If you are in the midst of planning a wedding, I’m sure you have been asked about your wedding day timeline. I’m also sure that you haven’t been looking forward to sitting down and putting a timeline together (because who is honestly!?). It’s definitely not as fun as cake testing or trying on wedding dresses. BUT I promise that putting together a detailed timeline for your vendors – and specifically your photographer– is going to remove SO MUCH stress from your wedding day.
This guide was created to help you put together the perfect timeline for your wedding day. It includes a breakdown of everything that goes into a wedding day, how long each part of the day takes, and how to make your day run as smooth as possible. At the end of this guide, you will also find some sample timelines for those of you that dont even know where to start. My hope is that after reading this guide you’ll be able to put together a flawless wedding day timeline with ease.
If you are in the midst of planning a wedding, I’m sure you have been asked about your wedding day timeline. I’m also sure that you haven’t been looking forward to sitting down and putting a timeline together (because who is honestly!?). It’s definitely not as fun as cake testing or trying on wedding dresses, BUT I promise that putting together a detailed timeline for your vendors – and specifically your photographer– is going to remove SO MUCH stress from your wedding day.
This guide was created to help you put together the perfect timeline for your wedding day. It includes a breakdown of everything that goes into a wedding day, how long each part of the day takes, and how to make your day run as smooth as possible. At the end of this guide, you will also find some sample timelines for those of you that dont even know where to start. My hope is that after reading this guide you’ll be able to put together a flawless wedding day timeline with ease.
STEP 1 – Think about key events on your wedding day
The best way to plan your wedding day is to start with the least flexible events and work backwards. Things like sunset photos, dinner hours and your ceremony time are pretty set in stone, so mark those things in your day first and build around them! Below is a list of all the key events in a typical wedding day. You will also see how much time each activity typically takes. Use this list to help you know how much time you should set aside for each event.
Ceremony: 30min – 1 hour
Depending on what kind of ceremony you are going to have the time will differ! Talk to your officiant or pastor about what a typical ceremony length is!
Sunset portraits: 20 minutes
Check the time that the sun sets in your area on your wedding day to figure out where this fits on your timeline. This website will help you determine sunset times in your area on your wedding date!
Dinner: 1 – 1.5 hours
This depends on how many guests you have and what kind of food will be served. Ask your caterer how long dinner should take for your specific day!
Last Dance/Formal Exit: 15 min
STEP 2 – Think about photo ops
After marking down the things that are set in stone, take some time to think about what photos are the most important to you and prioritize them in your day/ put them on your timeline. This will confirm that you will have the time to capture all your special memories, and your photographer will love you for it! Below you will find a breakdown of different photo opportunities, how long each typically takes, and when the best time might be for it.
DETAIL PHOTOS
The best time for your photographer to take detail photos is at the beginning of the day. An hour before you really expect any pictures to be taken of you or your fiancé is the best time to aim for. This time will give your photographer a chance to set up their equipment, scout out your venue, and find the best places for photos to be taken later in the day. They will also be able to take all the detail pictures you might want without having to worry about people/guests interfering. It will also be the best time for your photographer to snag all the important details of your day before you need them! Below is a short list of some of the detail photos that you might want your photographer to take:
- Stationery/invites
- Wedding rings and bands
- Flowers
- Shoes
- Dress hanging up
- Jewelry
- Table settings
- Any other decorations
A good tip for detail photos is to have your mom or one of your bridesmaids be in charge of putting together a “detail box” and getting it to your photographer. This box should contain your wedding rings/wedding bands, invitations, shoes, perfume bottles, and anything else you might possibly want photos of!
This time is flexible and different for every photographer. I personally can knock out detail and venue photos in 30 – 45 minutes. Ask your photographer how much time they need for these photos.
GETTING READY PHOTOS
Once you know what time your ceremony is, you will be able to work backwards to figure out how much time you are need to get ready. I typically arrive in the brides room 30 minutes before she is ready to put her dress on. This eliminates me being in the way while curling irons are hot and your bridesmaids are passing around opened mascara.
Below is how your getting ready photos will typically break down.
- General candids (of the room and everyone getting ready): 10 – 15 min
- Bridesmaids together in robes: 5 min
- Bride adding finishing touches (putting on jewelry, shoes, mascara): 15 min
- Bride putting on dress: 5 minutes
TOTAL: 40 minutes
If you have two photographers, the boys and girls getting ready photos will be taken at the same time. If not, I recommend adding around 20 minutes in your photographer’s schedule. That way they can take getting ready photos of the groom! (Boys don’t require a lot of time for getting ready photos.)
You will need to get with your hair and makeup vendors to see how much time you should allow for you and each bridesmaid to get all glammed up. In my experience, you should allow an hour for each bridesmaid to get hair and makeup done. (This is not an exact science and differs between each stylist.)
