Wedding Day Timeline- How to create the perfect day!
One of the ways to make your wedding day goes smoothly and let it be stress free is to have a curated wedding day timeline! This is one of the most important parts of my job. Yes! As a photographer, creating a timeline that is perfect for your wedding day is part of my job. By doing this, with or without your wedding planner, ensure that I’m capturing what you are most excited about on your big day!
Weeks before your wedding day, we sit down and make sure that the timeline is perfect for you. We adjust where necessary to make sure we factor in all the portions of the day. Then all you have to do is sit back, enjoy your day and let me worry about the when it all needs to unfold. See below for how a perfect wedding day timeline would look and some samples at the end!
Wedding Day Timeline Breakdown
Details
(15-20 Minutes)
It’s all in the details as they say! One of the first things the photography team will do after saying hello to everyone is gather all the pretty details! Some photographers bring in what they call lay flat items, but personally I like to use what you chose for the day! The details we’ll look for are:
- Invitation suite
- Bouquet
- Jewelry
- Hair Pieces
- A wedding party dress. I like to use this since it’s usually a color from your wedding as my backdrop!
- Veil
- Shoes
- Special Items- something borrowed, something old, etc.
- Card or gift from partner
- All the rings
- Your Dress
- For Your Partner: Attire, Tie, Shoes, Fun Socks, Cufflinks, Watch.
Tip: Have all these items together and set aside then tell your wedding party and family where they are. That way they can show the photographer you don’t have to worry while finishing hair and make-up.
Getting Ready
(30-45 Minutes)
One of my favorite parts of the day is the getting ready portion. It’s that moment when all the planning of the day starts to happen and the butterflies begin. The emotions are so real and so candid that it makes for such sweet pictures.
You slide into your dress, someone you care about most helps with jewelry, maybe a first look with your wedding party or parents- cue the tears! So have those tissues ready! And maybe have the make up artist stay for an extra few minutes 🙂
We usually allocate 30 minutes for this part of the wedding day timeline. To have this part of the day go smoothly, check out “How to get the best getting ready photos” blog.
Tip: Plan on having your makeup done before your wedding party. A good rule of thumb is to have your makeup and hair done about 30 minutes after your photographer is schedule to arrive.
For more hair and make up tips and tricks, check out these blogs posts:
Wedding Hairstyle Tips
Wedding Makeup Tips
Individual Portraits
(5-10 Minutes)
You’re all dressed up with somewhere to go! This is one of those moments where you want pictures of the two of you dressed up and looking REAL good!
I schedule this on the wedding day timeline so that I can get pictures of you in your gorgeous wedding gown and your partner in their wedding day attire. You picked all these pieces for a reason, let’s show them off!
Tip: Let your wedding party and family know when we will be leaving your getting ready location. All things should be picked up, put away, bags packed well before the time to leave. This will allow us time to do these individual portraits before the ceremony and not during cocktail hour.
The First Look
(15 Minutes)
The first look is next on the wedding day timeline. This is definitely one of the harder decisions on the day. Everyone has their opinion on it, but really it comes down to what works best for you both on the wedding day that YOU are planning. Check out my blog on “5 Reasons to do a First Look” and see if it helps with your decision.
If you’d like to do a first look AND do all of your portraits before the wedding ceremony, you need to factor in more time. I normally say add 1 hour of photography coverage, because you’re essentially moving what we would do during cocktail hour to before your wedding. You can also do a first look and keep all the portraits to after the wedding ceremony. This would probably mean taking 30 minutes of photography coverage from either the getting ready portion or from the end of the reception.
Tip: Remember to ask your venue how early you can be on the property for the first look!
Wedding party Portraits
(30 Minutes)
Now it’s time to have some fun with your wedding party! We split this into a few sections. You can decide to do individual portraits with each member in your wedding party or groupings (ie. college friends, family.) Then you would do pictures with the whole group. It would look like this:
Partner A with their wedding party and then individual pictures with each member.
Then you’ll repeat for Partner B.
Last we’ll do the couple with the entire wedding party.
Tip: Make sure boutonnières are at the venue and on before these pictures! Dab the bouquets on towels before these pictures, so water doesn’t get on the dresses.
Family Portraits
(30 Minutes)
Family portraits do tend to take a little longer than you think. You might say ‘oh, we’re just doing immediate family,’ but every combination you’d like takes approximately 2-3 minutes. Between getting everyone together, getting everyone looking at the photographer’s camera, adjusting positioning and catching no blinks- you’re at the 2-3 minute mark. Add up all your combos and you have a rough idea of how long family portraits will be.
For example Partner 1 With:
Parent 1
Parent 2
Both Parents
Sibling 1
Sibling 2
Both Siblings Together
All Immediate family
Partner 1 and 2 with Partner 1’s immediate family
-This combination above could take up to 16 minutes.
Repeat with Partner 2′ s Family
– Now we’re potentially up to 32 minutes.
If we have time to do immediate family combinations before the wedding, we always try! So when thinking about the timeline, thinking about when you want to do these combinations is a great idea. An 8 hour timeline would allow for time to do some of these beforehand and the rest after the ceremony. If add an hour to your timeline and do a first look, you can do these before the ceremony. Otherwise with a shorter timeline (6 hours), you’re doing all the family combination pictures, plus wedding party, and the couple’s formal portraits during the cocktail hour. Check out my blog: 5 Steps For Navigating Wedding Family Photos.
