This isn’t the most exciting aspect of planning your wedding, but this is the one thing that can make or break your photography! This timeline will give an idea of how long it typically takes for each piece of your day. This ideal timeline is also based off of a wedding day that includes a first look. About 90% of my couples choose to do a first look. Remember that all wedding days are different, and your timeline may differ due to travel times and unique situations and I will adapt to your day.
SAMPLE TIMELINE
Every bride loves having those beautiful shots of her bridal details. It’s an important part of the story and I love having time set aside to photograph the dress, shoes, jewelry, invitations, etc. These shots allow me to get warmed up for the rest of the big day. I normally like to allow at least 30 minutes for this part of the day. While I’m photographing the details, I’m also capturing some candid images of the bride and her girls getting ready! If the groom is getting ready nearby, I will begin photographing the guys close to 30 minutes before the first look since it always takes them less time to get dressed!
Bridal Details
30 minutes
Bridal Prep
45 minutes
First Look
15 mins
After the bride and groom take their time with the First Look, I will begin taking a few romantic portraits of the two of you while the initial excitement is still present! I will find the locations for these shots as well! Remember, the LIGHT determines where we shoot and so I can’t decide on portrait locations until the day of. As we shoot these portraits, the bridal party can start making their way to us for Bridal Party portraits.
Portraits
30 mins
Bridal Party Portraits
30 mins
Reception Details
20 mins
Ceremony
30 mins
Family formals normally take place immediately following the ceremony. It’s best to save all of the family formals until after the ceremony because ALL family members will be present at that time. We’ll need about 30 minutes for family formals and I will send a questionnaire before the wedding where you can list out the shots that you want. I recommend shooting portraits outdoors if possible so that they resemble more natural family portraits, especially if the ceremony location is dark!
Family Portraits
30 mins
A Few “Just Married” Portraits
15 mins
Reception Time!
3-4 Hours
When you’re planning a wedding day timeline, the best advice I could give is to ADD CUSHION TIME! Sometimes the most simple things can take an extra 20 minutes and then all of a sudden, the whole morning is thrown off. I have seen the bride getting in her dress take almost 40 minutes because of a button malfunction. It’s a smart idea to add in an extra ten minutes here and there so that we have some wiggle room to work with! This way, if one part of the day gets thrown off by 20 minutes, I can help you compensate for that time in other areas. There are so many different things to think about when you’re planning a wedding day, and so here are some tips for the pre ceremony timeline! I realize that every single wedding day is different and so not all of these tips will apply to every wedding day schedule. Something else to consider is that not EVERYTHING will go as planned, and I promise you, that is completely normal!!
