Planning my own wedding day timeline was one of the most confusing parts of the whole wedding process. Of course, as a wedding photographer now, a lot of times I actually help my clients to build their timelines.
First of all, I usually find between 7-9 hours is enough time for full coverage of the event. I don’t typically photograph through the entire reception, since most of my clients like to get more coverage earlier in the day, when the bride and groom are getting ready. So when is a good time to end coverage? About 30 to an hour after guest dancing has started, and after all the reception events such as first dances, toasts, and cake cutting are finished.
Another question I get is when should I start coverage? I recommend having the photographer arrive as the bride is in the final stages of hair and makeup. The bridesmaids should already have their hair and makeup done and be dressed. While the bride is in those final stages, I will photograph the dress, shoes, invitations, rings, and any other details that she has in the room; I’ll then take photos of her as the makeup artist is finishing up the makeup. In my experience, most of the time when the timeline is behind, it starts in hair and makeup. Spending some time planning with your hair and makeup artist on what time everyone needs to be finished up will pay off on the wedding day! After everyone is all made up, I’ll photograph the bride getting into her dress. If there is time before the first look, I’ll take candids with the bridal party; if there is no first look, we’ll often head to the ceremony site and I’ll start taking pictures of guests arriving.
I capture the wedding day in a very photojournalistic style, but there are 3 portions of the day that need to be planned for: bride and groom portraits, bridal party photos, and family formals.
If couples opt for a first look, they see each other before the ceremony, and I am also able to take pictures of the bridal party at that time. I recommend meeting an hour and a half to two hours before the ceremony, depending on where you’ll be having your first look. Usually it’s at the site where the ceremony will be taking place, but if it’s at a different location, you should account for travel. Thirty minutes for bride and groom portraits and thirty minutes for the bridal party pictures should be reserved at a minimum. I plan on wrapping up at least a half an hour before the ceremony so the bride and groom have an opportunity to relax.
I always recommend shooting family formals immediately following the ceremony. Everyone is already on-site and it’s that much easier to get people gathered. I try to get both sides of the family finished in about a half an hour, as I know everyone is anxious to get to the reception; but of course this depends on how many formal photographs the bride and groom want captured. I’ve actually had a couple of weddings where we did all formals before the ceremony because the bride and groom wanted to attend cocktail hour, but of course this means your family needs to be on-site, dressed and organized prior to the ceremony, which can be a challenge.
If the bride and groom don’t want a first look, I will photograph some of the bridal party photos before the ceremony, although the groupings would be groom + groomsmen / bride + bridesmaids. Following the ceremony, we’d have the family formals, combined bridal party photos, and bride and groom portraits. It is VERY important with this option that you plan on having at least 1 hour of sunlight following your ceremony. I love to use flash for dramatic effect, but I prefer natural light to capture moments between the bride and groom.
You should plan for something to run behind on your wedding day! It’s inevitable, and there’s no need to worry, especially if you’ve given yourself enough buffer time. But make sure that you plan for it!
So, what the heck does this all look like?!?! Below are two sample timelines, with ceremonies starting at 5:00.
Timeline with first look
1:30: Photographer on-site with bride to photograph getting ready / second shooter with groomsmen
3:00: Bride and groom meet for first look
3:45: Bridal party photos
4:30: Travel to ceremony site / bride and groom relax before ceremony
5:00: Ceremony
5:45: Formal family photos
6:30: Reception coverage
Timeline without first look
2:00: Photographer on-site with bride to photograph getting ready / second shooter with groomsmen
3:45: Bridal party photos (bride and groom separate with their bridesmaids / groomsmen)
4:30: Travel to ceremony site / bride and groom relax before ceremony
5:00: Ceremony
5:45: Formal family photos
6:30: Combined bridal party photos
7:00: Bride and groom portraits
7:45: Reception coverage
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