How To Create The Perfect Wedding Day Timeline
Making A Wedding Timeline From A Photography Standpoint
One of the most asked questions I get from couples are: “When should we have our ceremony?” and “when should we start taking pictures?”
This is when a well thought out wedding day timeline comes in handy. A timeline is essentially the plan for the day with every single event assigned a starting time. Some weddings require a complicated timeline that accounts for multiple vendors whereas others are simpler and just require the photo ops to be written down.
Whose job is it to create a timeline?
If you are working with a wedding planner, it is typically their job to put the timeline together and then your photographer and DJ may weigh in and make adjustments. Maybe they need 45 minutes for family photos and not 30 like the planner allocated, for example.
When there’s no planner, the timeline is usually the photographers’ responsibility as there are so many events during the day that require photos. When the photographer isn’t consulted in making the timeline, things can go pretty wrong and fall behind schedule, as only the photographer can know how long it takes to photograph 24 family members and 8 people in a wedding party.
How To Make A Timeline
You can totally DIY your timeline! I always start with the ceremony and recommend to my clients to start their ceremony around 2-3 hours prior to sunset, when possible. This gives you softer light if your ceremony is outside and perfect golden hour light if your ceremony is inside but you’re planning to take the formal photos after the ceremony.
Then go back to the beginning
Start with when hair and make up is scheduled to be finished. It is typically best to have photos start right at the end of hair and make up. I mean, who wants pictures with barely done make up anyway?!
From there, make decisions on what pictures matter to you. Do you and your partner want getting ready pictures with their your of friends? That’s typically 60-90 minutes. Are you planning to do a first look? That’s about 20-30 minutes. On most wedding days, we’re spending about 3 hours doing photos prior to the ceremony.
A first look is essentially a moment where you and your partner see each other for the first time on your wedding day. About 40-50% of the people I work with decide to have one and the main reason being that they want to get most of the formal photos out of the way before the ceremony and to have an intimate moment for themselves.
Just a quick little note for those of you who are on the fence about a first look. Just do it, I’ve literally never had a couple tell me they regretted it. The moment of walking down the aisle is also not ruined by doing a first look. I’ve seen plenty of people cry during both the first look and ceremony.
What to do after the ceremony?
Let’s say sunset on your day will be at 6:30 PM and you’re planning to start your 30 minute ceremony at 4:00 PM. With that in mind, we’re most likely starting pictures at 1:00 PM which can include getting ready photos, portraits with your friends, a first look, and some detail photos of the decor.
After the ceremony, what you need to decide on next is whether or not you want a cocktail hour or not. As the name suggests, it usually lasts an hour, but smaller gatherings can definitely make do with a half hour for cocktails.
Cocktail hour is great to get those formal photos out of the way. Pictures you didn’t do before the ceremony can be taken during cocktail hour. But here’s where the first look can help, if you’ve taken most of the formal photos before the ceremony, you’ll have more time to spend with your guests during cocktail hour.
Wedding Reception Timeline Ideas
Things tend to get a little bit looser after the ceremony but there are still great advantages to keeping a timeline and sticking with it for the most part. I often add 5-10 minutes of bumper time for the reception events as things can just move a little slower when most folks have had a glass or two during dinner and cocktail hour. You might think that cutting a cake just takes a minute, and that’s true, but we’re looking at the entire time it takes to get done. For the venue coordinator to bring it out, to gather people around, and then for the actual cutting and a few photos after. This can take up to 10 minutes.
How long do we need a photographer for?
This depends on a few factors. More often than not, a full-day in one venue is 8 hours. This allows for 3 hours of pre-ceremony photos, 2 hours of ceremony and portraits, and another 3 hours to cover the reception. Sometimes couples have 2-3 locations on their wedding day and that’s what 10 hours of coverage are for. To account for driving and traffic. If couples are not really too excited about getting ready photos, or are not planning a grand exit, 6 hours are usually ideal.
How long does everything take?
I wish I had the perfect answer for this question. Every single wedding is different but over my 10+ year career I’ve noticed that some elements usually take a similar amount of time to complete.
Here’s my timeline list
Details & Decor: 1 hour
Partner 1 & Friends Getting Ready: 1 hour
Partner 2 & Friends Getting Ready: 30-60 minutes
Partner 1 & Friends First Look, Portraits To Follow: 20-30 minutes
Partner 1 & Parent First Look: 15 minutes
Wedding Couple First Look, Portraits To Follow: 30 minutes
Full Wedding Party Photos: 30 minutes
Family Formal Photos: 30-60 minutes
Ceremony: 30 minutes
Wedding Couple Sunset Portraits: 15-20 minutes
Grand Entrances: 10-15 minutes
First Dance & Parent Dances: 10-20 minutes
Cake Cutting: 10 minutes
Speeches: 10-30 minutes
Dance Floor Photos: 60-90 minutes
Private Last Dance: 10 minutes
Grand Exit: 20 minutes
That’s it! Now you can hopefully create your own perfect wedding day timeline. Check out more wedding planning resources below.