A Guide to Wedding Day Timeline
Whether you’re planning a first look or sticking with tradition and not seeing each other until you walk down the aisle I have tips to help make planning your timeline as easy as possible.
THE DETAILS
Timeframe: 30 minutes
I love capturing all the little details you’ve carefully chosen to be a part of your wedding day! Once I arrive at your wedding, we need about 30 minutes to capture and style details. I recommend choosing a getting ready location filled with natural light. Set aside a bag or box to keep all of your details together. This can include the dress, jewelry, the rings, shoes, perfume, and any keepsakes or important items you want photographed.
*Also, if you love the look of florals in your flat lays, ask your florist for a few extra trimmings to be left for me to style with!
GETTING READY
Timeframe: 30-60 minutes
Allot some time for fun getting ready photos of you and your wedding party. I also recommend having someone from your wedding party pick up the getting ready area before we arrive so that we can cut down on what will be in the background of your photos. You don’t want a beautiful photo of you getting into your dress with a Poland Springs bottle!!
FIRST LOOK & COUPLE FORMALS
Timeframe: 45-60 minutes
A first look opens up time prior to the ceremony for full wedding party, family pictures and couples portraits. This allows you to have all of your photos done before the ceremony so that you can enjoy your cocktail hour! If you’re a private person, another bonus to having a first look is having this potentially emotional moment be with just the two of you instead of in front of all of your guests. Another reason to having a first look would be if you ceremony timing is close to sunset (especially fall and winter weddings!)
WEDDING PARTY
Timeframe: 30 minutes
We will take photos of the wedding party group, as long as you with each of your people and your group of people.
FAMILY FORMALS
Timeframe: 30 minutes
For family portraits, I’ll place you in the center of a larger group photo with grandparents, parents and siblings. We’ll keep removing family members and switch a few closer family members in and out so we get photos of you and your parents, you and your siblings, some with your spouse and your family, etc.
RECEPTION
Timeframe: 3-4 Hours
This will cover entrances, dances, speeches and dancing. I also like to take you away for around 10-15 minutes for some sunset photos if timing aligns. It gives you the opportunity to have some photos in different lighting situations as well to have a moment away from the reception to soak it all in.
We typically leave around an hour before the end of the reception, or around the cake cutting as we usually are able to capture enough dancing photos at this point. You’ll want to have some time to dance, let loose and not have every moment of that documented!
EXAMPLE TIMELINE (8 hrs of coverage with a first look)
1:30PM Photogs arrive-detail photos begin (Invitation Suite, Flatlays, Jewelry/Shoes, The Rings, Florals etc.)
1:30PM Hair & Makeup complete
2:00PM Robe photo w/ the ladies
2:00PM _______ portraits (getting ready shots, jacket on/off etc.)
2:15PM Everyone to get dressed except ______.
2:30PM _______ in dress, photos of putting shoes and jewelry on/portraits
2:30PM Cheers/photo with the guys
2:50PM _______ heads to first look
2:55PM _______ heads to first look
3:00PM-3:45PM First Look/Photos of Couple
3:45PM-4:15PM Wedding Party group & individual photos
4:15PM-4:45 PM Family portraits
4:45PM Tuck away for ceremony/Photograph ceremony & decor
5:00PM Guests arrive
5:30PM-6:00PM CEREMONY
6:00PM Cocktail hour/ Photograph reception
7:00PM End Cocktail hour/ Start reception
7:15PM First Dance
7:25PM Parent Dances
8:00PM-8:15PM Sunset photos
8:15PM Speeches
8:30PM Dinner
8:31PM SUNSET
9:15PM Cake cutting
9:30PM Coverage ends
Looking for a natural yet artistic wedding photographer? Let’s chat about capturing your day in the upcoming season, message me here.
