In my calendar, you will see a lot of wedding day reminders. As you might guess, as a photographer I end up going to a lot of weddings over the course of a calendar year. It comes with the trade. 🙂
One of the most common questions I get from brides and grooms is about the photography timeline for the wedding day. Your wedding day timeline is super important not only to your family, friends and guest, but especially for your photographer and your DJ. Be sure they have copies of your schedule no later than 30 days before the wedding. Often after receiving the timeline from my brides and grooms, I will review the schedule and offer up a few minor changes to assure the day goes as smoothly as possible.
So, where do you start? What should your wedding day photography timeline look like? How much time do I really need to spend with a bride and groom before the ceremony?
The Wedding Day
The wedding day would typically go as listed below, depending on what you want covered. Add up the times to determine how much time you might need on your wedding day. I normally recommend an 8 hour package to get everything covered. Remember you don’t need us there till the end of the reception, just until the end of your main events unless you are doing a grand exit like a sparkler exit and want that covered.
I often offer two different example timelines to my brides and grooms based on one detail. Are you doing a first look? Or saving that first look for the walk down the aisle? This tiny detail can make a difference in your schedule.
Traditional Timeline (without a First Look)
- 45-60 minutes: Bride Getting Ready (See the FAQ section below for how to pick the photography start time.)
- 30 minutes: Bride & Bridesmaids Portraits
- 20 minutes: Groom getting ready
- 30 minutes: Groom & Groomsmen Portraits
- 30-60 minutes: Ceremony
- 60 minutes cocktail hour: Family & Bridal Party Portraits, Bride & Groom Portraits
- 2 to 4 hours: Reception
Timeline With A First Look
- 45-60 minutes: Bride getting ready
- 20 minutes: Groom getting ready
- 10 Minutes: First Look
- 40 Minutes: Bride & Groom Portraits
- 30 minutes: Bridal Party
- 30-60 minutes: Ceremony
- 60 minutes cocktail hour: Family formals & Bride & Groom Portraits
- 2 to 4 hours: Reception
FAQ’s
Q. When do Melissa and team start taking photos?
A. Typically I recommend deciding on our start time in one of two ways:
1) We can start getting ready photos right after the bride finishes hair and just before she starts makeup (that way she is somewhat done before we start shooting. I recommend having your hair done before makeup). Then, presuming that you have booked us for our base package of 8 hours, go forward 8 hours and make sure that we are at the reception late enough to capture all of the events you want us to capture and about 30 minutes-or-so of open dancing. If we aren’t there late enough, you can either adjust our start time or add time to your package. Keep in mind, if you are having a grand exit (sparklers, confetti, lavender, etc.) you may want to double check that we will be there until then!
2) Start with the last event at reception plus 30 minutes of open dancing and then look back 8 hours. If our start time gives us 45+ minutes of getting ready, then you are probably good! If not, we will have to either adjust the start/end time or add time to your package.
Q. How ready should we be when you get here/what should we have ready?
A. I usually start with the bride. Typically I recommend the bride have their hair almost completed and be without make-up when we start photos. When it comes time for the groom, I recommend he already have pants and an undershirt on. (no collared shirt, tie or jacket just yet). Also, be sure that all the little details are ready to be photographed as well. This includes your dress, shoes, the rings, invitations, bouquets, and any other little detail you want us to capture on camera. This is important so that we can be sure to experience every little detail of your love story that you spent months planning and preparing for.
Q. When should we feed you?
A. Much like with the teen werewolf, making your photographer wait to eat until after midnight is a bad life decision. Wedding photography is a super active profession and by the time your reception starts, we will have hiked several miles with very heavy equipment hanging off of us the whole time. Long story short? If we do not eat, we risk passing out or even getting sick. That nice hot meal will recharge our batteries and prepare us to rock right through the rest of the evening!
Just as important is when we eat. When is the best time for us to take a few minutes to recharge? The best time is when you (the bride and groom) sit down to eat. Why? Partially because there are no other major events happening. Also, people don’t usually like to have their picture taken when they are stuffing themselves with yummy food. In fact, they aren’t the most flattering photos to edit either. If we wait to eat after the guests are served, you will be done eating and ready to move on to important moments like toasts, mingling, cake cutting and other important photography moments.
So, when possible, I highly suggest letting your caterer know that we will need to eat at the same time as you so we can schedule that into photography timeline as well. After all, we don’t want to miss anything!
So, these are my tips for planning out that wedding day photography timeline. If you are one of my clients, I am happy to review your responses to my questionnaire and give you more customized feedback. Regardless, I hope you have found these tips helpful and they can add a touch of smoothness to your wedding day schedule.
Are you a Dallas bride looking for a wedding photographer? Be sure to schedule your complimentary wedding day consultation as soon as possible!
