Every wedding day looks different; therefore every wedding timeline looks different! There’s no one size fits all timeline for wedding days. This is why I go in-depth with my couples to gather important information before building their perfect wedding day timeline.
Here’s the important questions I ask when it comes to finding out how much photography coverage you need and want for your wedding day.
- When is your ceremony?
- Do you plan on doing a first look?
- Do you want getting ready photos (even if they’re staged)?
- How big is your bridal party?
- When does your reception end?
- What is your budget?
Let’s break this down!
Wedding Day Timeline | Ceremony
I like to start with the ceremony start time because it makes it easier to gauge when you need to be ready and build out your timeline from there. Let’s say your ceremony begins at 5:00 pm; most wedding ceremonies are around 30 minutes. By 5:30 pm, cocktail hour is beginning, and your families and bridal parties are gathered for photos.
Once the ceremony and cocktail hour are done it’s easy to assess how much coverage you want and need for your reception. We’ll circle back to this in a bit!
Wedding Day Timeline | First Look
Whether you want to do a first look or not, the choice is 100% up to you! If you’re on the fence and thinking you might want to do a first look, then I will tell you the benefits of doing it (I don’t think there’s any cons in my opinion).
If you do a first look it allows time before the ceremony to take more photos as a group, whether that’s family photos or with your bridal party! Another huge benefit is having a moment to yourselves as a couple. A moment to breathe, take in the day together, and it’s one of the only times during your wedding that you will get to be alone just the two of you.
The first look alone only takes 5 to 10 minutes, but I like to snap some photos of the tender moments after. I typically build set aside 15 -20 minutes into the timeline for the first look and photos afterwards. In our hypothetical wedding timeline, if the ceremony begins at 5:00 pm, I would say you should do your first look by 3:30 pm so that you can start bridal party photos at 3:50 pm. Bridal party photos typically take 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of your party, this still allows everyone time to get to where they need to be before the ceremony begins.
Wedding Day Timeline | Getting Ready Photos
This is when your timeline can go two different directions, depending on if you do a first look or not. Another factor that can play into your timeline is if you want getting ready photos of the groom. That creates another scenario of if you want a second photographer, and we will get into that at a later time!
I’m a huge proponent for taking getting ready photos. BUT I think they should be taken once you’re completely ready. Other photographers might say other wise, but I like to be transparent with my brides (and couples), I don’t want to waste your money by taking getting ready photos when you just barely sat down in the makeup chair. Hair and makeup takes a long time and I don’t want to milk the clock and take your money if it’s not necessary. If you want photos while you’re still getting hair and makeup done I think that is great, however I don’t recommend having your photographer arrive until the last 10 to 15 minutes of you getting all done up. Before my brides get into their dresses I love to take detail shots of the following…
Detail Shot List
- Wedding dress hanging
- Wedding shoes & Jewelry
- Vow Books or letters written to each other
- Stationary (invitations, save the dates, etc.)
This is what I tell my brides, if you want getting ready photos I suggest doing “staged” getting ready photos! This can be done before you get your wedding dress on, maybe mingling with your bridesmaids, looking at yourself in the mirror, applying perfume and/or lipstick, etc. Once you’re ready to put your dress on, I love to document the quiet moments as you take in the moment. Maybe you’re looking at your wedding dress, hugging your mom, reading a letter from your partner, or just drinking a mimosa!
Getting into your dress and putting your accessories on typically only takes 10 to 15 minutes. So all together I suggest your timeline have 45 to 60 minutes of “getting ready” photos, this includes buffer time! Going back to our hypothetical timeline, if your first look is scheduled to take place at 3:30 pm, then your hair and makeup should be done by 1:45 pm to factor in buffer time.
*During the getting ready process is when the majority of weddings fall behind schedule, so it’s important to factor in buffer time!
