Wedding Day Timeline Tips
Wedding
Timeline Tips
For the least stressful, most fun and love-filled day.
Planning for your wedding: it’s a task that can feel overwhelming, exciting and stressful at the same time. Creating a well-thought-out schedule of your wedding day sets the structure and expectation for everyone involved. “So, just how much time do I need to plan for each part of the day?" you may ask.
From the nearly 100 weddings I’ve both photographed and attended as a guest over the years, I’ve learned what does and doesn’t work when it comes to scheduling, especially the time needed to get beautiful, intimate photos you and your family will hold on to forever.
Below, I list the different parts of a typical wedding day, my suggested times for each one, how I approach them as a photographer, plus some extra tips I’ve learned over the years.
Note before going forward: Each wedding and situation is unique, and generous amounts of time dedicated for portraits is not always possible. That’s okay and we will work through it together! Just know that that the following is what I’ve found to work best to get the most beautiful and relaxed photos of this special day!
GETTING READY (1-3 Hours)
The day is here! I spend most of the time with the bride and bridesmaids hanging out, sharing drinks, and getting ready etc. during this time, but will bounce between where the groom is getting ready as well. When the guys are almost ready, I head over to their location for 15-20 minutes and get shots of them adjusting ties, putting on shoes, and grab detail shots. At this point, the bride is usually ready to put on her dress, so I will head back to her location. If you’d like preparation photos, lighting is important to take into consideration. Large windows will provide the best beautiful, natural light!
If time allows, during prep time I will also:
Take detail photos of the dress, plus your rings, shoes, flowers, your wedding invite, veil, ties — anything to remember your day by. These photos will also be a beautiful addition to include in your wedding album.
Take detail photos of the reception decor before guests arrive
Pro Tip: Gather all the details you’d like photographed together together in one spot before I arrive, that way no one is scrambling to find them when the time comes!
FIRST LOOK (10-30 Min.)
Whether or not to have a first look is totally up to you and your partner. My couples have found that seeing each other privately before their ceremony calms their pre-wedding nerves and gives them a moment to connect and be together before the craziness of the day.
A typical first look involves a beautiful, secluded spot with the groom standing and looking away while the bride comes up behind him, taps him on the shoulder, and he turns around to see his beautiful bride in her dress for the first time. These often very emotional moments (I am known to get misty-eyed behind the lens, too!) tend to be everyone’s favorites from the day. First looks can be as quick as 10 minutes, or we can take some extra time for sweet photos of just the two of you right afterwards.
Pro Tip: Schedule family and/or bridal party photos to be taken after your first look. This saves time after the ceremony and you won’t keep your guests waiting at the reception too long.
CEREMONY (30-45 Min.)
Ceremony times are totally up to you and won’t affect me too much! My approach during the ceremony is to be as inconspicuous as possible while still moving around to get reactions from you and your guests. About 30 minutes seems to be the sweet spot for ceremonies, but again that is totally up to you!
Pro Tips: If the ceremony will be outdoors, build your timeline around lighting conditions during this time. Ambient light 3+ hours before sunset will be harsh and cast unflattering shadows on faces. Scheduling the ceremony one and a half or two hours before sunset should be perfect!
In addition, don’t plan anything (including any photos) in the last 30 minutes before the ceremony begins. You need this extra breathing time to relax and focus on what is ahead. Trust me!
FAMILY PHOTOS (25-40 Min.)
Photos with family members typically takes place directly after the ceremony, and the length of time needed depends on how many family members are included and how organized things are. Family photos are definitely important, however I suggest keeping the amount of people included to your closest relatives. The more formal groupings we have, the less time and energy we have for the following photos. Remember, there will be time at the reception to snap photos with distant relatives!
Keep in mind each grouping takes about 3 minutes with 2-5 minutes of transition time in between shots. It is very important that all family members know well ahead of time that they need to stay behind after the ceremony, otherwise we lose precious time tracking them down!
To help organization and efficiency during a time that can feel chaotic, I suggest creating a list of each family grouping you would like, especially if a lot of family members will be included in photos. That way, me or my assistant can announce each grouping and check off each one to make sure no one gets left out! Need help with grouping ideas? Here’s a list to get you thinking.
Pro Tip: If taking family photos at the ceremony location, ask your officiant ahead of time to make an announcement after the ceremony ends requesting that guests (other than those who will be in the “formal” photos) please head outside or away from the area so we can begin taking photos. After the ceremony, your guests are rightfully very excited and may want to line up and congratulate you. However, this significantly slows down the process and again - there will be plenty of time to greet everyone at the reception!
BRIDAL PARTY PHOTOS (20 - 30 Min+)
After family photos, it’s time for the bridal party! We’ll start off with some basic, classic photos then move on to some fun, goofy ones. We’ll also get individual photos of you and each of your bridal party members. These are always more fun taken outdoors with plenty of space (if you have a large party) and good lighting.
Pro Tip: Factoring in extra time for transportation to and form locations when writing out your schedule, especially during this time, is important!
COUPLE PHOTOS (25-45 Min+)
Now that family and bridal party photos are finished, it’s time for one of my absolute favorite parts of the day - taking photos of just you and your partner! We can do this near the ceremony location or head off to a separate spot as time allows. To get the best, least stressful, intimate photos, it’s best to send family and friends away to the reception at this time.
Pro Tip: While the least amount of people hanging around around is best, it can be helpful to me (and save time) to ask the maid of honor to tag along with us to help fix the bride’s dress/hair and hold the bouquet if I don’t have a second shooter with me.
RECEPTION (2+ Hours)
Time to let your hair down! During the reception, I will be constantly moving around and taking photos of everyone and everything! Guests having fun on the dance floor, chatting, and of course I’ll document the first dances, speeches, and other planned activities for the night. If dinner is being served, I’ll make sure to eat early on so that when the time comes around for first dances and speeches, I am re-energized and ready to go! During any point, you can absolutely grab if you want photos with any of your guests!
SEND-OFF (15 Min.)
Whether it involves sparklers, confetti, ribbons, bubbles, or petals — everyone loves a good wedding send-off after a beautiful day of celebration. Whatever the medium to throw or wave is, make sure you designate a few people to it hand out when the time comes around. It’s often quite dark during the send-off, which means getting that perfect shot can be tricky! To help me out, make sure not to run *too* fast (I will be in front of you, walking backwards) and halfway down the path, give each other a huge, long smooch! Heck, do it more than once! Your guests will LOVE it! It will be the most beautiful, glowing moment captured with the happy faces of your guests around you.
Pro Tip if you are using sparklers (my personal favorite)
Have designated people make sure guests have a sparkler in hand before they begin lighting them. Make sure they wait until you and your partner are almost ready to walk down the path before beginning to light, this way the sparklers don’t burn out before they even make it through!
Weddings whether large or small are notoriously stressful, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Planning ahead, delegating most tasks, and being organized is always the way to go! However, no amount of planning guarantees that every single detail will go the way you expect the day of — and that’s ok!
Whenever you feel overwhelmed in this process, ground yourself by remembering what this celebration is all about. Make sure to HAVE FUN. Don’t forget to let loose and celebrate yourself! Remember that even if things don’t go to plan, if you and the love of your life are married at the end of the day, that is all. that. matters.
If you want more help with planning out your day, always feel free to send me an email or shoot me a text — I am here for you! I’m so, so honored to be a part of your wedding day.
-Bethany