The morning that makes the day run late
Wedding days almost never run late because of the ceremony. They run late because hair and makeup started at nine for six people and the maths never worked.
A worked morning for a 2pm ceremony
| Time | What happens | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 07:30 | Breakfast, properly | The most-skipped item on this list, and the reason people feel faint at 3pm |
| 08:00 | Hair begins, first person | Allow 45–60 minutes each; two stylists halve it, one does not |
| 09:00 | Photographer arrives | Have the dress, shoes, rings, invitation and flowers together in one place for them |
| 10:30 | Makeup begins in parallel | Hair and makeup running in sequence rather than parallel is the single biggest cause of overrun |
| 11:00 | Flowers delivered | Somewhere cool, out of direct sun |
| 12:00 | Everyone but the couple dressed | Attendants first, so they can help |
| 12:30 | Into the dress or suit | Allow 20–30 minutes, and someone who knows the fastenings |
| 12:45 | Portraits and detail shots | This is the buffer. If the morning has slipped, it absorbs it |
| 13:15 | Travel to the ceremony | Journey time plus 50% |
| 13:40 | Arrive, out of sight | Park somewhere guests are not |
| 14:00 | Ceremony |
Getting the timings right
| People having hair and makeup | One stylist | Two stylists | Start by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2h | 1h | 11:30 |
| 4 | 4h | 2h | 09:30 |
| 6 | 6h | 3h | 07:30 with one, 09:30 with two |
| 8 | 8h | 4h | Two stylists is not optional at this point |
Those assume 45 minutes for hair and 45 for makeup per person, running in parallel where staffing allows. Ask your stylist for their own per-person timing and use theirs — but ask, because the default assumption is always too fast.
Four things that save the morning
- Go last, not first. Whoever is getting married should be the last hair and last makeup, so it is freshest.
- Put the detail items in one box the night before. Dress, shoes, rings, invitation, perfume, jewellery, flowers. The photographer will ask for all of them at once.
- Nominate one person to answer the phone. Suppliers will call. It should not be you.
- Eat and drink water. Set an actual reminder. Nobody remembers on their own.
Fit the morning to the rest of the day
The full day timeline picks up where this one ends.
Common questions
What time should hair and makeup start on a wedding day?
Work backwards at 45–60 minutes per person. Six people with one stylist is six hours, so a 2pm ceremony means starting at 7:30am. Two stylists working in parallel roughly halves it.
Why do wedding mornings run late?
Almost always hair and makeup running in sequence rather than in parallel, and per-person timings estimated at 30 minutes when they take 45 to 60.
Should the bride have hair done first or last?
Last, so it is freshest for the ceremony and the photographs. The same applies to makeup.
What should be ready for the photographer in the morning?
The dress, shoes, rings, invitation, perfume, jewellery and flowers, all in one place. They will ask for them together, and hunting for them costs the morning's buffer.