The wedding day-of timeline,
cue by cue.
Fifteen moments, from the first curl of hair and makeup to the send-off — each with the time it happens and who needs the cue. Print it, hand it to whoever holds the clipboard… or skip the clipboard: open it in the free builder and every cue becomes a scheduled text to exactly the right vendors, on time, automatically.
Classic day-of timeline
A 4pm ceremony with a 10pm send-off. Shift every time to fit yours; the shape holds.
| Time | Cue | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 | Hair & makeup starts — bridal suite. Coffee run happens now, not at 10. | Wedding party, hair & makeup |
| 11:30 | Photographer arrives — detail shots first: dress, rings, invitations in the suite. | Photographer |
| 12:30 | Florals & decor delivered — ceremony arch first, then reception tables. | Florist, venue |
| 2:15 | First look in 15 minutes — couple and photographer to the garden. | Photographer, wedding party |
| 3:30 | Musicians: prelude starts now. Guests are arriving. | Musicians / DJ |
| 3:50 | Wedding party: line up for the processional. Phones away. | Wedding party, coordinator |
| 4:00 | Ceremony begins. | All vendors |
| 4:30 | Cocktail hour opens — bar live, passed apps out, couple to portraits. | Caterer, bar, photographer |
| 5:45 | Reception doors in 15 — wedding party line up for the grand entrance. | Wedding party, DJ, coordinator |
| 6:00 | Grand entrance, straight into the first dance. | DJ, photographer |
| 6:20 | Dinner service starts — head table first. | Caterer |
| 7:45 | Toasts — mics on, champagne poured, photographer in position. | DJ, caterer, photographer |
| 8:15 | Cake cutting — cake table clear, DJ announces, cameras ready. | Caterer, DJ, photographer |
| 9:45 | Last call at the bar. Send-off supplies to the exit. | Bar, coordinator |
| 10:00 | Send-off lineup — everyone to the front steps. | Photographer, DJ, coordinator |
Rule of thumb: cue the action, not the event. The caterer needs "clear the cake table" thirty minutes before the cutting; the wedding party needs "line up" fifteen minutes before doors. Build in the buffer a human would give.
How to use this template
If you're printing it: shift the times to match your ceremony, add your venue's quirks (shuttle departures, sunset portraits, a sparkler curfew), and hand a copy to every vendor at the final walkthrough. Then accept the truth of every printed timeline: by noon, someone is hand-texting the changes.
If you'd rather nobody spends the wedding on timeline duty: open this same timeline in the free builder. Paste your vendor sheet, toggle who gets each cue, and schedule the day — each cue goes out as a text message at its minute, on time, automatically. Vendors install nothing; the cues arrive as normal texts.
- One cue, the right people. The photographer gets photo cues, the caterer gets kitchen cues — nobody wades through a 30-person group thread.
- Plans drift safely. Hair runs long? Delete a cue and add a corrected one in seconds; everything else stays scheduled.
- Free for your own wedding. Email cues are free forever; text cues use one-time credit packs from $5 — no subscription, nothing that renews in the off-season.