Creating Your Wedding Timeline
Images by DayTime Photography
Planning your wedding timeline can seem like a daunting task, but with a little preparation, you can make sure everything runs smoothly on your big day. You can start by scrolling through the different moments that traditionally happen on a wedding day to see if you want to include them in your own wedding! Once you have a general idea of what you need captured for the day, you can create a timeline that allows enough time for all the special moments you want.
This Article Will Cover:
Picture examples of different moments you may want to include in your timeline.
How much time to budget for different moments throughout the wedding, and how to prep for them.
3 FREE Wedding Timelines:
The Classic Timeline
(with no first look)The Efficient Timeline
(with a first look)The ULTIMATE Timeline
(the best timeline to maximize photography)
-Budgeting Your Time-
Below you’ll find a list of moments that typically happen in a wedding, and how long they actually take to photograph. This is for the photography aspect of weddings, so this won’t cover other vendors (like how long a makeup artist will take).
To begin, scroll through the list below and write down everything you want included in your day.
Venue & Decor
30-45 minutes
Venue & Decor shots can be done any time the room is empty, fully decorated, and with candles lit. These are typically shot during cocktail hour because that’s usually when the room is completely ready. Make sure to adjust the time to meet how much decor you have to photograph. If you have a large venue with lots of decor, give a little extra time to make sure everything can be captured beautifully. If you have a very small venue and only a few decorations, much less time will be needed.
Details & Flat Lays
20-45 minutes
It can take a while to set up a beautifully styled flat lay. For these high-quality shots, you should allow 45 minutes for all your details, including the dress & bouquet. If you only want the basic shots of your details laying where they are in the room (not styling them) it should only take about 20 minutes.
Typical detail items include:
Bride: Dress, veil, shoes, jewelry, perfume, lipstick, nail polish, bouquet, garter, vow book, invitation suite & rsvp’s, engagement & wedding ring, and any extra blooms from your florist if you have any,
Groom: Shoes, ties, cufflinks, vow book, cologne, watch, boutonniere, and most importantly, the wedding ring.
These should all be set aside for the photographer in a box to be styled. I recommend having a box for the bride and another for the groom to keep your items separated. Switch any of these items out for ones that are relevant or sentimental to you!
**If you are booking a Bridal session, this can be done prior to the wedding to save on time! .
Bride Getting Ready
20-40 minutes
Getting ready shots are great for your gallery because it’s the part of the day your spouse doesn’t get to see. Capturing the joy and anticipation in your eyes as you get ready to see each other is really special. It’s also great for some fun getting-ready shots with your bridesmaids/groomsmen. Brides tend to take a little longer to get ready than the groom, so it’s best to leave this on the higher end of the time budget as it typically takes longer than the bride anticipated.
After the bride is in her dress, typically her family and/or friends help with putting on her accessories. Make sure the bride’s mom, sisters, friends or anyone else special are in the room after she’s in her dress so they can help her with accessories. Typically grandma hands the bride her bouquet, mother puts on her veil, sister helps with her shoes, and friends can surround her to help with jewelry or other accessories.
Groom Getting Ready
10-25 minutes
The groom should already be dressed for pictures except his jacket, tie, cufflinks and watch. Those will be saved for the posed getting-ready shots. After the groom is dressed, his mother helps with his boutonnière, father straightens his tie, and his brother and/or best man should be available for a few getting-ready shots as well. Either before or after the groom is dressed, it’s always a good idea to get a few shots of him and his groomsmen lounging, taking a drink together, playing a game, sharing a prayer, or even just helping each other with their ties if you’re short on time.
Bridesmaid’s First Look
5-10 minutes
No one knows how to hype up a bride like her girls! After getting dressed the bride walks out to her bridesmaids to show off her dress, which will then segue into the bridesmaids helping the bride put on her accessories. This first look is not only fun, but it also helps the getting ready process run smoothly while keeping things picturesque
Father’s First Look
5-10 minutes
A Father’s First Look is an incredibly sweet moment in the day that you won’t want to skip on. The best part is that it typically only takes about 5-10 minutes to capture this! Right after the bride is finished getting ready, she is lead to her dad so they can have a moment before the rest of the day begins.
Bring tissues though! It’s hard to get through these with a dry eye.
