Photographing the right things at the right time with ENOUGH time is so important on your wedding day. In fact, it could hinder and cause more stress on your wedding day. So what are the right things to capture at the right moment? And what do I mean by enough time? Great question! To simplify these for you I’ve created the 4 proven stress-free timelines for your wedding. In fact, these timelines work so well and I encourage you to share this with your wedding planner and venue coordinator.
4 Stress-Free Timelines for your Wedding day
The 4 timelines are as follows: One Location with First Look, One location without First Look, Two locations with First Look and Two locations without First Look. Simply plan your whole wedding with these timeframes in mind and you’ll be all set. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
One Location + First Look (8 hours coverage)
Carl’s note: From doing numerous weddings, this is the most ideal timeline. Note that all the most important photos such as Bride & Groom Portraits, Full Bridal Party photos as well as Immediate Family photos are all done before the ceremony. This allows you to have plenty of time after the ceremony to enjoy spending time with guests and just focus on having fun.
1:15 – 2:00 Carl Photographs Bride’s Details, 2nd Photographer Photographs Final Touches of Hair & Makeup
2:00 – 2:45 Carl Photographs Bride Getting Into Dress, 2nd Photographer Photographs Groom & Groomsmen Getting on Ties & Coats
2:45 – 3:00 Walk to First Look
3:00 – 3:15 First Look
3:15 – 3:45 Bride & Groom Portraits, Bride & Groom Individuals
3:45 – 4:00 Bride with Bridesmaids
4:00 – 4:15 Full Bridal Party
4:15 – 4:30 Groom with Groomsmen
4:30 – 5:00 Immediate Family Photos
5:00 – 5:30 Bride & Groom Hide, Rest & Retouch, Haniel & 2nd Photographer Photograph Ceremony Decor
5:30 – 6:00 Wedding Ceremony
6:00 – 6:30 Husband & Wife Sunset Portraits
6:30 – 7:00 Bride & Groom Join Cocktail Hour, Haniel & 2nd Photographer Photograph Guests & Reception Decor
7:00 Sunset
7:00 – 7:15 Guests Seated & Grand Entrances
7:15 – 9:15 Carl & 2nd Photographer at Reception
Two Locations + First Look (9 Hours Coverage)
Carl’s note: When going to another location, I add 30 minutes of drive time and 30 minutes to the end of the reception for a total of 9 hours of coverage on the wedding day. If this is not in your budget, or if the second location is close by then we can take a bit of time off the reception and keep it 8 hours coverage.
Getting Ready Location
12:45 – 1:30 Carl Photographs Bride’s Details, 2nd Photographer Photographs Final Touches of Hair & Makeup
1:30 – 2:15 Carl Photographs Bride Getting Into Dress, 2nd Photographer Photographs Groom & Groomsmen Getting on Ties & Coats, etc.
2:15 – 2:45 Drive to First Look Location, Ceremony & Reception Location
2:45 – 3:00 Walk to First Look
3:00 – 3:15 First Look
3:15 – 3:45 Bride & Groom Photos, Bride & Groom Individuals
3:45 – 4:00 Bride with Bridesmaids
4:00 – 4:15 Full Bridal Party
4:15 – 4:30 Groom with Groomsmen
4:30 – 5:00 Immediate Family Photos
5:00 – 5:30 Bride & Groom Hide, Rest & Retouch, Haniel & 2nd Photographer Photograph Ceremony Decor
5:30 – 6:00 Wedding Ceremony
6:00 – 6:30 Husband & Wife Sunset Portraits
6:30 – 7:00 Bride & Groom Join Cocktail Hour, Haniel & 2nd Photographer Photograph Guests & Reception Decor
7:00 Sunset
7:00 – 7:15 Guests Seated & Grand Entrances
7:15 – 9:45 Carl & 2nd Photographer at Reception
One Location + No First Look (8 Hours Coverage)
Carl’s note: When you decided not to do a first look, I highly recommend we do as many photos as we can BEFORE the ceremony. I also recommend having a longer cocktail hour (such as 1.5 hours to 2 hours) so we can have plenty of time for full bridal party photos, immediate family photos, husband and wife portraits as well as any reception detail photos.
