You’ve just said “yes” to that gorgeous ring, and now you’re diving into the world of wedding planning. Navigating the timeline can be a bit tricky, especially if event coordination isn’t your usual gig. And usually, you haven’t even planned a wedding before – so how should you know how long it should take for cocktail hour or what part of the day is best for taking photos? I’m here to sprinkle some magic on your wedding planning journey with 5 game-changing tips. Ready for the scoop? Let’s drive to these 5 must-know tips for a seamless wedding day timeline.
Wedding Planning and Timelines
1. Create a Buffer
Here’s one thing I can tell you after photographing a whole lot of weddings: something will run behind.
Maybe hair and makeup takes longer than expected. Someone can’t find their shoes. A family member is late. Traffic decides to be traffic. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything has gone wrong. It just means it’s a wedding day.
This is exactly why I always recommend building some breathing room into your timeline.
I don’t want us taking your last few portraits while guests are already pulling into the parking lot. And I definitely don’t want you wandering around where everyone can catch a glimpse of the dress you’ve been trying to keep a surprise.
Ideally, we finish those pre-ceremony photos with enough time for you to tuck yourself away before guests start arriving.
Then you can grab some water, have a drink, say a prayer with your bridesmaids, fix your lipstick, sit quietly for five minutes, or just have a second to think, Holy crap, I’m about to get married.
Whatever you need.
That little bit of extra time on the timeline might not seem important while you’re planning everything, but on the wedding day? You’ll be very glad it’s there.
2. Your Ceremony Start Time Determines A LOT
Your ceremony time is one of those decisions that seems pretty simple until you realize it affects almost everything else on your wedding day.
It determines when you need to start getting ready, when we can take portraits, how much daylight we have to work with, whether a first look makes sense, and how many hours of photography coverage you’ll realistically need.
And one of the biggest things I’m thinking about is light.
If you want those warm, glowy outdoor portraits, we need to pay attention to when the sun is setting on your wedding date. In general, I love when ceremonies begin about one to two hours before sunset because it gives us some really beautiful light to work with afterward.
But that isn’t a hard-and-fast rule.
If you’re planning a ceremony closer to sunset, for example, we may want to do a first look and knock out most of your portraits beforehand. Otherwise, we’re going to be racing the sun after the ceremony, and nobody needs that kind of cardio on their wedding day.
Your ceremony time can also affect your photography coverage. A 4:00 p.m. ceremony followed by a reception that goes late into the night is a very different timeline from a morning or early afternoon wedding.
So before you pick a ceremony time simply because 4:30 sounds good, look at the whole day. A little planning here can make everything else flow so much better.
3. Consider a First Look
Which brings me to the first look.
I know some couples are immediately on board with this, and others have dreamed about seeing each other for the first time while walking down the aisle. There really isn’t a right or wrong answer here.
But there are some pretty great benefits to doing a first look.
First, it gives the two of you a few minutes together before the craziness of the day really takes off. Wedding days are full of people. Your wedding party, your families, your vendors, your guests…everyone wants a little piece of you.
A first look can be one of the only times during the day when it’s really just the two of you.
And from a timeline standpoint, it can be incredibly helpful.
We can usually do your first look, couple portraits, wedding party photos, and sometimes even family photos before the ceremony. That means after you say “I do,” there are fewer photos standing between you and cocktail hour.
More importantly, we aren’t trying to cram every single portrait into one tiny window after the ceremony.
So no, a first look isn’t just about getting pretty photos. It can give your entire wedding day a little more breathing room.
And I am always a fan of breathing room.
4. Have a Family Photo Game Plan
Family photos are important.
They can also turn into complete chaos surprisingly fast if nobody knows they’re supposed to be in them.
Usually, we’ll take family photos immediately after the ceremony. The problem is that Uncle Bob has already found the bar, your brother disappeared to the bathroom, and Grandma thinks she’s supposed to head straight to cocktail hour.
This is why I recommend letting everyone on your family photo list know before the wedding day exactly when and where they need to be.
Please do not make us play hide-and-seek with Aunt Sally.
The other thing I recommend is keeping your formal family photo list focused on the people who matter most. Think immediate family, grandparents, and the VIPs you absolutely want photographed formally.
We can grab photos with extended family and friends throughout the reception.
Because here’s what happens when that family photo list gets really long: every combination takes time. And that time usually has to come from somewhere else, which often means less time for portraits of the two of you.
And I don’t want that.
Give me your must-have people, make sure they know where to be, and we can move through family photos quickly and painlessly so everyone can get to the important stuff.
Like food.
5. Hire a Planner and Give Everyone the Timeline
If your budget allows for a wedding planner or coordinator, I highly recommend having one.
Even if you are the most organized, spreadsheet-loving, Type A bride on the planet, there is one very important difference on your wedding day:
You’re supposed to be getting married. Not managing it.
You should not be answering phone calls because a vendor needs directions. Your mom shouldn’t be trying to figure out where the cake goes. Your Maid of Honor shouldn’t suddenly become an unpaid event coordinator when she’s supposed to be standing next to you with a mimosa.
That’s where a good wedding planner is worth their weight in gold.
They’re keeping track of vendors, timing, setup, little fires that need putting out, and about a hundred other things you hopefully never even hear about.
And while your other wedding vendors can absolutely help along the way, we each have our own jobs to do. I’m always happy to help with photography timeline advice and tell you how much time I recommend for photos, but I’m not your wedding coordinator.
Once that timeline is finished, share it with everybody who needs it.
Your vendors. Your wedding party. Your family. Anyone who needs to know where they’re supposed to be and when they’re supposed to be there.
Include addresses, phone numbers, arrival times, and anything else people might suddenly decide they need to ask you at the worst possible moment.
Because on your wedding day, I want you to do something wild:
Put your phone down.
Let your planner, coordinator, Maid of Honor, or another designated person handle the questions.
You spent months planning this day. When it finally gets here, your only job should be to actually enjoy it.