Wedding Timeline Tips
Ideal Times for your photography
With the diversity of the cultural aspects of our weddings, it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact wedding photography timeline template. However, there are ideal time frames you should consider when planning your day. Some of these times may seem long on paper but keep in mind that 1) the day will fly by, 2) most weddings run slightly behind schedule, and 3) we’ll make these photo sessions fun, so it won’t seem like a long time.
Wedding Details : Ring , Dress, Flowers, etc
Ideal Time Allotment – 40 minutes
Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite
Advice – Having at least 40 minutes for details ensures that we have plenty of time to get that perfect photo of the dress, rings, shoes, bouquets, and the other details of the day.
Staging the wedding dress and other wedding details can take time, but as you can see from the results, it’s well worth the additional work.
Getting Ready
Example Entry with paragraph and list
Ideal Time Allotment – 60 minutes
Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite
Advice – Having an hour of preparation is ideal for our style. During this time, we are getting close ups of the makeup and hair being applied as well as the candid moments and the bridesmaids and groomsmen get ready for the day. Keep in mind that these are some of the most emotional and fun times of the day, so you don’t want to cut it short.
The lead shooter will be with the bride while the second shooter will be with the groom. While it doesn’t take guys an hour to get dressed, there are still tons of fun moments during this time between the groom and his family and friends.
Individual Portraits
Ideal Time Allotment – 25 minutes
Ideal Location – Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite, Venue Lobby, or Venue Garden
Advice – Right after prep is the best time for individual portraits of the bride and groom (separately). Besides makeup and hair being completely fresh, the day hasn’t gotten hectic yet so we can take our time and get those perfect portraits
First Look and Couples Portraits
Ideal Time Allotment – 60-90 minutes
Ideal Location – Venue Garden, Empty Venue Hallway (shaded areas with natural light)
Advice – The first look should be around 45-60 minutes. During this time, the bride and groom enjoy seeing each other for the first time on the wedding day. While the actual first look might only be 5-10 minutes, the rest of the time is spent on a few basic portraits of the bride and groom.
Ideally we are saving the bulk of the couples session for later (see the “couples session” section below). However, if there is no other time in the day, it is best to allocate another 45 minutes to an hour here so that we make sure we have enough photos of just you two.
Pre Ceremony -Wedding Party and Family
Ideal Time Allotment – 30-60 minutes
Ideal Location – Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite, Venue Garden, or Offsite
Advice – Wedding Party Photos should be around 45 minutes to 1 hour. During this time, we get a variety of shots in a variety of poses. We start off with the basic, classic photos focused on great expressions and lighting.
Then we move into a set of fun and creative shots. Finally, we know how much your wedding party means to you, so we are sure to get pictures with you and each one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen individually.
Ceremony Venue : Details
Ideal Time Allotment – 30 minutes
Ideal Location – Ceremony Site
Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Afternoon
Advice – Please allow 30 minutes for the second shooter to take pictures of the ceremony site, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area.
Before you have the guests seated, it’s important that we are there to capture the complete 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 – 30 minutes
deal Location – Ceremony Site
Advice – Formals should take around 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of your family and the number of guests.
Plan on 3 minutes per group on average. For example, if you have 10 groups, schedule in a 30 minute time slot.
Some couples have decided that they want a picture with all guests while others have decided that they only want pictures with select VIPs to save time. We recommend something in between.
We also recommend being very organized, with a list of groups and helpers from each side of the family to help round people up.
Couples Session (sunset)
Ideal Time Allotment – 1 hour-1.5 hours
Ideal Time of the Day – Late Afternoon (Sunset)
Ideal Location – Venue Garden, Beach, Hotel Lobby, Park
Advice – Couple session should be around 1 hour and should take place ideally 30 to 45 minutes before sunset. The is the best time in terms of lighting.
It also allows us to capture the awesome scenic shots with colorful skies. If your wedding is in 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 booked your venue because of the spectacular view of the ocean or the gorgeous vines in the winery, it’s essential to follow this advice in your timeline.
Reception Exit and Night Photos
Ideal Location – Reception Site
Advice – Night photos can be taken during the reception. While these shots do take at least 10-15 minutes for the photo team to setup they only take approximately 5-10 minutes to capture. Some couples will opt to simply sneak out while other couples will time these to occur before the end of night for guests ( usually around 9pm or 30 minutes after the planned orders are complete)
If you are doing an exit, be careful of the timing. There are a few options. The first option, is to set this up at the end of your night. Your second option would be to set this up at the end of night for the more conservative guests. Third option is to set this up at the end of your planned orders ( first dances, cutting the cake) and before your open dance. In this instance, your conservative guests may elect to leave after and those who would like to remain for an extended dance can.
Need Additional Help ? See Examples Below
Standard Example
First Look Example
Afternoon Church Wedding Example
