PLANNING YOUR TIMELINE
The day you have spent so much time preparing for, dreaming of and investing in, will go by as one of the quickest days in your life. I guarantee it. That’s one of the great reasons to invest in wedding photography that will tell the story of your day; giving you the opportunity to relive it! I know timeline planning isn’t the most exciting aspect of the wedding day but this is the one thing that can make or break your photography.
Your timeline is one of the most important parts of your wedding day! Having a well planned timeline will allow you to really enjoy your day. Without one, wedding days can very quickly become stressful. Imagine the perfect morning of your wedding: maybe you are sipping on coffee, chatting with your bridesmaids, and finally it’s time to get in your dress. Your mom or maid of honor buttons up the back, you turn to look in the mirror and it hits you: you are getting MARRIED!
Now imagine the same morning, but your hair took an hour longer than expected. Instead of chatting with your girls, you are glancing at your phone every minute to check what time it is. As soon as your hair and makeup is done, you bolt out of your chair and rush to get your dress on. Suddenly, what you thought would be a relaxing and exciting morning turned stressful.
I have seen the perfect morning and I have seen the stressful one. I want you to have a perfect morning that will allow for an amazing day!
THE TIMELINE AND YOUR PHOTOS
The timeline affects your photos in a few different ways. First, there’s the obvious one: the more time I have, the more photos you will receive and the more creative they will be. This applies to every part of the day. From getting an awesome dress shot in the morning that might take more time to set up, to the time I spend with you and your groom later in the day.
Secondly, photos of a stressed bride and groom look very different from photos of a relaxed bride and groom. If you are radiating happiness, that will show in your photos!
Don’t know where to start? That’s why I’m here! Below is a general timeline outline to an ideal wedding day, working off of a 6pm ceremony timeframe. This ideal timeline is also based off of a wedding day that includes a first look. About 85% of my couples choose to do a first look and you can read more about that option HERE.
Remember that all wedding days are different and your timeline may differ due to travel times and unique situations.
Several variables to timelines:
- number of bridesmaids/groomsmen
- locations and travel time
- first look vs no first look
- ceremony length
- possible weather of the day
- amount of family portrait groupings
I will talk about your wedding specifics and create a custom timeline just for you when your wedding day gets closer!
FIRST LOOK TIMELINE CLICK FOR DETAILS
Details + Getting Ready 2:00 - 3:15
Every bride loves having those beautiful shots of her bridal details. It’s an important part of the story and I love having some time to shoot 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 60 minutes for this part of the day. While I’m shooting details, I’m also capturing some images of the bride and her girls getting ready.
Bridal Prep 3:15 - 3:45
After the details have been photographed, it’s time for the bride to get into her dress. This is a big moment! I usually ask the mother of the bride and all of the bridesmaids to be dressed by the time the bride is ready to get into her dress. This ensures that everyone will look nice in those images. After the bride is in her gown, she then puts on jewelry, veil, shoes, etc., and I will shoot some additional bridal portraits.
Groom Details and Prep 3:45 - 4:15
If the groom is getting ready at same venue as the girls, I take some time to photograph the guys getting ready. This is about 30 minutes before the first look since it always takes them less time to get dressed.
First Look 4:15 - 4:30
This is one of my favorite parts of the wedding day! I will find the perfect location for my couple’s First Look prior to the getting ready portion of the day. Don’t stress about that one bit! I will make sure the location is private and as secluded as possible.
Portraits 4:30 - 4:45
After the bride and groom take their time with the First Look, I will begin taking a few romantic portraits of the two of them 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.
Bridal Party Portraits 4:45 - 5:30
Now it’s time for bridal party shots! During bridal party portraits, I will make sure to take some great shots of the guys and girls both separately AND together. After bridal party portraits are complete, the bride will go into hiding so that early guests don’t sneak a peek.
Bride in hiding 5:30 - 6:00
This is the time to get freshened up if need be or have a final toast with your friends/family before walking down the aisle.
Reception Details 5:30 - 5:45
If the reception is in the same location as the ceremony, I will use this time to shoot the reception decor UNTOUCHED. If the ceremony and reception are in different locations, I recommend having a cocktail hour outside of the main reception area if possible so that I can grab some great shots of your reception before the night begins and guests start laying down drinks, purses and coats on the tables and their seats.
Ceremony 6:00 - 6:30
It’s time to get married!! Most ceremonies are 30 minutes long. If your ceremony is longer than 30 mins, we’ll make adjustments to the timeline. Cherish these moments! Your ceremony will pass by so quickly!
Family Portraits 6:35 - 7:00
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. I will need about 20-30 minutes for family formals and I will send a questionnaire before the wedding where you can list out the shots that you want.
Extra Romantic Portraits 7:00 - 7:30
I love having a few extra minutes with the bride and groom to take a few “Just Married” portraits right after family formals! Timing this part out for the 2o or so minutes prior to sunset time is ideal. Sometimes this time ends up being during your reception where we can sneak you two away for a few and capture you in that amazing lighting. These images always turn out to be my couples favorites and they cherish that little time away.
The Party Begins 7:30 - 7:45
This is when the bridal party lines up for introductions and the party begins. By this part of the day portrait times are over and begin focusing on the reception events where the timeline can remain fluid. Your band or DJ will establish the best possible time to do any speeches, dances, tosses, etc. to make the night flow seamlessly. As long as I know what events will be taking place, I’m there to capture it!
Exit 11pm
There are many ways to have a grand exit. The most popular …sparklers! You’ll read more about this later in Reception Planning and Exit section of The Bridal Guide.
Approximate Times
DETAILS & PREP : 1.5 HOURS
FIRST LOOK & PORTRAITS : 30-40 MINS
BRIDAL PARTY : 30-40 MINS
FAMILY FORMALS: 20-30 MINS
EXTRA PORTRAIT TIME : AS MUCH TIME AS YOU’LL GIVE ME!