Letters
10-20 minutes
This is a lovely time where you go somewhere to read letters from your soon-to-be spouse before the ceremony. You can read them together or alone, silently or out loud. Alternatively, some couples give each other a gift, hold hands, or even say a prayer or speak to each other. Taking a moment to be around each other’s energy (even if you’re hidden) can help calm your nerves before the ceremony (and make for romantic pictures, too).
Groom’s First Look
10-15 minutes
This is always one of the most tear-jerking events of the day, and one of our favorites! It’s also a great way to lead into your bridal portraits while the emotions are still high. This will also save you time after the ceremony so you can enjoy more time with your guests & reception.
*If you are someone who cries a lot, leave extra time afterwards for a quick makeup touch-up!
Individual Portraits
15-40 minutes
BRIDE
GROOM
These can be done either before the ceremony, after getting ready, or during your couple’s portraits after you’ve seen each other. Really though, the best advice is to have these done prior to the wedding day! Many brides have this session done on the same day as their hair & makeup trial. It’s also a good idea to have half of the session with the bride, and the other half with the groom (keeping you separated the whole time) so you have all of those individual shots done before the wedding day. You can even do your First Look during a Bridal Session too! This gives so much more time to get perfect portraits instead of rushing on your wedding day!
Ceremony Send-Off
10-25 minutes
Whether you use rice, bubbles, confetti, butterflies, or petals- having a send-off right after your ceremony is a really fun way to transition to the reception, and the pictures turn out great every time! It can take a moment to get all of your guests set up and ready to go, but that’s the perfect time for you and your new spouse to have some time right after the ceremony.
Confetti Tip: It looks better in the finished image to have larger pieces thrown for a send-off. If you use confetti, try to get the over-sized kind!
Bubble Tip: It’s worth spending a little extra to get a bubble machine (or two!) to make the whole send-off extra awesome. Have a couple groomsmen or the ring bearer be in charge of aiming the bubble machine at the whole scene for an interesting personal touch to the picture!
Family Portraits
20-40 minutes
Family pictures are hard to quote a time for because it’s so different for every wedding. Sometimes families are so excited to see each other that they’re not really paying attention to the photographer calling out for them, and on the other hand some families are really on it and get through portraits quickly. Use your judgement on how much time to give or take to accommodate your family dynamic. On average it takes about 30 minutes for family pictures, and that usually includes about 20-40 different groupings/images.
Couple’s Portraits
20-45 minutes
The BEST part of the day for a wedding photographer, and an absolute must for your gallery! These are the pictures that are printed, saved, and shared the most. The more time you can give to your couple’s portraits the more variety you can have. You can also break this up throughout the day instead. For example, you could do 10 minutes of portraits after the ceremony, then 10 minutes at sunset, then another 10 minutes in your get-away car or reception. I do not recommend totaling less than 25 minutes for your couple’s portraits, as this is a very important part of the day.
Bridal Party
20-60 minutes
The bridal party pictures are important as well. It’s great to have some really fun shots of you surrounded by all the friends that love and support you! For the entire bridal party (bride & groom + bridesmaids + groomsmen) it only takes about 15 minutes.
It’s also a good idea to have a session of just the groom & groomsmen, and one of just the bride & bridesmaids. If you have extra time you can even include individual shots of each bridesmaid with the bride and each groomsmen with the groom. The time frame for each of those is listed below (this is average, if you only have a few bridal party members, use less time. If you have a larger party, add more):
Whole bridal party: 15 minutes
Bride & Bridesmaids: 20 minutes + 8 minutes for individuals of each bridesmaid with the bride
Groom & Groomsmen: 20 minutes + 8 minutes for individuals of each groomsmen with the groom
Reception Posed-Candids
10-20 minutes
Don’t forget to save time for really nice shots of you enjoying your reception! While you are followed by your photographer to capture everything you do all evening, it’s great to take 5-10 minutes to make sure you’re smiling and have a good angle so you have a few moments of you enjoying your reception that are captured perfectly.
Sunset Portraits
10-20 minutes
Check what time the sun sets in your area on your wedding day- this is a shot you won’t want to miss out on! Golden hour portraits are one of the most popular shots with brides, and it makes for some of the most beautiful shots of the day too! It only takes 10-20 minutes to get nice portraits, but spending more time will give you more variety of poses and angles during this quick, magical session.
Evening Portraits
10-20 minutes
Hands-down the most romantic shots of the day. Sneak away from your reception to get some gorgeous low-light portraits with your new spouse! These only take 10-20 minutes and they just might end up being your favorites from the day.