BRIDAL PARTY PHOTOS
Bridal party photos are exactly what they sound like. Pictures of you and your girl gang, and your fiancé and his boys. I like to do these pictures before the ceremony, just because it is one less thing to worry about before your reception. Your photographer will typically take a photo with you and each of your bridesmaids and then a few group shots. Same goes for the boys.
If you do a first look, bridal party photos will be after the first look so you and bae can take group pictures with the whole bridal party at the same time. Depending on how many bridesmaids and groomsmen you two have, this will take between 15 and 40 minutes. 5 minutes for each bridesmaid is a good rule of thumb. So if you have 3 bridesmaids, it would take 15 minutes!
Also, if you don’t have a first look, you will want to give yourself about 20 – 30 minutes after the ceremony to take bridal party photos.
FIRST LOOK
Possibly my favorite photos of all time are capturing a first look. BUT I in no way want to talk you into doing this! It makes for some sweet emotional photos, but it isn’t the traditional approach. If you are someone that has always dreamed of a traditional church wedding DON’T do a first look just for the pictures! (More on this in a later post).
A first look doesn’t take very long but your photographer will need a second to help you set the scene! Typically I bring in the Groom first, and have him stand wherever the best lighting will be for the photos, then I’ll have your Maid of Honor or mom grab you and bring you into the room. Then I let the magic happen and capture it! In total, I suggest setting aside at least 20 minutes for the whole “first look” to take place.
CEREMONY PICTURES
These are the special photos. The ones that really really mean something. They document what your wedding day is all about, and in my opinion, these are the photos that you are going to cherish for years to come.
What time your ceremony is at is really up to you! I will suggest, if you want to have an outdoor ceremony, don’t do it close to the middle of the day! This is when the light is the harshest, and your photos will have a lot of severe shadows. Starting around 2 hours before sunset is ideal. Another option is to make sure you and your babe are in the shade! This saves you all from sunburn and harsh shadows in your pictures!
BRIDE AND GROOM PORTRAITS
This is the time for you to get those “Pinterest worthy” shots of you and your babe. Some people like to do these right after the ceremony. Others like to do these a little later in the day, closer to sunset. There are some pros for each, and it really just depends what you want to do and what can fit into your day!
Capturing these images right after your ceremony is good because you can knock it out and just enjoy your reception without worrying about having to leave the party to take pictures.
Doing your portraits later in the evening is good because it gives you and your now husband time to get away from the craziness of talking to relatives and entertaining guests to relax and be together! This time also makes for some really beautiful sunset photos with great lighting!
TIP: Talk to your photographer about what time of day they like to shoot. Most photographers prefer the lighting at a certain time of day, but they won’t tell you that unless you ask! Me? I like doing sunset photos, but to each their own!
These photos can be done in 15 minutes. But, if time allows I always suggest giving your photographer at least 20 minutes so no one feels rushed!
FAMILY FORMAL PICTURES
Family formal photos are typically taken right after the ceremony while the rest of your guests are having a cocktail hour. The time for these photos really depends on the size of your family. I always suggest giving your photographer a full hour for these photos just because organizing large groups of people takes time. There’s a good chance you will be done with these in 30 minutes or less, but giving yourself an hour is always safe.
RECEPTION
Your reception will last anywhere from 2 – 5 hours just depending on what you envision for your day! This is the time that you’re going to get the pictures of your college roommates bad dance moves and your friends and family celebrating you! My biggest advice for your reception is to enjoy it! This is the time to stop thinking about anything and celebrate your marriage. Your photographer will capture all the big moments, so you will have nothing to worry about.
LAST DANCE/FORMAL EXIT
When the night is over, the drinks have been served, and you and your babe are tired. These will be the last photos of the night, so it’s pretty obvious where these will fall on your timeline.
Your last dance will take no longer than 5 minutes and your exit will be about the same. I always say to give yourself 20 minutes for both of these things just to get your guests organized and the sparklers lit.
STEP 3 – Fill in the gaps
After you have the bulk of your wedding day timeline built, you will want to go through and schedule some of the smaller events. I have a list of some of the common wedding traditions that you might put on your timeline!
- First dance
- Father daughter dance
- Mother son dance
- Bouquet toss
- Garter toss
- Cake cutting
- Anniversary dance
There might be some other stuff you have planned for your wedding day, but these are just a few! The main person that is going to need this portion of your timeline is your DJ and your day of coordinator if you have one.
And that’s about it! It’s a lot to think about, but it’s better to think about these things now rather than on your wedding day! I have attached a PDF of some example timelines for you guys to look at if you still need some help building your own wedding day timeline!
If you have any questions or need help with this part of your wedding day, feel free to reach out! And as always if you are still in search of a wedding photographer, that’s what i’m here for! You can contact me on my contact page or through my email which you can find on the footer of any page on this website!
Wedding Day Timeline Examples
