A 6 p.m. wedding can be a perfect choice if you’re thinking of hosting your celebrations outdoors and want a sunset backdrop; or if you’d like to lead into a reception where you and your guests can dance the night away.
Whatever your reason, it’s important to craft a wedding day timeline to ensure you and your vendors stay on track on the big day. A detailed sequence will also help you synchronize with nature to get the right hues and lighting for your wedding ceremony and, as importantly, for the photos.
Be sure to consider the exact sunset time and build your timeline around it. You don’t want to finish your nuptials and then realize it’s too dark for your couple’s portraits. The actual sunset time varies widely depending on where and what time of year you’re getting married. Timeanddate.com will give you a precise sunset time based on your wedding location and date.
Our timeline templates for a 6 p.m. wedding will keep you punctual and offer a framework for your big day based on the golden hour. Once you check the exact sunset time, you can figure out which of these timelines works best for you.
Wedding Day Timeline 6pm Ceremony Examples
Whether you want to say “I do” with the sun descending behind you or capture the orange and pink hues in your first look photos or post-ceremony portraits, our sunset wedding timelines will help you synchronize with nature’s schedule.
These templates can be personalized to include your traditions and to create your perfect wedding day timeline.
6pm ceremony timeline with a later sunset
The day’s last rays of sun cast a glow, which translates beautifully in photographs. If the sunset takes place after your ceremony, you can plan your bride and groom photographs after your wedding to take advantage of the softer, early evening lighting.
Pro Tip: Your guests will also get to enjoy the golden hour. But be sure to serve plenty of hors d’oeuvres and cocktails so everyone stays merry until dinner is served.
To plan your day, check out our timeline for a 6 p.m. wedding with a later sunset.
- 2 p.m. — Bride and bridal party arrive for hair and make-up
- 2:30 p.m. — Photographer arrives for candid photos of the bridal party
- 3 p.m. — Groom and groomsmen get ready
- 3:30 p.m. — Photographer gets candid shots of the groom and groomsmen
- 4 p.m. — Bride puts on the wedding dress
- 4 p.m. — Bridal bouquet delivery
- 4 p.m. — Groom and groomsmen take photos
- 4:15 p.m. — First look with father (or other family members)
- 4:30 p.m. — Bride and bridal party official photos (bride and groom to avoid seeing each other)
- 4:45 p.m. — Bride and family photos
- 5:15 p.m. — Groom and family photos (bride and groom to avoid seeing each other)
- 5:30 p.m. — Bride and bridal party freshen up hair and make-up
- 5:30 p.m. — Photographer takes pictures of venue and guests arriving
- 6 p.m. — Ceremony begins
- 6:30 p.m. — Hugs and congratulations after the ceremony (formal reception line, if you choose to have one).
- 7 p.m. — Cocktail hour for guests
- 7 p.m. — Couple have sunset photos taken
- 7:30 p.m. — Wedding party and family photos during sunset
- 8 p.m. — Reception starts, wedding party makes an entrance
- 8 p.m. — Bride touches up and bustles dress with help from mother or maid of honor
- 8:10 p.m. — Couple makes a grand entrance
- 8:15 p.m. — Dinner is served
- 8:45 p.m. — Toasts and/or speeches
- 9 p.m. — Cut the cake and serve dessert
- 9:30 p.m. — First dance
- 9:35 p.m. — Parent dances
- 9:45 p.m. — Dance floor opens to guests
- 11:45 p.m. — Last call for drinks
- 11:55 p.m. — Bridal couple leave (the send-off).
- 12 a.m. — Guests start to leave
- 1 a.m. — Vendors finish packing up and leave
A 6pm sunset wedding timeline
Sunset during a wedding ceremony offers a picturesque backdrop. But it also means it’ll be dusk by the time the wedding is over, which might not be ideal for your couple’s portraits. The best time for photos is one to two hours before the sun sets.
If the sun will set by 6 p.m., it would be best to plan for an earlier first look with your partner. A first look is when the couple sees each other for the first time on their wedding day.
Planning a first look before your wedding ceremony will not only give you and your partner an intimate moment with each other, it’ll also allow you time to take your bride and groom photos before the ceremony.
This timeline will help you plan for a 6 p.m. wedding with a first look so that you can get your pre-wedding photos done in the ideal natural lighting.
- 1 p.m. — Bride and bridal party arrive for hair and make-up
- 2 p.m. — Photographer arrives for candid photos of the bridal party
- 2 p.m. — Groom and groomsmen get ready
- 3:15 p.m. — Photographer gets candid shots of the groom and groomsmen
- 3:15 p.m. — Bride puts on the wedding dress
- 3:15 p.m. — Bridal bouquet delivery
- 3:30 p.m. — First look with the bride’s father (or other family members)
- 3:30 p.m. — Groom heads to first look location to await his bride
- 3:40 p.m. — The bride heads to the first look location
- 3:45 p.m. — Bride and groom first look and photos
- 4:30 p.m. — Wedding party photos
- 5 p.m. — Family photos
- 5:30 p.m. — Bride touches up hair and make-up
- 5:30 p.m. — Photographer takes pictures of venue and guests arriving
- 6 p.m. — Ceremony begins
- 6:30 p.m. — Hugs and congratulations after the ceremony (formal reception line, if you choose to have one).
- 7 p.m. — Bride touches up and bustles dress with help from her mother or the maid of honor
- 7 p.m. — Cocktail hour (photographer takes candid photos)
- 8 p.m. — Reception begins, and guests find their seats
- 8 p.m. — Couple makes a grand entrance
- 8:05 p.m. — Dinner is served
- 8:45 p.m. — Toasts and/or speeches
- 9 p.m. — Cake cutting and serve dessert
- 9:30 p.m. — First dance
- 9:35 p.m. — Parent dances
- 9:45 p.m. — The dance floor opens to guests
- 11:30 p.m. — Last call for drinks
- 11:45 p.m. — Bridal couple leave (the send-off)
- 12:00 a.m. — Guests begin to leave
- 1:00 a.m. — Vendors finish packing up and leave
Additional Tips for a 6pm Wedding
- If you’re having a 6 p.m. wedding, it would be a good idea to choose the same venue for your ceremony and reception so that no additional commute time is required and your guests don’t get impatient waiting for dinner past 8 p.m.
- Schedule a visit to your venue weeks before your big day. Check out the location at 6 p.m. to see where the sun is setting so you can decide where to orient your wedding ceremony and reception.
- Make sure to discuss your timeline with the photographer. He or she will be able to share practical input on how to best capture your sunset ceremony and couple’s portraits perfectly.
- If you know it’ll be dark by the time your ceremony is over, make sure to have some lighting setup around your venue so you and your guests aren’t straining to see.
