Written by Rob Valinakis · Updated 5 August 2026
The morning
- 07:30 — Breakfast. Actually eat it. Set out dresses, shoes, rings and buttonholes in one place.
- 08:00 — Hair and make-up starts. Allow 45 minutes per person and one full hour for the bride.
- 10:00 — Flowers delivered. Photographer arrives for detail shots.
- 11:15 — Wedding car arrives. Ribbons on, photographs outside the house while everyone is calm.
- 12:00 — Bride into the dress. Earlier than feels necessary, every time.
Getting there
Work backwards from the ceremony and add a 15-minute buffer on top of whatever the map says. Rural Lancashire lanes, a tractor, or a car park with one entrance will eat that buffer and you'll never notice it.
- 12:15 — Bridesmaids leave (or travel first if you're sharing one vehicle)
- 12:40 — Bride leaves with whoever is walking her in
- 12:55 — Arrive. Five quiet minutes in the car before the doors open — this is the part everyone remembers.
- 13:00 — Ceremony
Afterwards
- 13:30 — Confetti, then group photographs. Twenty minutes maximum, with a named person who knows the family.
- 14:00 — Drinks reception. Couple photographs and a slow drive for the two of you if your transport is booked for it.
- 15:30 — Guests seated
- 16:00 — Wedding breakfast
- 18:00 — Speeches. Between courses works better than after.
- 19:30 — Evening guests arrive, cake cut, room turnaround
- 20:00 — First dance
The five buffers to protect
- 15 minutes on hair and make-up, always
- 15 minutes on every journey
- 10 minutes between confetti and group shots
- 20 minutes before speeches for a breather
- A whole spare hour somewhere in the afternoon — if you don't need it, you get a drink
Book transport by the window, not the journey. A vehicle booked for 'the trip to church' turns a five-minute delay into a problem.
How we plan timings with you
Before your date we'll agree a running order with you, drive the route, and note where the camper can park at your venue. On the day Rob arrives early — the point of the camper is that you never once look at the clock.
Common questions
What time should the wedding car arrive?+
Around 90 minutes before the ceremony. That gives you photographs at the house, a calm departure and a genuine buffer for the journey.
How long between the ceremony and the wedding breakfast?+
Two to two and a half hours. Less than that and photographs and drinks feel rushed; much more and guests drift.
Should the bride arrive late?+
Five minutes at most. Registrars work to a schedule and a longer wait makes everyone tense, including you.
Read next
- The wedding planning checklist, month by month
From twelve months out to the morning itself — including the jobs couples always leave too late.
- How much does wedding car hire cost in the UK?
Typical UK prices, what should be included as standard, and the extras that quietly push a quote up.
- Wedding venues in Lancashire: a local's shortlist
Barns, country houses and coastal venues, with the access and parking notes only a driver notices.