Creating The Perfect Wedding Day Timeline
Timelines make your day flow smoothly, giving your guests, staff, and vendors a general idea of when and where everything will pan out. With timelines as with weddings, there is no one-size-fits-all approach so it’s super important to make a timeline that works for you. If you have a wedding planner, they’ll be able to help you create something that aligns with your vision of the perfect day. But one thing to remember is that things almost always take longer than you think they will. Allow some time in between events so you have a second to breathe, kiss your partner, and drink some water. I always make sure to keep a 30 minute window of time before the ceremony without any photos to give you a chance to tame those flyaways or eat a quick bite!
Try to structure your timeline so that we’re shooting the formal couple portraits at golden hour, just before the sun sets, with that beautiful afternoon glow all around you. There’s nothing like this time of day to capture the mood and magic of the moment. Planning your wedding day with this in mind is super helpful and makes my job a whole lot easier. Reach out when you’re ready to discuss this and I’ll talk you through why it’s absolutely necessary! Want to just flow with the day and not worry about portraits? No problem. Let’s talk about doing your fancy dress shoot on a different day.
Here is an example of a wedding timeline with a 4:00PM ceremony start time with a first look, portraits before the ceremony & the sunset being 6:30pm -
12:00PM : Photographer Arrives
1:30PM : Bride Gets Dressed
2:00PM : First Look with Bride & Groom
2:30PM : Wedding Party Photos
3:00PM : Family Photos
3:30PM : Hideaway before Ceremony
4:00PM : Ceremony Start
4:30PM : Cocktail Hour & any additional photos that were not completed (this time can be used for portraits if you do not do a first look)
5:30PM : Grand Entrance
5:40PM : Dinner
6:00PM : Bride & Groom Sneak out for Sunset/Golden Hour Portraits while guests finish dinner
6:30PM : Reception Events Commence (first dances, cake cutting, games, toasts, etc.)
7:15/7:30PM : Dance the night away
I want to reiterate that wedding timelines are not a one size fits all. From first looks to sunset times they can vary! Just do what is best for you and your wedding for a stress free day!
