The day of

A 5 hour booking is the sweet spot. It gives vendors an hour to set up, fits portraits before guests arrive, and leaves time for dinner without rushing the toasts. Four hours can work for 20 guests with a food truck; a seated dinner for 40 is more comfortable with five or six.

Plan the day backward

Start with the hard end time, subtract pack out, then dinner, toasts, the ceremony and portraits. Whatever is left at the start is your setup window. If setup ends up under 45 minutes, add an hour to the booking rather than squeezing vendors.

Add those up and you land close to five hours. If your plan needs more than that, decide what gets shorter before the day, not during it.

A sample 5 hour day

Here is a sample you can copy and adjust for your own date and season.

Sample micro wedding timeline (5 hour booking)

• 1:00 PM: Booking starts. Vendors arrive and set up chairs, florals and food.
• 2:00 PM: Couple portraits in the gallery and on the porch while guests are not here yet.
• 2:45 PM: Guests arrive. Music on.
• 3:00 PM: Ceremony in the yard, about 20 minutes.
• 3:20 PM: Group photos by the murals.
• 3:45 PM: Reception at the long communal table: dinner, toasts, cake.
• 5:30 PM: Send off. Vendors pack out.
• 6:00 PM: Booking ends.

Why portraits go first

Doing a first look and couple photos early means you eat with your guests instead of disappearing for 45 minutes. It also frees the photographer for candids once everyone arrives. Plan 30 to 45 minutes for couple portraits and 15 to 20 minutes for family groups.

• Write a list of family groups, largest first, and give it to the photographer and point person.
• Name one relative who knows everyone and can gather each group.
• Keep it to 8 to 12 groupings. Each one takes about 2 minutes.

Keep the ceremony short

• Twenty minutes is plenty.
• A welcome, two readings, your vows and the ring exchange fit comfortably.
• Seat older guests in the front row and in the shade.
• Give each of you a short welcome before dinner instead of a long round of toasts.

Run through the order once with your officiant on the day, even for five minutes. Knowing where to stand and when to turn removes most of the nerves. Decide who walks in first, who holds the rings and what song starts and ends the ceremony, and tell whoever runs the music the exact cue.

For an outdoor ceremony, think about where the sun will be at that time. Guests should not stare into it, and you should not squint through your vows. A spot with the sun behind the guests or to one side usually works best for both photos and comfort.

Dinner and toasts

• Serve dinner within 30 minutes of the ceremony ending, before guests get restless.
• Keep toasts to two or three people and about 3 minutes each.
• Put toasts between courses, or right after everyone has a plate.
• Cut the cake about 45 minutes before the end so the photographer catches it.

Tip: Plan for golden hour. Sunset in San Antonio shifts from around 5:40 PM in early winter to about 8:35 PM in late June. Check your date and ask your photographer when to step outside for 15 minutes of warm light.

Your point person

Hand your phone to a point person when guests arrive. You should not be answering the caterer's texts during your vows. Pick someone calm and organized who is not in the wedding party.

• Holds the printed timeline, every vendor's phone number and the tip envelopes.
• Greets vendors at load-in and shows them where to set up.
• Keeps the emergency kit and the marriage license.
• Calls time on each part of the day, gently.

Buffers and pack out

Leave a 15 minute buffer before the ceremony. Something always runs a little late, and a buffer keeps that from pushing back dinner. Start pack out 30 to 45 minutes before the booking ends, and decide in advance who takes home flowers, leftovers, gifts and decor.

Give the point person a short pack out list the week before: which car takes the flowers, who keeps leftover food in a cooler, where gifts and cards go, and who checks every room for phones and jackets. With 30 guests, pack out goes quickly when four people each own one job.

End on time. An hourly venue ends at a set time. A planned send off 30 minutes before the end feels like a finale, not an eviction.

Previous: When to book what · Course overview · Next: Vendors and small touches