The Ultimate Sicilian Wedding Timeline
Photo: Jack Stocker
Plan your wedding day timings carefully, and you'll max out on all the perfect Sicilian moments. Get it wrong, and your guests might be overheating during your ceremony, golden hour photos missed, and your dinner vibe doesn’t match your Italian wedding dreams.
This wedding day timeline is a guide and certainly one to always discuss with your planner and venue. The heat can hugely impact timings, and your expert team will know what works best for temperature, sunset - not forgetting travel logistics if your ceremony is not on-site. Not everyone will have all of these ‘extras’ and many factors influence how you plan your day, including guest numbers, venue layout, menu, budget etc. You do you - but promise to consult with experts to avoid any meltdown moments!
Morning
8:30AM Guests enjoy breakfast, often joined by groom and groomsmen. Bridal party breakfasts in suite.
9:00AM Bride & bridal party start hair & makeup (depending on numbers)
12:00PM Groom & groomsmen start getting ready
12:30PM Light lunch delivered to bride and groom’s room
1:00PM Photographer and videographer arrive
Early Afternoon
1:15PM Letter and gift exchange between bride and groom
2:30PM Florist delivers bridal and groomsmen bouquets and buttonholes
3:00PM Bride finishes hair & makeup
3:15 PM Guests start arriving at the ceremony, drinks served
4:00 PM Ceremony begins
4:30 PM Recessional, if on-site guests greeted with a granita truck or straight to drinks
Late Afternoon
4:45 PM Aperitivo accompanied by live music (a folk trio works nicely here)
5:30 PM Wedding party portraits
6:00 PM Dinner is announced, couple portraits whilst guests move to dinner
Evening
6:30 PM Bride and groom’s entrance to music
6:45-9:45 PM Dinner - courses intermingled with speeches
9:45PM Bridal outfit change (if you have a second dress)
Night
10:15 PM Cake cutting, which will be the pudding served as part of the dessert table
10:25 PM First dance, followed by all guests to the dancefloor
11:00PM Transport shuttles start
11:30 PM Evening food available
12:30 AM Depending on venue’s rules on noise, party is moved inside
1:30 AM+ After-party
Top Tip
Be sure to share your itinerary with your photographer ahead of time so they can forward plan the key photo moments, plus the candid ones. This is especially important if you only have one photographer.
We recommend working with your planner to factor in time for ‘guest experience’ moments or Lucy is always available to offer expert guidance in The Club, our planning membership.
We love a musical surprise at dinner; a tenor will set your guests’ worlds alight and create a memory never forgotten! Plan your music with your planner or with Lucy in The Club to enable you to recognise optimum moments in your day where music can create a total vibe.
Categories
PLANNING | REAL WEDDING | BUSINESS | SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT | INSPIRATION | WANDERLUST