Private Dance
5-10 minutes
After all your guests are gone (or in a secret place where your guests won’t follow), having a last dance on the empty dance floor or in an empty room is a great way to get incredible dance shots without photographers being in the way of your guests during your first dance. Alternatively, this can be done before the reception- like a practice dance! If you do this right before the guests enter the reception, the room will be all set up, decorated, and empty- the perfect setting for stunning dance shots!
Get-Away Ride Portraits
10-15 minutes
It doesn’t matter if you’re leaving in a limo, sports car, motorcycle, or horse & carriage! If you have an awesome get-away planned as a finale to your wedding day, you’ll definitely want to take a moment to get portraits! These only take 10-15 minutes and always turn out awesome.
Grand Exit
10-20 minutes
While it’s traditional to use sparklers, you can even use lanterns, glow sticks, or even cell phones! Anything that glows can be used to make a really awesome exit.
While the exit itself only takes a couple minutes, setting up the guests can sometimes take 10-20 minutes. Just make sure to have your DJ or band announce when it’s time for everyone to head outside and it should help speed things up a bit.
Photo Tip: To help give the area more sparkle (which also helps give more light for the cameras to see you), make sure to buy extra long sparklers, and give 2 sparklers per guest. The photos always look so much better with the extra sparkles, and are often better quality with the added light!
— The 3 Best —
WEDDING TIMELINES
Variations of the timelines listed below tend to run smoothly for photographers & videographers alike, which have made them our personal favorites here at DayTime Photography. Please feel free to use these and adjust them to fit your wedding day!
CLASSIC
Wedding Day Timeline
*No First Look
12:00pm - Photography arrives & shoots details
Bride’s Details Items:
-Dress
-Shoes
-Veil
-Bouquet (+ any extra flowers from your florist for your flat lay)
-Invitation Suite & RSVP
-Engagement & wedding rings
-Jewelry
-Hair Accessories
-Beauty items: Perfume, lipstick, nail polish
-Vow book
Groom’s Detail Items:
-Tie
-Shoes
-Cufflinks
-Wedding ring
-Cologne
-Vow Book
-Boutonniere
1:00pm - Bride gets dressed
1:10pm - Bridesmaids first look & finish bride’s accessories
1:20pm - Dad’s first look
1:30pm - Bride & Parents
-Bride with mom
-Bride with dad
-Bride with each sibling
-Bride with all siblings
-Bride with whole family
1:45pm - Bride & bridesmaids portraits
-Group Shots
-Individuals with bride & each bridesmaid
2:10pm - Groom gets dressed
2:20pm - Groom & Groomsmen Portraits
2:40pm - Groom & Parents, siblings, and grandparents portraits
2:45pm - Family Portraits
3:15pm - Bridal Party Portraits
-Whole party + ring bearers & flower girls for one shot
3:40pm - Prep for ceremony
4:00pm - Ceremony
4:30pm - Send-off (confetti, rice, bubble, etc)
4:45pm - Couple arrives for Cocktail Hour (one shooter captures cocktail hour while the other shoots your empty reception venue & decor before guests are welcomed in)
5:15pm - Guests invited into reception
5:30pm - Grand Entrance
5:45pm - Reception Begins (Your DJ will help you decide the timeline of events for your reception)
-Sunset portraits (10 min.)
-Posed candids of Bride & Groom enjoying the reception (10 min.)
9:30pm - Sparkler Exit
10:00pm - Photography coverage ends
EFFICIENT
Wedding Day Timeline
*With a First Look
12:00pm - Photography arrives & shoots details
Bride’s Details Items:
-Dress
-Shoes
-Veil
-Bouquet (+ any extra flowers from your florist for your flat lay)
-Invitation Suite & RSVP
-Engagement & wedding rings
-Jewelry
-Hair Accessories
-Beauty items: Perfume, lipstick, nail polish
-Vow book
Groom’s Detail Items:
-Tie
-Shoes
-Cufflinks
-Wedding ring
-Cologne
-Vow Book
-Boutonniere
1:00pm - Bride gets in dress
1:10pm - Bridesmaids first look & finish bride’s accessories
1:20pm - Dads first look
1:30pm - Groom gets dressed
1:50pm - Groom’s “First Look”
2:00pm - Bridal Portraits
-Together
-Bride alone
-Groom alone
2:45pm - Family Portraits
3:15pm - Bridal Party Portraits
-Whole party + ring bearers & flower girls for one shot
-Groom & groomsmen
-Individuals of Groom with each Groomsmen
-Bride & bridesmaids
-Individuals of Bride with each Bridesmaid
3:40pm - Prep for ceremony
4:00pm - Ceremony
4:30pm - Send-off (confetti, rice, bubble, etc)
4:45pm - Couple arrives for Cocktail Hour (one shooter captures cocktail hour while the other shoots your empty reception venue & decor before guests are welcomed in)
5:15pm - Guests invited into reception
5:30pm - Grand Entrance
5:45pm - Reception Begins (Your DJ will help you decide the timeline of events for your reception)
-Sunset portraits (10 min.)
