Bride Guide UK

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Wedding day schedule builder

Build the running order for the day, from hair and makeup to carriages, then print it or copy it for your suppliers and wedding party.

Your wedding day schedule

Day starts
Last finish
Items

Add to the schedule

The day runs from 5am to 4.59am, so times after midnight go at the end.

Up to 600. Shows an end time and any gap or overlap with the next item.

Left out of printouts, copies and downloads unless you choose to include them, so you can keep phone numbers and reminders private.

Your running order

Nothing scheduled yet. Add your first item above, starting with the fixed points such as the ceremony time, or start from an example.

Start from an example

These are the three example days from the wedding day timeline guide, with the same times. They're examples to adapt, not recommended timings: check every time with your venue and suppliers.

How to use the schedule builder

  1. Start with the fixed points: the ceremony time agreed with your registrar, celebrant or church, when food is served, and when the venue needs everyone out. Or start from one of the examples and change the times.
  2. Add everything else around them, working back from the time you need to leave for the morning and forwards from the ceremony for the rest of the day.
  3. Give items a duration where it matters. The schedule shows when each one ends, and notes any gap or overlap with the next item.
  4. Add who's involved and where, so everyone reading the running order knows what they're responsible for.
  5. If timings change, use "Shift from here" to move an item and everything after it in one go.
  6. Print it or copy it as text for your venue coordinator, suppliers and wedding party.

A worked example

Example

Starting from the first example (a 1pm ceremony and reception at the same venue), the registrars warn that they're running 15 minutes behind. Choosing "Shift from here" on the ceremony and moving it 15 minutes later moves the ceremony and the 11 items after it: confetti is now at 1.45pm, the wedding breakfast at 3.45pm and carriages at 12.15am.

Carriages can't really move, because the venue's finish time is fixed, and the kitchen is working to 3.30pm. The drinks reception is the day's main buffer, so the fix is to shift from "Guests called to find their seats" 15 minutes earlier. Group photos now start at 2pm, the wedding breakfast is back at 3.30pm and carriages are back at midnight. The drinks reception is simply 15 minutes shorter, at an hour and a half.

Tips for a schedule that holds up on the day

  • Fixed points first. The ceremony time is usually the hardest to move. Registrars often have several ceremonies in a day, so they need to arrive and leave on time.
  • Build in buffers. Leave 20 to 30 minutes before you need to leave in the morning, because hair and makeup is where timelines most often slip. A gap in the schedule isn't wasted time if it's there on purpose.
  • Remember the small things take time. Moving guests from the ceremony to drinks, gathering people for group photos and turning the room around for the evening all take longer than they seem they should.
  • Put a name against each moment. Choose one trusted go-to person who isn't either of you to keep things moving, and give them the full running order.
  • Send it out early. Share the full version with every supplier about two weeks before the day, and ask them to confirm their timings in writing. Guests only need the ceremony time, roughly when food is, and when it finishes.

For the thinking behind each part of the day, read how to create a wedding day timeline.

Where your information is kept

Your schedule is saved in this browser only, using local storage. Times, names and notes are never sent to this site or to anyone else. If you've saved a wedding date in the countdown or checklist, the schedule shows it too, but it works without one.

Clearing your browser's data for this site, or using a private window, removes it. To keep a copy or move it to another device, use Your planner data to download a backup.

Questions people ask

Why do times after midnight go at the end?

A wedding day doesn't stop at midnight, so the schedule's day runs from 5am to 4.59am the next morning. Anything you set before 5am, such as carriages at 12.30am, counts as the end of the night and goes after the evening's items, not before breakfast. If something really does start before 5am, set it to 5am.

What do the gap and overlap notes mean?

When an item has a duration, the schedule works out when it ends and compares that with the start of the next item. A gap might be a deliberate buffer, travel time or a moment for the two of you, and it's worth checking it's on purpose. An overlap isn't always a problem either: group photos usually happen during the drinks reception. It just means two things are happening at once, so check the right people can be in both places.

Are the example schedules recommended timings?

No. They're the three example days from the wedding day timeline guide, there to show how the shape of a day changes and to save typing. Every venue, ceremony type and season is different, so treat them as a starting point, and check the times with your venue, registrar or officiant, and suppliers.

How do we share the schedule with our suppliers and wedding party?

Print the running order, copy it as text to paste into an email or message, or download a CSV to open in a spreadsheet. Notes are left out unless you tick the box, so you can keep phone numbers and private reminders off the copy you send round. There are no accounts, so to move the schedule to another device, use a backup from Your planner data.