Wedding Timeline Template

By creavio Team April 10, 2026 1 views

Wedding Timeline Template

A solid wedding timeline prevents chaos. It keeps the couple, the wedding party, the venue coordinator, and you on the same page. creavio lets you build, customize, and share timelines directly from a booking.

Creating a Timeline

Open the wedding booking and click the Timeline tab. You have two options:

  • Start from template: Choose from built-in templates (traditional ceremony, first look, destination, elopement)
  • Build from scratch: Add time blocks manually

Each time block includes:

  • Start and end time
  • Activity description
  • Location (if different from venue)
  • People involved
  • Notes for you and your team

Built-In Timeline Templates

Traditional ceremony (6 hours):

  1. Getting ready (bride and groom separately)
  2. First look or pre-ceremony portraits
  3. Family formals
  4. Ceremony
  5. Wedding party portraits
  6. Cocktail hour (detail shots, venue)
  7. Reception entrance, first dance, toasts
  8. Dinner, cake cutting, bouquet toss
  9. Dancing and candids
  10. Exit or send-off

First look timeline (8 hours): Adds a dedicated 30-minute first look block with couple portraits before the ceremony. Shifts family formals to pre-ceremony to free up cocktail hour.

Elopement (3 hours): Stripped down to getting ready, ceremony, couple portraits, and a celebratory moment. Focused and intimate.

Shot List Integration

Each timeline block can have an attached shot list. For the "Family Formals" block, list every grouping:

  • Couple with bride's parents
  • Couple with groom's parents
  • Couple with both sets of parents
  • Couple with siblings
  • Couple with grandparents
  • Full family on each side

Get this list from the couple through a questionnaire sent two weeks before the wedding. Copy their responses directly into the timeline shot list.

Sharing with Couples

Click Share Timeline to send the couple a read-only view through their client portal. They can review and leave comments on individual blocks. If they want changes ("Can we do first look at 2:30 instead of 3:00?"), they comment and you adjust.

The shared link also works on mobile, so they can reference it on the wedding day.

Sharing with Vendors

Generate a separate vendor view that shows only the blocks relevant to vendor coordination: ceremony time, reception start, cake cutting, etc. Send this to the planner, DJ, and florist via their vendor records.

Day-Of Adjustments

Timelines rarely go exactly to plan. Open the booking on your phone during the event and adjust blocks in real time. Changes sync instantly. If your second shooter has access, they see the updates too.

Post-Wedding Use

After delivery, the timeline stays attached to the booking record. Reference it when the couple asks "What time was our first dance?" for anniversary posts. It is also useful for refining your templates based on what actually happened versus what was planned.

Tips for Better Timelines

  • Always pad 15 minutes between major blocks. Weddings run late.
  • Schedule family formals in order of group size. Start with the largest group, release people as you go.
  • Block 10 minutes for sunset portraits if the venue has a good golden hour spot.
  • Note which locations require walking time between them.
  • Include a buffer for "couple alone time" right after the ceremony. They will thank you.