a cute, cozy toast while you're all still in your matching robes or PJs. Your photographer will capture champagne pops, candid laughter, and genuine emotion. Don’t skip this—it’s one of the sweetest moments of the day.

Bride Gets Dressed – Minimum 30 minutes

Yes, really. This isn’t just slipping into a dress—it’s photographing the gown on a hanger, your shoes, jewelry, veil, invitation suite, perfume, and more. Then your photographer will capture your mom or maid of honor helping you into the dress, zipping or buttoning up the back, adding each piece of jewelry, putting on your shoes, placing the veil—each a treasured shot. Give yourself the time to enjoy this part. It’s not a race.

Don’t Forget the Groom & Groomsmen - 15 minutes

Ideally, you want them to get ready at a nearby location (like the same hotel but a different room. Tip: borrow a friend’s room. This allows your photographer to pop over for groom prep shots (tying ties, cufflinks, cheers with whiskey), which are just as important for your wedding album. Assign a planner or groomsman to keep them on task—they often need a bit more direction!

Final Tips: Lunch & Emergency Kit

In the midst of the excitement of the wedding day, don’t forget to schedule lunch! Delegate a family member or friend to bring something early so you can nibble and snack while on rotation between hair and makeup chairs. Remember to choose food that is less messy and easy on nervous stomachs (i.e. sandwiches, salads, wraps, fruit, etc). Also, make sure you have some emergency items on hand such as fashion tape, scissors, sewing kit, safety pins, Tylenol, blotting papers, etc. A great wedding planner should be present to keep everyone on schedule with an emergency kit available at all times. If you choose not to have one, you will need to delegate someone to keep track of the time.

The Bottom Line

Your wedding morning should feel joyful, not like a rushed checklist. With a thoughtful timeline and proper prep, you’ll be calm, radiant, and totally present—and your photos will show it. You only get to do this once. Let’s make sure it’s done right. Let us know if you need a team to help you create the perfect timeline and guide you through it!

The Double KnotAugust 6, 2025