Wedding Day Timeline and Tips

Timelines below are a general guide based on an 8-hour day with a ceremony start time of 5:00pm. These timelines assume that everything takes place in the same location, which is not often the case for weddings. In your timeline, make sure to include extra time for travel between locations.

Getting Ready  |  1.5 hours

I always suggest to give us plenty of time here versus late night at the reception.  We typically arrive when makeup is being finalized. Makeup/Hair running late is often when the timeline can get thrown off so make sure to leave some buffer room for everyone's makeup and hair to be finished on time.

Hair, Makeup and Candids

This is your down time with your wedding party. The anticipation is often at it’s peak but try to have fun! Pick a room with plenty of windows and space, as natural light is key for beautiful photos. Also try your best to somewhat organize the room prior to us arriving.

The Details

You've spent a lot of energy picking out all the little details and designing your invitation - they should be captured in a beautifully composed way!

Tip: have the details in one location ready to be photographed. These include the dress, shoes, rings (wedding bands and engagement ring), other jewelry, veil, hair pieces, perfume, and invitations. 

Getting ready Portraits

These include getting into the dress/suit, family and friends helping get ready and also solo portraits.

First Look and Creatives | 1.5-2 hours

I highly encourage first looks for all couples who have only 1 hour in between their ceremony and reception. It allows you to have that special moment together without a crowd watching. It also helps to de-stress the day when we can get all your most important photos completed prior to the ceremony, allowing you to enjoy your cocktail hour. Creativity takes time and so does organizing large groups of people!

The exception is if there is a gap in between the ceremony and reception, which typically happens when they are not at the same location or with an extended cocktail hour.

First Look | 15 minutes

This is an intimate moment to be shared by just the couple. We love capturing the emotion between the couple during this time.

Couple Portraits | 30-45 minutes

This usually happens immediately after the first look and is our absolute favorite part of the day. We like to keep it natural and fun instead of meticulously posing you.

Wedding Party Portraits | 20 minutes

We will help set up these poses and take a few formal and a few fun photos with you and your best friends.

B&G + Full Wedding Party
B + Bridesmaids
B + Each Bridesmaid
G + Groomsmen
G + Each Groomsman

Family Portraits | 30 minutes

This is the time when we make sure that everyone is looking their best. Jackets are to be buttoned, phones out of front pockets and bouquets are in hand. We help arrange groupings but do request that you provide a shot list. Below is an example list of typical groupings. Feel free to add or subtract as needed!

B + Mom (Susan)
B + Dad (Bob)
B + B Parents
B + B Siblings (Alex, Dave)
B + B Parents, Siblings
B&G + B Parents
B&G + B Parents, Siblings

B&G + Both sets of Parents
B&G + Both Families

G + Mom (Loretta)
G + Dad (Henry)
G + G Parents
G + G Siblings (Victoria, Sasha, Julia)
G + G Parents, Siblings
B&G + G Parents
B&G + G Parents, Siblings

Pre-Ceremony | 30 minutes

We set aside 30 minutes for you to freshen up and hydrate before walking down the aisle. The rest of the day and night will fly once the ceremony begins! We use this time to photograph the ceremony space and get set up.

Ceremony | 20 minutes-1 hour

You will be in the moment and we will worry about the rest. When the wedding party is walking down the aisle, 1 person (or 2 if we're doing video) will be standing in the front capturing those moments while the others will be in the back. When the bride has walked down we will exit along the sides so as not to distract during the ceremony. 

Cocktail | 1 hour

If you would like any extended family photos taken, this is the time to complete those. Please make sure to let your family know that they are needed for photos immediately after the ceremony. Once those are complete, you can go and enjoy your cocktail hour. This is your time to be present with your family and friends without any formal programming. Eat the food, drink the drinks and enjoy! We will be capturing candids of people laughing as well as asking for some informal group shots.

Reception Details | 15 minutes

When one of us is getting the family portraits, the other will be capturing all the details of the reception hall before the guests enter. We love having the time to get those gorgeous table settings and name cards before they've been touched. We also are setting up our lighting as well as connecting to the DJ or band’s sound system to capture the speeches, if we’re doing video.

Reception

Introductions, first dance, toasts, dinner, cake cutting, etc.

Every reception timeline is different and is typically worked out with your venue, caterer and DJ/Band. We just like to know the details and have the planner or coordinator let us know before a major event is happening. Here we're capturing candid coverage and will let the night play out.

Sunset Shots | 10 minutes

If there's an epic sunset then we want to capture it! Nothing beats that golden hour glow and we often step out for a short time to capture some beautiful shots.

Dancing | 1 Hour

Whip out the dancing shoes and get the party started! We typically dip out about 1 hour after dancing has begun. There are only so many blackmail photos you need of your family and friends getting down on the dance floor.

Special Exit

Did somebody say sparklers, antique cars and fireworks? If you're having a special exit, we absolutely want to be there for it. Sometimes that means extending our coverage or adjusting the timeline to fit.