1:45 – 2:30 Carl Photographs Bride’s Details, 2nd Photographer Photographs Final Touches of Hair & Makeup
2:30 – 3:15 Carl Photographs Bride Getting Into Dress, 2nd Photographer Photographs Groom & Groomsmen Getting on Ties & Coats, etc.
3:15 – 3:30 Bride Portraits
3:30 – 3:45 Bride with Bridesmaids
3:45 – 4:00 Bride with Her Family
4:00 – 4:15 Groom Individuals, Groom with Groomsmen
4:15 – 4:30 Groom with His Family
4:30 – 5:00 Bride & Groom Hide, Rest & Retouch, Haniel & 2nd Photographer Photograph Ceremony Decor
5:00 – 5:30 Wedding Ceremony
5:30 – 5:45 Full Bridal Party
5:45 – 6:00 Immediate Family Portraits with Bride & Groom
6:00 – 6:30 Husband & Wife Sunset Portraits
6:30 – 7:00 Bride & Groom Join Cocktail Hour, Haniel & 2nd Photographer Photograph Guests & Reception Decor
7:00 Sunset
7:00 – 7:15 Guests Seated & Grand Entrances
7:15 – 9:45 Carl & 2nd Photographer at Reception
Two Locations + No First Look (9 Hours coverage)
Carl’s note: Similar to above, when you decided not to do a first look, I highly recommend we do as many photos as we can BEFORE the ceremony. I also recommend having a longer cocktail hour (such as 1.5 hours to 2 hours) so we can have plenty of time for full bridal party photos, immediate family photos, husband and wife portraits as well as any reception detail photos. When going to another location, I add 30 minutes of drive time and 30 minutes to the end of the reception for a total of 9 hours of coverage on the wedding day. If this is not in your budget or if the second location is close by then we can take a bit of time off the reception and keep it 8 hours coverage. But keep in mind we need to be very efficient so it’s best if you have a wedding planner to plan out all the logistics for you in advance.
Getting Ready Location
1:15 – 2:00 Carl Photographs Bride’s Details, 2nd Photographer Photographs Final Touches of Hair & Makeup
2:00 – 2:45 Carl Photographs Bride Getting Into Dress, 2nd Photographer Photographs Groom & Groomsmen Getting on Ties & Coats, etc.
2:45 – 3:15 Drive to Ceremony & Reception Location, Ceremony & Reception Location
3:15 – 3:30 Bride Portraits
3:30 – 3:45 Bride with Bridesmaids
3:45 – 4:00 Bride with Her Family
4:00 – 4:15 Groom Individuals Groom with Groomsmen
4:15 – 4:30 Groom with His Family
4:30 – 5:00 Bride & Groom Hide, Rest & Retouch, Haniel & 2nd Photographer Photograph Ceremony Decor
5:00 – 5:30 Wedding Ceremony
5:30 – 5:45 Full Bridal Party
5:45 – 6:00 Immediate Family Portraits with Bride & Groom
6:00 – 6:30 Husband & Wife Sunset Portraits
6:30 – 7:00 Bride & Groom Join Cocktail Hour, Haniel & 2nd Photographer Photograph Guests & Reception Decor
7:00 Sunset
7:00 – 7:15 Guests Seated & Grand Entrances
7:15 – 10:15 Carl & 2nd Photographer at Reception
And now, a few tips on how to get this all to go smoothly:
Invite Time vs. Start Time
The “invite” time is the time on your invitation. The earliest guests will show up about half an hour before this, so be prepared for that. And then there are the late guests. No matter the size of your guest list, you can put money on the fact that ten of them will be around ten minutes late, even if they’re all staying down the street from the venue.
Do yourself a favor and plan on starting the ceremony fifteen minutes after your invite time. There is nothing more awkward than a late arrival standing at the back of the aisle because the bridesmaids are walking down. In fact, a site coordinator should not allow anyone to walk into the ceremony while the processional is in process. And no one should be out of seats or standing at the rear of the ceremony as it becomes very distracting in photos.
