ForeverAfter · Free planning tool
Wedding Day Timeline Generator
Build a South African wedding-day schedule in minutes. Morning, afternoon or evening templates, times in SAST, then download a PDF or share it — no signup.
Couples and planners use this generator to line up hair and makeup, portraits, guest arrival, the ceremony and the reception around one ceremony start time. Everything is Africa/Johannesburg (SAST, UTC+2) with AM/PM — never labelled GMT. Fill in names and contacts if you want them on the PDF, then send the file to your photographer, officiant and venue.
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Timeline questions
What time should a wedding ceremony start in South Africa?
It depends on the season and the light. Morning ceremonies often start around 11:00 SAST with a lunch reception. Afternoon ceremonies sit around 14:00. Evening ceremonies are typically 15:00 in autumn/winter and 16:00 in summer/spring. Couple's Photos are a cocktail-hour slot before the reception, usually between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM SAST on afternoon and evening weddings (toward 5:45 PM in summer, around 5:00 PM in winter). All times on this generator are Africa/Johannesburg (SAST, UTC+2), not GMT.
Can wedding planners use this timeline generator?
Yes. It is a free, public tool for couples, planners and suppliers. There is no signup, email gate or account. Download the PDF and share it with the full supplier team.
Do I need to add travel time between getting ready and the ceremony?
Usually no. Most South African weddings are same-property — getting ready, ceremony and reception happen on one venue. Turn on travel time only when those locations are split, then enter the minutes of driving plus a parking buffer.
How does the summer/winter toggle change the timeline?
It is a manual season control, not GPS. For evening ceremonies it sets the default start to about 16:00 in summer/spring and 15:00 in autumn/winter. Couple's Photos stay in cocktail hour, before the reception: toward 5:45 PM in summer/spring and around 5:00 PM in autumn/winter, because the light drops earlier in midwinter.
What happens if I move, delete, or add a time slot?
Up and down move that one time slot within its section and swap times with the neighbour, so the slots do not overlap. The minus and plus buttons move a slot by 5 minutes. You can also type a time or edit the title. Delete takes the slot off the day and pulls later slots in that section forward so the gap closes. Ceremony start and reception start stay on the times you set above the timeline. Add time slot asks for a label and a SAST time. Add buffer sits beside it in every section: 5, 10 or 15 minutes between the time slots. Confirming moves later time slots forward by that many minutes. Couple's Photos are in cocktail hour, before the reception. The PDF and WhatsApp or email share use this edited timeline. Signed-in couples keep the timeline on their account.
Is the PDF free and do I need an account?
The PDF and WhatsApp or email share are free. The first PDF page is the wedding details and day-of contacts. The timeline starts on the next page. There is no header. A smaller ForeverAfter footer sits on every page. Headings use League Spartan and body text uses Quicksand. Share on WhatsApp sends the PDF file, or the full timeline as text when a file cannot be attached. Signed-in couples save the timeline to their account.