WRITING FROM: GERMANY
Your Perfect Wedding Timeline
The day you’ve dreamt about is nearly here and you want everything to be just perfect! Your wedding planner will agree- the biggest component of creating a stress-free wedding day is creating a perfect wedding timeline just for you (and sticking to it!).
It’s difficult to juggle which vendors will need what amount of time. Balance that with the sunlight and best time for portraits- because if you’re here, I know you want a wedding timeline that allows me to get the best possible portraits for YOU! That means we want to take advantage of golden hour and have multiple couples portrait times throughout your wedding day.
I’m well versed in leveraging timelines to fit your needs- including getting the quality photos of you and your husband you’re so excited for!
Your Wedding Timeline With Photography In Mind
I’ve created a sample wedding timeline with a 6 p.m. ceremony time that we use as a starting point. We work together closely on what YOUR perfect timeline is depending on the season, time of your ceremony, and planned events throughout the day. Also, it’s important to note this is based on my most popular requested coverage- 8 hours.
The Timeline
2:30 – 3:15 Bridal details
3:15 – 3:45 Bridal Prep
4:00 First Look
4:15 – 4:45 Bridal Portraits
4:50 – 5:20 Bridal Party Portraits
5:30 – 6:00 Couples alone time
5:30 – 5:50 Reception details
6:00 – 6:30 Ceremony
6:40 – 7:10 Family Portraits
7:15 – 7:30 Just Married Portraits
7:30 Reception Begins!
10:30 Exit
5 Things To Remember When Planning Your Wedding Timeline
- A first look will give you exponentially more bridal photos with your man and give you a little bit of relax time just before your ceremony! Because of that (and I’m just sentimental about them) I always recommend a first look. Read the 5 reasons I know a first look is for you!
- Be aware of travel times to and from your ceremony and reception locations. Travel is worth factoring into your timeline!
- Ensure your hairstylist and makeup artists know how many bridesmaids you’re having and be sure you know their completion time. Some larger bridal parties may need several hairstylists in order to stick to the timeline you’ve planned.
- Have small buffers throughout your wedding day. Not huge, but a 5-minute break here or there can help you to take a moment to breathe, hydrate, and enjoy your day. Buffers also assist in not being as behind if some aspects of your day take a little longer than expected.
- Anything that you can prep before your wedding day, do. It will alleviate stress and busy work the morning that you should be relaxing and enjoying about to become a Mrs!
My Process With Your Wedding Timeline
It’s worth mentioning again that my sample timeline above? It’s a starting point! You, your hubby to be, your wedding planner, and I will all be working closely together to create your perfect wedding timeline! One month prior to your big day we will chat about your timeline and make any changes we need to.
And just as your wedding timeline is important for me to stay on track with photography and know where you are in your day, it’s important for you and your VIPs to know where I am! It’s a joint effort to adhere to your timeline and is beneficial for both of us to know like the back of our hands!
Can’t wait to chat about your big day and what your perfect wedding timeline will look like!
P.S. In your AYP Bridal Guide you’ll get more specifics on what each of these time chunks looks like and what you can expect during each!
WRITING FROM: GERMANY
Your Perfect Wedding Timeline
The day you’ve dreamt about is nearly here and you want everything to be just perfect! Your wedding planner will agree- the biggest component of creating a stress-free wedding day is creating a perfect wedding timeline just for you (and sticking to it!).
It’s difficult to juggle which vendors will need what amount of time. Balance that with the sunlight and best time for portraits- because if you’re here, I know you want a wedding timeline that allows me to get the best possible portraits for YOU! That means we want to take advantage of golden hour and have multiple couples portrait times throughout your wedding day.
I’m well versed in leveraging timelines to fit your needs- including getting the quality photos of you and your husband you’re so excited for!
Your Wedding Timeline With Photography In Mind
I’ve created a sample wedding timeline with a 6 p.m. ceremony time that we use as a starting point. We work together closely on what YOUR perfect timeline is depending on the season, time of your ceremony, and planned events throughout the day. Also, it’s important to note this is based on my most popular requested coverage- 8 hours.
