A lot of my clients are brides who’ve recently gotten engaged. By the way, congratulations.  Little known fact, I use to photograph weddings.  I thought it would be good to discuss a wedding day timeline so you kind of have an overview of how the day may go.

First things first.

I recommend having your wedding planner and your wedding photographer help refine your timeline. They will know the time they need and the small details right now, though, you just need an overview of how the day will likely go so you can start making the bigger wedding day decisions.  That’s the purpose of this blog!

Wedding Day Timeline

Let’s say your ceremony starts at 5:30 during the month of May and it’s a 30 minute ceremony.  You will plan the rest of your wedding day around that start time. This is based on 10 hour wedding day coverage for the photographer.

• 1:30 Photographer arrives
  • Hair and makeup done and the bride ready to get dressed.
  • Detail shots of the dress, shoes, rings, etc.
• 2:00 Grooms/ Groomsmen portraits and getting ready photos.
• 2:30 Bride gets dressed.
  • The bridesmaids are dressed and ready to be in the background of the photos
• 3:00 Bride and Groom wedding day gift exchange.
  • You know- when you give him that beautiful boudoir album.
• 3:30 Bridal Portraits
• 3:45 Bridesmaids Photos
• 4:00 First Look
• 4:10 Bride and Groom Photos
• 4:40-5:15 Wedding Party and Family Photos
• 5:30 Ceremony
• 6:15 Cocktail hour
• 7:00- sunset photos
• 7:15 Dinner
• 7:30 Grand entrance and First Dance
• 7:40 Welcome toasts and dinner
• 8:30 Bridal Party Toasts
• 8:45 Parent Dances
• 9:15 Cake cutting/Bouquet Toss/Garter Toss
• 9:30 Open Dance Floor
• 11:30 Grand Exit

Things to Change

Obviously, there are a lot of things that can change in the timeline.  I definitely recommend adding buffer time to be sure you don’t run late throughout the wedding day. Depending on the time of the year, you may need to adjust the time of day as far as sunset photos, and the ceremony.  All of these are things to discuss with your wedding planner and your photographer. They will help you make the best decisions to be sure your day is absolutely perfect!