Your Wedding Day Timeline
Your Wedding Day Timeline
Planning your wedding day
You said “YES” and now the wedding planning begins! When I got engaged and began the wedding planning process I was SO overwhelmed. I truly didn’t know where to begin. I knew I had to set a date, find a venue, and all the vendors to make the day absolutely perfect. Your wedding day should be a day of celebration for you, your husband, and all your family and guests. The MOST important thing to make your day run as seamless as possible is your wedding day timeline. I love working closely with my Brides in creating your timeline. So where to begin? The best place to start is the beginning! Let me walk you through some wedding day timelines examples. The first timeline is with a first look and the second is without a first look!
Example 1: Wedding Day Timeline With First Look
11:30 Hair and makeup begins, detail shots, getting ready photos
2:00 Arrive at the ceremony location
2:10 Bride into dress and finishing touches
2:30 First look with father
2:45 First look with the groom
3:00 Bridal party and bride and groom portraits
4:00 Guests start to arrive
4:30 Ceremony begins
5:00 Ceremony ends
5:10 Family portraits
5:15 Cocktail hour begins
6:00 Cocktail hour ends
6:15 Bridal party introductions
6:30 Welcome speech and blessing
6:35 Dinner begins
7:00 Toasts from best man and maid of honor
7:30 Dinner ends
7:35 Cake Cutting
7:40 First dance
7:45 Father/daughter dance
7:50 Mother/son dance
7:55 Open Dancing
8:00 Sunset Photos (Time may change pending sunset that day and on your location)
8:45 Bouquet Toss/Garter Toss
9:00 Open Dancing
10:00 Send-Off
Example 2: Wedding Day Timeline Without First Look
1:30 Hair and makeup begins, detail shots, getting ready photos
3:30 Arrive at the ceremony location
3:40 Bride into dress and finishing touches
4:00 Guests start to arrive
4:30 Ceremony begins
5:00 Ceremony ends
5:10 Family portraits
5:30 Cocktail hour begins
5:30 Bridal party portraits
5:45 Bride and groom portraits
6:30 Cocktail hour ends
6:35 Bridal party introductions
6:40 Welcome speech and blessing
6:45 Dinner begins
7:25 Toasts from best man and maid of honor
7:45 Dinner ends
7:50 Cake Cutting
7:55 First dance
8:00 Father/daughter dance
8:05 Mother/son dance
8:10 Open Dancing
8:15 Sunset Photos (Time may change pending sunset that day and on your location)
8:55 Bouquet Toss/Garter Toss
9:05 Open Dancing
10:00 Send-Off
Timeline Frequently Asked Questions:
When should my photographer arrive?
I love arriving when you are getting ready. This gives me a couple of hours to capture all of your wedding details before the ceremony. Details usually take me an hour to an hour and a half to capture completely.
How long will a receiving line take?
Receiving lines take a lot longer than you’d expect. All of your guests are SO excited to see you and love to chit chat. Receiving lines typically take 20-25 minutes pending how many guests you have.
What are sunset photos and why does the time change?
Sunset photos are during a time photographers call “golden hour.” This magical time is when the sun is just about to go down creating even, gorgeous light that I absolutely LOVE! The time varies based on time of year and weather. The way the sun sets also varies based on how many obstacles (trees, buildings, etc..) that are in the way during this time. I like to make my couples aware of sunset photos and pull you away when the sun is just perfect at your location. These take about 15-20 minutes.
Can I do family photos before the ceremony?
Absolutely! As long as everyone is ready and there before the ceremony we most definitively can. In my experience, there’s always that Aunt or Sister that is running late. These tend to happen best after the ceremony when everyone is there!
When do guests arrive?
Guests tend to arrive 20-30 minutes before the ceremony starts. I found that just providing the time of the ceremony start is best so guests don’t arrive too early!
Do I need to have a first look?
A first look is completely up to you! Some brides like to see their groom before the ceremony and some like to surprise them as they walk down the aisle. It is completely up to what you want!
Why do details take so long?
Your wedding details are the tiny accessories that make your wedding day so special. These accessories take me a while to photograph and style. You also wear these details, such as the rings, dress, shoes, to name a few! In order to give you plenty of time to get ready, I need an hour to an hour and a half to photograph everything. You should plan for this time when you have me arrive!
Why do you give “wedding day homework?”
I give my brides “wedding day homework” the week of there wedding. I have my brides prepare all of their wedding details in one place so when I arrive everything is together and ready for me to photograph. This makes the details run so much faster since everything is together!
Will you help me customize my wedding timeline?
Absolutely!! This is one of my favorite things to do with my brides. Every timeline is different and every wedding is different. I love working with you to find the best flow for your day!