-Posed candids of Bride & Groom enjoying the reception (10 min.)
9:30pm - Sparkler Exit
10:00pm - Photography coverage ends
When creating your timeline, it’s important to factor in travel time between locations, as well as buffer time for unexpected delays.
The DREAM Timeline
This timeline is by far the BEST way to make the most of your wedding photography. It keeps your wedding timeline relaxed and gives your photographer tons of time to get the absolute best portraits and detail shots. These pictures take up the most time on your wedding day, and they are also something that can be done prior during your Bridal Session. This timeline setup is designed to give you the best possible pictures, and the most relaxed timeline possible. It’s perfect for when you want candids of the in-between moments throughout your day, since there is more time to relax and let moments happen organically.
Images by DayTime Photography
Images by DayTime Photography
Images by DayTime Photography
Images by DayTime Photography
ULTIMATE
Bridal & Wedding Day Timeline
BRIDAL SESSION:
-Individuals of Bride
-Individuals of Groom
-First Look (optional)
-Portraits together (optional- if you choose to do these during your Bridal Session you can skip the couple’s portraits after the ceremony and only do the sunset & night portraits on your wedding day)
-Close-up shots of the wedding & engagement rings
-Flat lay & details:
Bride’s Details Items:
-Dress
-Shoes
-Veil
-Invitation Suite & RSVP
-Engagement & wedding rings
-Jewelry
-Hair Accessories
-Beauty items: Perfume, lipstick, nail polish
-Vow book
**If your bridal session is at your wedding venue, it’s a good idea to shoot the dress, shoes, and veil there as well.
Groom’s Detail Items:
-Tie
-Shoes
-Cufflinks
-Wedding ring
-Cologne
-Vow Book
WEDDING TIMELINE
(This timeline is designed to keep the bride & groom separated until the ceremony)
12:00pm - Photography arrives and shoots candids while bride/groom get ready and hang out with friends & family. Photographers can also shoot your venue & decor if it is in the same location and already set up.
1:00pm - Bride gets dressed
1:10pm - Bridesmaids first look & finish bride’s accessories
1:20pm - Dad’s first look
1:30pm - Bride & Parents
-Bride with mom
-Bride with dad
-Bride with each sibling
-Bride with all siblings
-Bride with whole family
1:45pm - Bride & bridesmaids portraits
-Group Shots
-Individuals with bride & each bridesmaid
2:10pm - Groom gets dressed
2:20pm - Groom & Groomsmen Portraits
2:40pm - Groom & Parents, siblings, and grandparents portraits
2:45pm - Family Portraits
3:15pm - Bridal Party Portraits
-Whole party + ring bearers & flower girls for one shot
-Groom & groomsmen
-Individuals of Groom with each Groomsmen
-Bride & bridesmaids
-Individuals of Bride with each Bridesmaid
3:40pm - Prep for ceremony
4:00pm - Ceremony
4:30pm - Send-off (confetti, rice, bubble, etc)
4:45pm - Couple arrives for Cocktail Hour (one shooter captures cocktail hour while the other shoots your empty reception venue & decor before guests are welcomed in)
5:15pm - Guests invited into reception
5:30pm - Grand Entrance
5:45pm - Reception Begins (Your DJ will help you decide the timeline of events for your reception)
-Sunset portraits
-Posed candids of Bride & Groom enjoying the reception
9:30pm - Sparkler Exit
10:00pm - Photography coverage ends
Remember, your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life - so make sure you leave enough time to thoroughly capture the moments you have planned. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with creating your wedding timeline, don’t hesitate to reach out for help! Your wedding planner or photographer can help you create a timeline that will make your wedding stress free, enjoyable, and still be able to capture every special moment.
If you have any more questions about creating a wedding timeline, leave your question in the comments below!