The Timeline
2:30 – 3:15 Bridal details
3:15 – 3:45 Bridal Prep
4:00 First Look
4:15 – 4:45 Bridal Portraits
4:50 – 5:20 Bridal Party Portraits
5:30 – 6:00 Couples alone time
5:30 – 5:50 Reception details
6:00 – 6:30 Ceremony
6:40 – 7:10 Family Portraits
7:15 – 7:30 Just Married Portraits
7:30 Reception Begins!
10:30 Exit
5 Things To Remember When Planning Your Wedding Timeline
- A first look will give you exponentially more bridal photos with your man and give you a little bit of relax time just before your ceremony! Because of that (and I’m just sentimental about them) I always recommend a first look. Read the 5 reasons I know a first look is for you!
- Be aware of travel times to and from your ceremony and reception locations. Travel is worth factoring into your timeline!
- Ensure your hairstylist and makeup artists know how many bridesmaids you’re having and be sure you know their completion time. Some larger bridal parties may need several hairstylists in order to stick to the timeline you’ve planned.
- Have small buffers throughout your wedding day. Not huge, but a 5-minute break here or there can help you to take a moment to breathe, hydrate, and enjoy your day. Buffers also assist in not being as behind if some aspects of your day take a little longer than expected.
- Anything that you can prep before your wedding day, do. It will alleviate stress and busy work the morning that you should be relaxing and enjoying about to become a Mrs!
My Process With Your Wedding Timeline
It’s worth mentioning again that my sample timeline above? It’s a starting point! You, your hubby to be, your wedding planner, and I will all be working closely together to create your perfect wedding timeline! One month prior to your big day we will chat about your timeline and make any changes we need to.
And just as your wedding timeline is important for me to stay on track with photography and know where you are in your day, it’s important for you and your VIPs to know where I am! It’s a joint effort to adhere to your timeline and is beneficial for both of us to know like the back of our hands!
Can’t wait to chat about your big day and what your perfect wedding timeline will look like!
P.S. In your AYP Bridal Guide you’ll get more specifics on what each of these time chunks looks like and what you can expect during each!
#1 WeddingPhoto
you need
you won't find this on any photo lists, but you for sure want this photo!
find out the secret!
Timelines are so hard to stick to on the day but it’s a great tool to keep in mind small things like transport time form A to B and to be mindful of travelling distances! This is a great thing to have for those couples planning their big day! Great post!
This is a great blog! Those tips are very thought out and help people to be well prepared for the wedding. The last wedding I attended was most disorganized wedding ever I attended in my life. There was no communication about what to expect to do during the wedding and after the wedding. The wedding invitation didn’t mention anything about the reception. When the wedding got over, the guests were like do we have reception afterward? We had to wait for like 30 minutes to get the answer if we have the receiption or not. It was a disaster.
Oh my goodness! That sounds like a very confusing and frustrating day! Timelines and planning are so important not only for the key players in the wedding but as you mentioned the guests as well! Thank you for sharing your experience, Joshua 🙂
Timelines are SO important! I know when I got married we didn’t make enough time for photos and I so regret it :-/ Live and learn, huh? Great tips and awesome photos!
I love the timeline!! And something I want to incorporate in my “welcome” package to our couples. I also love the airy-ness of your photos. Do you shoot film?
Thank you for the kind words, Sheen! I include several timeline options in my welcome package! It’s so helpful for brides to see some options 🙂 And yes! I do shoot film (I’m hybrid!)
A wedding timeline will definitely help keep things organized. I think it’s a must for couples especially during their wedding day when it tends to go crazy.
This is SO helpful! If I weren’t a photographer, I’d have NO idea how the timeline needed to go. This is great for brides who don’t have a clue, and will help make sure you ALWAYS have the perfect timeline to work with.
Having a great timeline is so important to having a stress free wedding day. These are so really great tips to make sure that happens.
A timeline is a great thing to have for every wedding! They definitely help make the day go smoothly for the bride and groom!
Yes! And I would add that not every wedding has to be structured the same. Set the timeline as it works best for your style and desires. The wedding day goes in a flash. Great tips.
Absolutely! Each couple should set their order of events to have the wedding day flow that appeals to them most! Thanks for chiming in, Laura! As a wedding planner you definitely know best!