Planning your wedding day
You said “YES” and now the wedding planning begins! When I got engaged and began the wedding planning process I was SO overwhelmed. I truly didn’t know where to begin. I knew I had to set a date, find a venue, and all the vendors to make the day absolutely perfect. Your wedding day should be a day of celebration for you, your husband, and all your family and guests. The MOST important thing to make your day run as seamless as possible is your wedding day timeline. I love working closely with my Brides in creating your timeline. So where to begin? The best place to start is the beginning! Let me walk you through some wedding day timelines examples. The first timeline is with a first look and the second is without a first look!
Example 1: Wedding Day Timeline With First Look
11:30 Hair and makeup begins, detail shots, getting ready photos
2:00 Arrive at the ceremony location
2:10 Bride into dress and finishing touches
2:30 First look with father
2:45 First look with the groom
3:00 Bridal party and bride and groom portraits
4:00 Guests start to arrive
4:30 Ceremony begins
5:00 Ceremony ends
5:10 Family portraits
5:15 Cocktail hour begins
6:00 Cocktail hour ends
6:15 Bridal party introductions
6:30 Welcome speech and blessing
6:35 Dinner begins
7:00 Toasts from best man and maid of honor
7:30 Dinner ends
7:35 Cake Cutting
7:40 First dance
7:45 Father/daughter dance
7:50 Mother/son dance
7:55 Open Dancing
8:00 Sunset Photos (Time may change pending sunset that day and on your location)
8:45 Bouquet Toss/Garter Toss
9:00 Open Dancing
10:00 Send-Off
Example 2: Wedding Day Timeline Without First Look
1:30 Hair and makeup begins, detail shots, getting ready photos
3:30 Arrive at the ceremony location
3:40 Bride into dress and finishing touches
4:00 Guests start to arrive
4:30 Ceremony begins
5:00 Ceremony ends
5:10 Family portraits
5:30 Cocktail hour begins
5:30 Bridal party portraits
5:45 Bride and groom portraits
6:30 Cocktail hour ends
6:35 Bridal party introductions
6:40 Welcome speech and blessing
6:45 Dinner begins
7:25 Toasts from best man and maid of honor
7:45 Dinner ends
7:50 Cake Cutting
7:55 First dance
8:00 Father/daughter dance
8:05 Mother/son dance
8:10 Open Dancing
8:15 Sunset Photos (Time may change pending sunset that day and on your location)
8:55 Bouquet Toss/Garter Toss
9:05 Open Dancing
10:00 Send-Off
Timeline Frequently Asked Questions:
When should my photographer arrive?
I love arriving when you are getting ready. This gives me a couple of hours to capture all of your wedding details before the ceremony. Details usually take me an hour to an hour and a half to capture completely.
How long will a receiving line take?
Receiving lines take a lot longer than you’d expect. All of your guests are SO excited to see you and love to chit chat. Receiving lines typically take 20-25 minutes pending how many guests you have.
What are sunset photos and why does the time change?
Sunset photos are during a time photographers call “golden hour.” This magical time is when the sun is just about to go down creating even, gorgeous light that I absolutely LOVE! The time varies based on time of year and weather. The way the sun sets also varies based on how many obstacles (trees, buildings, etc..) that are in the way during this time. I like to make my couples aware of sunset photos and pull you away when the sun is just perfect at your location. These take about 15-20 minutes.
Can I do family photos before the ceremony?
Absolutely! As long as everyone is ready and there before the ceremony we most definitively can. In my experience, there’s always that Aunt or Sister that is running late. These tend to happen best after the ceremony when everyone is there!
When do guests arrive?
Guests tend to arrive 20-30 minutes before the ceremony starts. I found that just providing the time of the ceremony start is best so guests don’t arrive too early!
Do I need to have a first look?
A first look is completely up to you! Some brides like to see their groom before the ceremony and some like to surprise them as they walk down the aisle. It is completely up to what you want!
Why do details take so long?
Your wedding details are the tiny accessories that make your wedding day so special. These accessories take me a while to photograph and style. You also wear these details, such as the rings, dress, shoes, to name a few! In order to give you plenty of time to get ready, I need an hour to an hour and a half to photograph everything. You should plan for this time when you have me arrive!
Why do you give “wedding day homework?”
I give my brides “wedding day homework” the week of there wedding. I have my brides prepare all of their wedding details in one place so when I arrive everything is together and ready for me to photograph. This makes the details run so much faster since everything is together!
Will you help me customize my wedding timeline?
Absolutely!! This is one of my favorite things to do with my brides. Every timeline is different and every wedding is different. I love working with you to find the best flow for your day!
