How to Put Together your Wedding Day Timeline
This right here is going to be a guide that will help you as my client to understand how much time you need for your specific wedding day and how my process typically works. Every photographer is different so if you are referencing this to help you plan your timeline and you are NOT one of my clients, please reach out to your own photographer / planner instead!
If you are working with a Planner they will most likely be helping you with all of the details such as the timeline and more. I love to be able to offer some insight on my specific style and how long I typically like for each event or portion of the day. I can work with whatever you’d like me to do, but if timeline recommendations are not following and we are trying to squeeze everything into a really short amount of time, I wouldn’t be responsible for missed photos due to not enough time being allotted for photos. Hopefully this makes sense!
The following are my recommendations:
Detail Shots (Depends on how many items you want photographed) : 30 minutes - 1 Hour
Final Touches of Bride Getting Ready: 30 minutes - 1 Hour (More time will feel more relaxed for you as the Bride or if you want lots of images like opening gift from your spouse, cheers with bridesmaids, bridesmaids in robes etc, this will take longer)
Groom Getting Ready: 15-30 minutes (Or if a Second Photographer is included this can happen simultaneously alongside Bride Getting Ready)
Wedding Party Formals SMALL GROUP Less than 6 people total on both sides (8 including B&G): ~ 30 minutes
Wedding Party Formals MEDIUM GROUP 6-12 people total on both sides (8-14 including B&G): ~ 45 minutes
Wedding Party Formals LARGE GROUP 12-20 people total on both sides (14-22 including B&G): ~ 1 Hour
Family Formals (Depending on Group Size): 20-40 minutes (Most people do 30 minutes)
Bride & Groom Portraits (Can be split into 2 portions such as a first look and then sunset portraits later in the evening, I usually like to do 10-15 minutes of sunset portraits and 20-30 minutes of portraits earlier in the day): 30 minutes - 1 Hour
Pre-Ceremony (Time to Photograph Ceremony Details & Guests Arriving): 30 minutes
Ceremony (This varies depending on what type of ceremony you are having, this is the standard): 30 minutes
Reception (Depending what you’d like photographed): 1-3 Hours
NOTE: If you’d like clean reception detail photographs without people in them, make sure there is time dedicated to photographing these, typically during cocktail hour while guests are enjoying a different space and after family photographs allotting 15 minutes to this. If you’d like a dedicated time frame for cocktail hour where you are also enjoying it with your guests as the Bride & Groom allot for this as well in your timeline.
Tip: Google the sunset time for your location and date to better plan your timeline! You will want to start your ceremony about 2.5 - 3.5 hours before sunset to have good ceremony light as well as reception photos that are well lit, however we LOVE a good dimly lit romantic reception with a fun late night dance party! We sure as heck know how to use our flash equipment over here at Katie Ann Photography!
For your timeline, be sure to include travel times between locations for photographer. As detailed as you can get it is amazing!
I hope this guide will be helpful for you as you put together your timeline and / or decide how many hours of coverage you’d like to book. Just remember this guide is not a one size fits all and please do customize this to your day and what YOU want as the outcome for your day as a whole and for your images. For example, for some it’s SUPER important that they get their exit captured while for another client, it may be more special to capture getting ready photos and candids with some close relations and friends. This is another thing I LOVE about capturing weddings, is that for a day I get to see through the lens of your life and what you hold dear as a human and do it justice through my humble lens.
You are now the timeline master!
As always, reach out with any questions!
XOXO,
Katie