What is a wedding day timeline for guests?

For guests, the timeline is simple. They receive an invitation with the ceremony start time and the venue address, and they aim to arrive 30 minutes early to find their seat. After the ceremony, they move to the drinks reception, where they can congratulate you and enjoy canapés. Then they are called into the meal, usually with a seating plan. After the meal come the speeches, which typically happen between courses or after the main course, depending on your plan. Then the evening reception begins, with the first dance, cake cutting and dancing. Guests should know the end time for the day, especially if they need to arrange transport. In England and Wales, if the ceremony is at a register office or approved venue, guests just need to be on time, as the legal part is short. For a church wedding, banns are read in advance, so guests do not need to do anything. If you are having a humanist ceremony in England or Wales, remember it is not legally binding on its own, so you may add a civil ceremony, but guests only need to attend the main celebration.