This is a guide to help you plan a timeline for your amazing wedding day! This is a super important step in assuring that your wedding day runs smoothly. My goal is to help you balance your vision of your wedding day experience with your dream photography. To achieve this, we need to give the time and space to what is important to YOU so that you can enjoy it and have enough time to create the photography that you desire. Every couple is unique, and what you want out of your day may not be the same as someone else. I am here to help you plan your day’s time structure that will also work with your photography goals.
Step 1: Read through this important information and use the guideline to structure your day.
Step 2: Use this article and form (it also has special considerations noted) to start your timeline.
I suggest starting with the ceremony and working backwards to the start of the day…then forward to the reception. This will give you a place to start, trim hours, and tweak your schedule.
Step 3: Email your rough draft schedule. I will review it and schedule a phone consult to go over it in detail, suggesting possible adjustments.
Step 4: Fill out the timeline planning form in your portal.
Pro Tip: EVERYTHING takes longer on a wedding day. There are many people to corral (who all are trying to get ready too!), little things that you don’t plan for happen, and it take longer to move in that wedding attire and travel. Also, hair & makeup are known to run late, so plan accordingly and include a time cushion.
Here are some general time guidelines to get you started. This is YOUR day, and the timeline is a reflection of that. Pick and choose from these suggestions to make it yours!
Getting Ready Preparations
Typically this takes about 90-120 minutes total depending on what you have planned. When the second photographer and myself arrive, we will start right away, so have all your details to be photographed ready in a box for both guys and girls. Also, have the room picked up (nothing kills the look of a beautiful photograph faster than clutter!). If both bride and groom are in the same building, one of us will starts in on photographing the details & guys, and the other will photograph makeup and putting on that dress.
Bridal Room:
Photographing Details (45 minutes) : Rings, flowers, invitations, shoes, jewelry, dress, garter, anything special. Flowers should be delivered to your getting ready location.
Toasts or prayers (10 minutes):
Tail end of bridal makeup (15 minutes, photographer #1):
Putting on bridal dress, veil, shoes, garter, jewelry & bridal portrait (45-60 minutes): Everyone who will be helping with this should already be dressed, hair & makeup done, and ready to help.
Dad’s First Look and/or Bridal Party First Look (15-30 minutes)
Gift/note exchanges (20 minutes)
Groom’s room:
Photographing details (20 minutes) such as cuff links, shoes, boutonnieres, sentimental objects, etc.
Dressing (20 minutes) : putting on jacket, cuff links, ties, etc. The guys should have pants and shirt on….and save the rest for us to photograph.
Pinning of boutonnieres (20 minutes): Make sure who ever you choose to pin the boutonnieres is there and dressed. I suggest a mother, grandmother, or sister…it’s a special moment and a great photo opportunity.
Gift/note exchanges (20 minutes)
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to plan times to eat throughout your day!
First Look: (30-60 minutes) If you are seeing each other before the ceremony, this is the moment where you see each other for the first time. Simplicity trumps location for this special moment. We will find a spot for you at the getting ready location if you don’t have something specific in mind.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to allow for travel time…and remember that it WILL take longer than on a normal day. Think about gathering bridal parties, bathroom/supplies breaks on a trolley ride, or your one friend who is MIA. Most couples travel between getting ready and portraits, then again to the ceremony, and again to the reception.
Pre-Ceremony Portraits
Portraits of Couple (0-90 minutes): Most of my couples feel that these images are the most important photographs of the day. If you are not seeing each other ahead of time, this can be done after the ceremony.
Bridal party (30-60 minutes) : Capturing the personality of your bridal party is the purpose of this time-frame.
Pro Tip: The time it gets dark as well as the golden hour (or the two hours before the sun sets) is important to your day’s photography. We LOVE the last few hours before sunset….it’s pure magic! Click here to find out when the sun sets on your big day.
Set up for Formals (15 minutes): You get to touch up your makeup and sit down for a breather, while we set up any lighting to make your formals perfect.
Formals: (45-60 minutes): This is dependent on your shot list, but an average is 3 minutes per grouping. I highly encourage you to keep this list to immediate family and grandparents. Nothing makes your day hectic like extended family groupings. If we don’t use the allotted time, it’s a perfect spot to take a relaxing break and enjoy the moments before you get married. I normally suggest this is the same location as your ceremony for simplicity.
Pre-Ceremony Calm (30 minutes): You all go hide while your guests arrive and we prepare to photograph your ceremony.
Ceremony
Ceremony (10-60 minutes)
Receiving Line: One of the top sites online for wedding etiquette advice says that realistically, one should allow 30 minutes for every 100 people in the line.
Ceremony Grand Exit: (15 minutes): It only takes a few moments to walk out under a sea of bubbles, but it does take time to get your crowd ready…and time to pull you away from them!
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to allot time to gather your belongings if travelling
After-Ceremony Portraits
The “we just got married” Portraits (I’ll take whatever time you give me!!!): This is where more magic can happen because the light is often beautiful and you have the just married glow. Great times to steal you away can be right after you get married and before your grand entrance, during the golden hour, at sunset, or for a night shot.
Bridal Party (15-45 minutes): You can do this before or after or a little bit of both.
Cocktail Hour & Reception
Pro Tip: If you have two photographers, we can be split up at certain times. Other times, you may wish for us both to be there for different perspectives.
Cocktail Hour: If you have put a lot of planning into decorating your reception, you may want this photographed before guests arrive. Do you want to be present at your cocktail hour or use it for some additional portraits? Some couples want this photographed as it can be a great time for candid images of your guests, others choose to have both photographers with them during couples portraits.
Photographers + Gear (15 minutes): We need some time to park and haul our gear into the venue and set up lights for your reception. Make sure to notify us if there will be challenges parking at your venue, as we need to allow for more time.
Grand Entrance (5-15 minutes): Is your entire bridal party walking in announced or just the newlyweds? Choosing not to photograph this is optional for those who want more portrait time right before entering the reception.
Dinner (30-60 minutes): We need to eat too (shaky hands from no nourishment all day is not a good fit for your photography!), so please plan on us sitting down and eating while your guests are. We ask that you provide us a meal or allow us 60 minutes to leave site and eat.
Pro Tip: A sit down dinner takes more time than a buffet. Also, we never take photographs of guests eating because no one likes that!
Toasts, Cake Cutting, First Dances (45 minutes): Your DJ will be the expert in this arena, so be in touch with them too. Many couples prefer to do this in a fairly compact time-frame.
Open Dance (30-60 minutes): It’s time to capture the party!
Reception Sneak Out (10-30 minutes): We know you want to be at your party and a good host, so we have everything prepared and sneak you out to capture some great night shots.
