Wedding Day Timeline

Ideas & Inspiration

Wedding Day Timeline

Monica McQueen of Tres Chic Events created this hour-by-hour schedule for Tunga Le and Nicholas Lodato's Feb. 14, 2010 nuptials that included a ceremony at the Japanese Friendship Garden (JFG) and a reception at Phoenix Art Museum (PAM). Use their timeline as a guide for when things might happen on your big day.

• 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Ladies breakfast with bride, bridesmaids, moms, aunts, flower girls, etc. 
• 11:00 a.m. Bridal party arrives back at Lexington Hotel with all the dresses and accessories.
• 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Bridal party eats lunch in room. Wedding planner Monica McQueen of Tres Chic Events arrives at hotel room to check in with the bride, pick up ceremony and reception inventory items and drop off emergency kit for bridal party.
• 11:50 a.m. Deanna Rene and hair and makeup stylist team arrive at Lexington to set up.
• 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Bride's hair styled; two bridesmaids and mother of the bride start hair and makeup.
• 12:00 p.m. Tres Chic Events staff arrives at Phoenix Art Museum (PAM) to decorate cocktail and dinner reception areas; Rich Mancini from Music Doctors arrives at Phoenix Art Museum for DJ set-up.
• 1:00 p.m. Groom and groomsmen arrive at Lexington to get dressed; bride's makeup finished; Rachel Priddy of Priddy Photo arrives at Lexington.
• 1:15 – 1:45 p.m. Guys getting ready shots taken; bridesmaids get dressed.
• 1:50 – 2:00 p.m. Final makeup application shots with bride.
• 2:00 p.m. Bride and bridesmaids head to the Tea House at Japanese Friendship Gardens with bridal gown to get bride dressed; florist arrives at JFG to deliver bouquets and boutonnieres and decorate arch in ceremony area.
• 2:05 – 2:15 p.m. Bride getting dressed shots in Tea House; men arrive to JFG and check in with Monica; groom waits to see bride.
• 2:20 – 2:40 p.m. Bride and groom first look shots in the Gardens; String Serenade arrives at Phoenix Art Museum to set up for the cocktail hour viola/guitar duo.
• 2:40 – 3:00 p.m. Bridesmaids take formal shots.
• 3:00 p.m. Bridal party formal shots taken; String Serenade arrives at JFG to set up for ceremony music.
• 3:15 p.m. Family arrives at JFG and check in with Monica for family photos.
• 3:30 – 4:00 p.m. Family shots with bride and groom in Garden; bridemaids and groomsmen retreat to Tea House until ceremony; florist heads to Phoenix Art Museum to place centerpieces.
• 4:00 p.m. Bride and groom retreat to Tea House until ceremony; guests begin to arrive; detail shots of ceremony area and guest seating; strings start playing (violist is posted at guest entrance, guitarist is posted at ceremony area); officiant arrives and checks in with Monica to get fitted with wireless microphone.
• 4:25 p.m. Officiant, groom and best man head down path and wait for cue; bride, bridesmaids, parents, ring bearers and flower girls wait outside, lined up in order of appearance; bride and father wait near bridge, parents and escorts wait for cue.
• 4:30 p.m. Ceremony starts; Tres Chic Events staff removes parasols blocking aisles and ensures late guests are held at entrance until processional ends; Strings play and processional beings; trolley arrives at JFG and waits for ceremony to end.
• 5:10 p.m. Ceremony ends; recessional; bridal party goes to Tea House; officiant announces bubbles send-off and refreshments station at exit where trolley will pick up after wedding party has departed; bride, groom, maid of honor and best man sign marriage certificate with officiant in Tea House; Tres Chic Events staff lines guests in two rows at exit and hands out bubbles.
• 5:15 p.m. Grand exit of bridal party through guests blowing bubbles; bridal party loads trolley and leaves for PAM; musicians part for PAM to play at cocktail hour; guests enjoy hot chocolate and snacks at refreshment station while waiting for trolley.
• 5:20 p.m. Trolley, photographers and musicians arrive at PAM; Caterer Arizona Taste greets bridal party upon arrival with hors d'oeuvres and champagne; bridal party shots around PAM; trolley heads back to transport first round of guests from JFG.
• 5:30 p.m. Cocktail reception starts in Greenbaum Lobby at PAM with musicians playing; trolley arrives with first round of guests.
• 5:50 – 6:15 p.m. Bridal party heads to cocktail party; bride and groom sunset shots.
  
• 6:15 p.m. Reception detail shots prior to guests entering.
• 6:20 p.m. Tres Chic Events staff gathers bridal party and heads to upper level of the Great Hall for grand entrance.
• 6:30 p.m. Bars move to cocktail reception to Great Halls; PAM staff signals to guest to find the escort cards and proceed into Great Hall for dinner reception; DJ starts dinner music.
• 6:45 p.m. DJ announces guests to be seated; bridal party grand entrance down stair case; parents announced, then bridal party announced and take their seats.
• 6:50 – 6:55 p.m. Bride and groom grand entrance; first dance starts.
• 6:57 p.m. Bride and groom take their seats at the sweetheart table; father of the bride gives welcome speech (three minutes).
• 7:00 p.m. Dinner serves; wine stewards pour wine tableside.
• 7:25 p.m. Speeches by two best men and maid of honor, five minutes each.
• 7:40 p.m. Father/daughter dance.
• 7:44 p.m. Mother/groom dance.
• 7:48 p.m. DJ announces open dance.
• 8:20 p.m. Night/gallery shots of bride and groom (15 minutes).
• 8:30 p.m. Bar pours champagne; servers begin to distribute to guests.
• 8:45 p.m. Cake cutting and champange toast (five minutes) and coffee service begins.
• 10:30 p.m. Trolley begins taking any early-departing guests back to cars.
• 10:57 p.m. Last dance announced.
• 11:00 p.m. Reception ends.
• 11:15 p.m. Trolley departs with last remaining guests.

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