Your Morning-of Timeline — Hair, Makeup, Breakfast, and Photos
The morning of your wedding sets the tone for the entire day. But too many couples start it stressed — rushing to finish hair and makeup, skipping breakfast, and forgetting to leave time for those calm, meaningful moments.
Let’s avoid that. Here’s how to build a smooth, realistic wedding morning timeline that keeps everyone fed, ready, and feeling good — not frantic.
Start with your ceremony time — and work backwards
Everything hinges on when your ceremony begins: that’s your anchor point.
Next, work backwards using realistic buffers for:
Travel time to the ceremony (add 5–10 mins buffer)
First look (add 1 hour, if doing one)
Bridal portraits (20–30 mins)
Getting into the dress (30 mins)
Lunch (30 mins)
Hair & makeup (40–60 mins per person)
🛠️ Use my Wedding Day Timeline Builder to calculate everything step by step — no guesswork needed.
Hair and makeup timing: be generous
If you’ve hired a hair and makeup team, they’ll usually advise how long they need per person. But here’s a general guide:
1 artist per service → ~45 mins per person (can vary from 30 mins to 1hour +)
Bridal hair or makeup → often takes 60+ mins
Final touch-ups and dressing → allow 30 mins after H&MUA wraps
It’s always better to finish 30 minutes early than run 10 minutes late. Add a buffer. Always.
Feed your people
Easy to forget — but it makes a huge difference.
Breakfast: delivered right as hair and makeup begins
Light lunch: served 1.5–2 hours before leaving for the ceremony
No one should head to the altar hungry — and champagne on an empty stomach never ends well.
Designate someone — a friend, sibling, or coordinator — to remind you to drink water and eat throughout the morning. Adrenaline will kick in, and you might not feel hungry or thirsty, but staying hydrated and fueled will make a huge difference to how you feel later in the day.
Also, take care of your hair and makeup artists: coffee and snacks go a long way for people who’ve been on their feet since sunrise.
Photos before the ceremony
Even if you’re not doing a first look, your photographer will need time for:
Candid getting ready shots (right after you’ve put on your wedding gowns)
Detail photos (shoes, rings, stationery, etc.)
Wedding party + family portraits
First look (if doing one) — adds approx. 1 hour before departure
💬 Related post: If There’s No Coordinator, Who’s Running the Day?
Should you do a first look?
It’s not just about photos — it can transform your whole day. A first look:
Lets you get portraits done early
Creates a quiet, emotional moment before the ceremony
Frees up time to enjoy more of the drinks reception
But it does shift everything earlier. You’ll need to begin hair and makeup at least an hour earlier to stay on schedule.
Final touches: just before you leave
Don’t forget to plan time for:
15 mins to get dressed
5 mins of calm (sit, sip water, take a breath)
5–10 mins of buffer before departure
Example:
Ceremony at 2:00pm, 20 mins away?
→ Be in the car no later than 1:35pm
→ Aim to be fully ready by 1:30pm
→ Backtrack from there to set all other milestones
A final thought
You deserve a relaxed, joyful wedding morning. One where you're sipping coffee, laughing with your people, and feeling excited — not watching the clock or skipping meals.
Plan for comfort. Build in buffers. And let someone else keep time.
📥 Download the Wedding Day Timeline Builder — it calculates your personal schedule based on your ceremony time, number of people getting ready, and whether you’re doing a first look.
💬 Related post: Why Some Couples Have a Terrible Time on Their Wedding Day — And How to Avoid It