Wedding season officially begins this month and, as a result, I’ve had lots of emails come through my inbox regarding timelines. 8 weeks before their wedding, I send each client a questionnaire asking for some of the details I need for their wedding day. One of the most important things is the timeline. By getting the timeline 6-8 weeks before their wedding day, it gives me time to give input or advice if I feel like there isn’t enough time for a certain part of the day. The timeline is one of the most integral parts of the wedding day, as it can relieve or create incredible amounts of stress. It is very important to pad your timeline as much as possible, especially early in the day, in order to give yourself time to breathe and soak it all in. Every photographer is different in their preferences but we have things down to a pretty good science for us, and therefore, know how much time we need for each portion of the day. There, of course, are always variables but assuming the ceremony + reception is at the same location, or within 10-15 min of each other, the timelines below work well. A few key aspects to the day is that we like to have 30 minutes with the bride to get some iconic portraits and at least 45 minutes with the Bride & Groom for portraits (at least 20 of those should be during golden hour). We allot 15 minutes each for bridal party + family because we have those kinda down to a science and it is really important for us to make sure our couples get to enjoy their day.

 

With a First Look:

9:30 – Brides hair

10:30 – Brides makeup

11:30 – Bridesmaids get dressed

11:45 – Bride prepares to dressed

12:15 – Bridal portraits/Guys get dressed

1:00 – First look

1:30 – Bridal party portraits

2:00 – Family portraits

2:30 – Freshen up

3:00 – Ceremony

3:45 – Family portraits

4:00 – Bridal party portraits

4:15 – Bride and Groom portraits

5:00 – Cocktail Hour

(Bride and Groom mingle with guests)

6:00 – Guests get seated

6:15 – Bridal Party Entrance

6:25 – First dance

6:30 – First course

(golden hour portraits)

7:00 – Main course

(parent dances)

7:30 – Cake cutting/Dance floor opens

 

Without a first look:

11:00 – Brides hair

12:00 – Brides makeup

1:15 – Bridesmaids get dressed

1:30 – Bride prepares to dressed/Guys get dressed

2:00 – Bridal portraits

3:00 – Ceremony

3:45 – Family portraits

4:00 – Bridal party portraits

4:15 – Bride and Groom portraits

5:00 – Cocktail Hour

6:00 – Guests get seated

6:15 – Bridal Party Entrance

6:25 – First dance

6:30 – First course

(golden hour portraits)

7:00 – Main course

(parent dances)

7:30 – Cake cutting/Dance floor opens