Timeline With First look
2:00 pm | Photographer arrives
*Photographer tours venue & takes detail photos
1:45 pm | Hair & Makeup are done
2:30 pm | Staged getting ready photos
3:00 pm | Get into your dress
3:15 pm | Ready to head to first look
3:30 pm | First look
3:50 pm | Photos with bridal party
4:30 pm | Tucked away for ceremony
5:00 pm | Ceremony begins
Timeline Without First look
2:15 pm | Photographer arrives
*Photographer tours venue & takes detail photos
2:40 pm | Done Getting Ready
2:45 pm | Staged Getting ready photos
3:00 pm | Get into your dress
3:20 pm | Bride & Bridesmaids (or family)
3:50 pm | Groom & Groomsmen (or family)
4:25pm | Tucked away for ceremony
5:00 pm | Ceremony begins
Wedding Day Timeline | Size of Bridal Party
This is a question I like to ask because it can effect how much time is allotted to bridal party photos. For groups of 6+ (on each side), I would err on the side of caution and set aside a little extra time so that we’re not rushed. You don’t want to feel rushed on your wedding day! I won’t go into too much depth on this post about having a second photographer, however this is when a second photographer is extremely beneficial! Each photographer can separate and one can be with the bride and bridesmaids, while the other is with groom and groomsmen. Once those shots are done we come together and get the whole party together. This cuts down on time quite a bit!
Weddind Day Timeline | Reception End Time
This is a two part question, do you plan on doing a grand exit, and what time will your reception end? If you don’t plan on doing a grand exit then typically you will only need or want 2 to 3 hours of reception coverage. Two to three hours usually covers the speeches and toasts, first dance, parent dances, cake cutting, and the first part of the party!
Other Wedding Day Timeline Things To Factor
Of course your wedding day timeline can look different than this, if you want to do a first look with your parent(s) then that will add time. If you want photos at a location off site then we will need to factor in drive time. These are all things I can help with to create a smooth sailing wedding timeline!
Wedding Day Timeline Examples
6 HOUR TIMELINE
2:30 pm | Photographer arrives
*Photographer takes detail photos
2:30 pm | Done Getting Ready
2:45 pm | Staged Getting ready photos
3:00 pm | Get into your dress
3:15 pm | Bride + Bridesmaids OR Bride + Family
3:45 pm | Groom + Groomsmen OR Groom + Family
4:30 pm | Everyone tucked away for ceremony
5:00 pm | Ceremony
5:30 pm | Cocktail Hour
5:35 pm | Family Photos
6:00 pm | Bride + Groom
6:30 pm | Guests are seated
6:40 pm | Grand Entrance
6:45 pm | First Dance
6:50 pm | Parent Dances
7:00 pm | Dinner is served
8:00 pm | Cake Cutting
8:05 pm | Dancing begins
8:30 pm | Photography Coverage Ends
8 HOUR TIMELINE
2:00 pm | Photographer arrives
*Photographer takes detail photos
2:00 pm | Done Getting Ready
2:30 pm | Staged Getting ready photos
3:00 pm | Get into your dress
3:15 pm | Ready to head to first look
3:30 pm | First look
3:50 pm | Bridal party
4:30 pm | Tucked away for ceremony
5:00 pm | Ceremony
5:30 pm | Cocktail Hour
5:35 pm | Family Photos
6:00 pm | Bride + Groom
6:30 pm | Guests are seated
6:40 pm | Grand Entrance
6:50 pm | Welcome Toasts
7:00 pm | Dinner is served
8:00 pm | First Dance
8:05 pm | Parent Dances
8:10 pm | Speeches
8:30 pm | Cake Cutting
8:40 pm | Open Dancing
9:00 pm | Bride + Groom Flash Photos (10 to 15 minutes)
10:00 pm | Photography Coverage Ends
10 HOUR TIMELINE
2:00 pm | Photographer arrives
*Photographer takes detail photos
2:00 pm | Done Getting Ready
2:30 pm | Staged Getting ready photos
3:00 pm | Get into your dress
3:15 pm | Ready to head to first look
3:30 pm | First look
3:50 pm | Bridal party
4:30 pm | Tucked away for ceremony
5:00 pm | Ceremony
5:30 pm | Cocktail Hour
5:35 pm | Family Photos
6:00 pm | Bride + Groom
6:30 pm | Guests are seated
6:40 pm | Grand Entrance
6:50 pm | Welcome Toasts
7:00 pm | Dinner is served
8:00 pm | First Dance
8:05 pm | Parent Dances
8:10 pm | Speeches
8:30 pm | Cake Cutting
8:40 pm | Open Dancing
9:00 pm | Bride & Groom Flash Photos (10 to 15 minutes)
Reception Coverage Continues
12:00 am | Grand Exit
Wedding Day Timeline | Budget
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