Wedding Day Timeline

A black and white wedding moment captured on a covered porch with chairs set up for ceremony.
An intimate moment shared between two people in formal wear by a window with exposed brick.
Bride's mother adjusting bride's veil and looking in a mirror.
Intimate moment captured between couple against brick wall background.
Bride in white gown sits elegantly on green velvet couch in dark moody room.
Bride in lace dress holds dried flower bouquet in outdoor garden setting.
Man in dark suit sits contemplatively in leather chair against wood-paneled wall.
Wedding dress reflection seen in ornate mirror with soft natural lighting.

Your wedding timeline is much more important than you may realize. Not everything will always go according to plan, but having an outline will help the wedding party and vendors be on schedule too. Below are some tips for each part of the wedding day.


Rings, shoes, dress, & other details

Ideal time allotment - 3o min

Ideal time of the day - morning

Ideal location - bridal or hotel suite


Advice - having at least 30 min for details ensures that we have plenty of time to photograph the dress, rings, flat lay, bouquets, and other details. (see more info on this on my "all in the details" page!)


Preparations

Ideal time allotment - 30 min

Ideal time of the day - morning or early afternoon

Ideal location - bridal or hotel suite


Advice - having 30 min of preparation time is ideal for getting close ups of the hair & makeup as well as candid moments as the bridesmaids and groomsmen get ready for the day. These are often some of the most fun shots of the day, so be sure to allow plenty of time.


Individual Bride & Groom portraits

Ideal time allotment - 20-30 min

Ideal time of the day - morning or early afternoon

Ideal location - bridal or hotel suite, venue lobby, or garden.


Advice - Right after prep is the best time for individual portraits of the bride & groom (separately). Hair and makeup is fresh, and the day isn't so hectic yet, and we can take our time to get the perfect shots. Keep in mind that windows in most suites can create a beautiful look with soft lighting.


First Look and daytime couples session

Ideal time allotment - 20 min

Ideal time of the day - morning or early afternoon

Ideal location - venue garden, woods, empty venue hallway (shaded areas with natural light)


Advice - the first look should be around 20 min. During this time, the bride and groom, or bride and father, enjoy seeing each other for the first time on the wedding day. The actual first look might only take 5-10 min, and the rest of the time can be spent on a few basic portraits of the bride and groom, or bride and father. Ideally, the bulk of the couples photos will be taken later.


Wedding Party Photos

Ideal time allotment - 30-45 min

Ideal time of the day - morning or afternoon

Ideal location - venue lobby, venue garden or woods, park, off-site location


Advice - wedding party photos should be around 30-45 min. During this time, we will get a variety of shots in a variety of poses. We start off with basic, classic poses focused on great expressions and lighting.

Then, we move into a set of fun and creative shots. Finally, we will get photos with you and each one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen individually.


Ceremony detail and venue

Ideal time allotment - 15-20 min

Ideal time of the day - morning or afternoon

Ideal location - ceremony site


Advice -please allow 15-20 min for the second shooter to take photos of the ceremony site, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area. Before the guests are seated, it's important that we are there to capture the set up of your ceremony site so we can capture the scene at its best.


Formals (extended family, immediate family, and friends)

Ideal time allotment - 45-60 min

Ideal time of the day - post ceremony

Ideal location - ceremony site


Advice - formals should take around 45 min to an hour, depending on the size of your family and number of guests. *Plan on 3 min per group on average. For example, if you have 10 groups, schedule in a 30 min time slot.

I HIGHLY recommend being very well organized and supplying a shot list (with names!), and helpers from each side of the family to help round people up. This will greatly save time and keep the flow of people moving in and out of shots.


Couples session

Ideal time allotment - 1 hour

Ideal time of the day - late afternoon (sunset)

Ideal locations - venue garden or woods, hotel lobby, park


Advice - Couple session should be around one hour and should ideally take place 30-45 min before sunset. This is the best time in terms of lighting. It also allows us to capture scenic shots with beautiful skies. If your wedding is downtown or in an area with tall buildings, it's not as important for us to have this specific time frame (although it still helps). However, if you have booked your venue because of a beautiful view, it's essential to follow this advice in your timeline.


Reception detail and venue

Ideal time allotment - 15-20 min

Ideal time of the day - morning or afternoon

Ideal location - ceremony site


Advice -please allow 15-20 min for the second shooter to take photos of the reception room, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area. Similar to the ceremony details, this is the only opportunity we have to capture the beauty of the reception room prior to guest arrival.