Ceremony Details
(15 Minutes)
A lot of times, you don’t get to see how things are set up before you walk down the aisle! When you are tucked way before the guests arrive or before you arrive at the Church, the photographer will try and get some pictures of the details you chose for your ceremony.
Ceremony
(20 Minutes To 1 Hour)
Ceremonies can vary quite a bit from couple to couple. The biggest decision is whether you are getting married at a Church or another location. If at a Church and it’s a full mass, this could be a hour of your timeline before factoring in a receiving line and drive time to the venue.
If you’re getting married at another location or at the venue, these ceremonies are typically around 20 minutes.
For your ceremony, you may opt for reading your own vows, special guest readings, pouring sand, unity candle, and any other special traditions you want to include. Just keep in mind how long each of those pieces are going to last so you have a good idea on how long the ceremony will be.
Tip: If having a family or friend officiate, ask them to practice their readings so you know how long it is. Additionally, ask guest readers to keep theirs short as sweet.
Addtionally, please ask on whether the ceremony location has any restrictions for your photographer!
Formal Portraits
(30 Minutes)
You’re married!! Woohoo! Now you have some time away from everyone to enjoy each other before you get the party going. Ideally we’d love to do 15 minutes or so of portraits after the ceremony. Just in case time gets away from us during the reception. Then we’ll schedule another block of time to pull you away during dinner to catch some gorgeous “golden hour” or sunset set photos later on. Breaking up your portraits gets you to cocktail hour sooner and leaves you feeling less like you’ve been taking pictures all day!
Reception Details
(15 Minutes)
Before joining cocktail hour, go with your photographer to see your reception room set up! This is also when your photographer will capture all the details that you chose for your day. From the flowers, to the favors, to the colors you chose for the room. If there are any special details that you want captured, make sure to tell your photographer ahead of time!
Reception
(3 Hours of Coverage)
The party is ready to get started! This is where you’ll work with your DJ or Band to coordinate how your want your reception to flow. Some couples like to break up the formalities and some like to do it all right away. Either works, just keep in mind when dinner needs to be served! If it’s a plated meal, your caterer will want it to come out when everything is ready and hot 🙂
Things to decide on as part of the reception include:
Formal introductions
First Dance
Father/Daughter or Mother/Son, as well as other variations.
Toasts or Parents Speeches
Cake Cutting
Bouquet/Garter
For dancing pictures- depending on if you’re doing a send off- you only need about 30 minutes to an hour. YOU- the couple- should get the dance floor going. It’s hard for guests to start the dance floor. Work with your DJ on what songs are best to get you and your best friends out there. Don’t look back and not have any pictures of you both on the dance floor with everyone you love most!
Sunset/Night Shot
(15-20 Minutes)
Take the time to go do a sunset photo or night shot! Depending on your location, you might only have one or the other. It’s fun to sneak away to the beach or to capture the character of the venue you chose at night. Most important, it gives you a few minutes to be with each other alone on your wedding day! Be giddy, smile, kiss and look at your favorite person in the world who you just got to marry! Besides, I already factored it into the timeline for you 😉
Bonus: Send off!
Want to have the whole night captured? Add some hours to your wedding day timeline or opt for the longest package your photographer offers! This will give you more memories and give you the option for a send off!
At the end of the night, have all your guests line up outside your reception and you get to run through the streamers, bubbles, rice, glow lights etc…
Most venues aren’t allowing sparklers- probably a good decision on their part 😉
Sample Wedding Day timeline:
- 12:30pm- Photography Team arrive for details and getting ready.
One photographer with Partner A, Second Photographer with Partner B - 12:45pm- Detail shots:
(Partner A) Detail shots of dress, shoes, jewelry, invitations, rings, special items, gifts to exchange etc
(Partner B) Detail shots of clothing, shoes, tie, fun socks, cufflinks, watch, etc. - 1:00pm- Getting Ready:
The couple getting into their attire, final touches of make up - 1:30pm- Drive Time to Venue
- 2:00pm- Couple’s First Look
- 2:15pm- Partner A’s individual portraits and with their wedding party.
Second Photographer with Partner B and their wedding party. - 2:45pm- Wedding Party Portraits
- 3:00pm- Family Portraits
- 3:30pm- Ceremony Details
- 4:00pm- Ceremony
- 4:30pm- Formal Portraits
- 5:00pm- Reception Details
- 5:30pm – Reception entrance, Dances, Dinner, Speeches
- 7:45pm- Sunset pictures/Night Shot
- 8:30pm- Photography team leaves
- 1:00pm- Photography Team arrive for details and getting ready.
One photographer with Partner A, Second Photographer with Partner B - 1:15pm- Detail shots:
(Partner A) Detail shots of dress, shoes, jewelry, invitations, rings, special items, gifts to exchange etc
(Partner B) Detail shots of clothing, shoes, tie, fun socks, cufflinks, watch, etc. - 1:45pm- Getting Ready:
The couple getting into their attire, final touches of make up - 2:30pm- Drive Time to Venue
- 3:00pm- Partner A’s individual portraits and with their wedding party.
Second Photographer with Partner B and their wedding party. - 3:30pm- Ceremony Details
- 4:00pm- Ceremony
- 4:30pm- Family Portraits
- 4:45pm- Wedding Party Portraits
- 5:00pm- Formal Portraits
- 5:30pm – Reception entrance, Dances, Dinner, Speeches
- 8:00pm- Sunset pictures/Night Shot
- 9:00pm- Photography team leaves
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