Food Timing
Timing for dinner depends largely on 1) what type of food service you are having (the most common options being a buffet, family-style, and plated) and 2) how large your guest list is. It takes about twenty minutes for one hundred guests to get through a buffet. Plated courses are usually spaced about forty-five minutes apart. And family style also takes about fifteen-twenty minutes for one hundred guests to be served.
Plan accordingly—I highly suggest starting with a minimum of bread on the table to give guests something to snack on while they wait for their turn at the food, although plated salads are also a great way to start out an otherwise buffet meal for the same reason. And of course, always discuss timing with whoever is actually serving your food—they should have the best idea for your particular menu.
Toasts
I really encourage people to do toasts during dinner—you have a captive audience, and people are in a headspace to be attentive, plus you do not have to carve separate time out of the day for them to happen. Note: Make sure the first person to give a toast tells all of the guests to please continue to eat while people are speaking! And also make sure to tell the catering staff that they should continue to serve/clear/etc. while people are speaking (they are good at doing this discreetly). (Note: as photographers, we usually eat when guests eat, because “face-stuffing” photos are unattractive. This is why I ask to go through a buffet first. Yes, before the guests. Or if it is plated or family-style I ask that my team and I are served at the same time as the bride & groom. Please do not forget to feed your vendors as it is difficult for us to obtain a hot meal on-site and is too timely for us to leave the wedding looking for food.)
Portraits/Photos
Whether or not you opt for an “official” photographed first look, the truth is that a lot of couples these days tend to do formal portraits before the ceremony, because otherwise, you are stuck wrangling people during cocktail hour, which a) means they are less compliant and b) you miss out on mingling with your guests/stuffing seared shrimp in your mouth.
Cake/Dessert Timing
While this rule seems to have gotten lost over the generations, traditionally it is considered acceptable to leave a wedding once the cake has been cut—at that point you know that nothing else major is going to happen (it is just partying from there on out) and hey, maybe you have a sitter to get home to, or just want to be in bed to watch the ten o’clock news. And while you may not be aware of this rule, if you have any guests over sixty-years-old then they do, and they will wait for you to cut the cake. So do not wait until too late to do it. I mean, no one wants to leave without a piece of cake – right?
Last Call
The universal signal that things are about to wrap up or wind down. You do not have to make it official, but if you do, it can be a helpful sign to people that they should start preparing (mentally) to leave.
Breakdown
If your venue has strict timing rules, or noise restrictions, or you are paying a staff hourly and they are going to go into overtime or time-and-a-half at some point, do not forget about the breakdown. While generally faster than the setup (it is a lot quicker to toss decorations into a box than it is to take them out and perfectly arrange them) I rarely see a breakdown that is under an hour, and sometimes they end up in the one to two-hour range. Think about all of the things that are going to need to happen once the lights go on and how much time that will take, and plan the end of the night accordingly.
After Parties
(and why you should have one)
“But really, I know we are going to want to party until 1:00 am!” you say. Me too, but we are in the minority. As someone who has photographed over a hundred weddings, I will tell you—I can count the number of weddings where there has been a critical mass of guests still wanting to go after 10:30 pm on my fingers.
And two of them took place on New Year’s Eve. And most of the rest had 6:00 pm or later ceremonies. Six hours is about the most that most wedding guests have in them. That said, should you make everyone go home at 10:00 pm? No… you can move people to an after-party. My favorite way to do this, because it is the easiest, is to pick a nearby bar ahead of time, spread the word, and whoever wants to go can go. Do you have to host (as in, pay for) the after-party drinks? Definitely not. You certainly can, and it would be super nice, but after paying for everyone’s drinks for six hours, you are off the hook (and I will tell you—if you walk into a bar in a wedding dress there is definitely no one in the world who is going to make you pay for your own drinks!). Also—if the majority of your guests are staying in the same hotel, that hotel bar can be a great option for this, and they may allow you to bring extra wedding champagne in for a reduced corkage fee.
So there you go⋯ a whole wedding day for you to enjoy and remember!
Lastly, your wedding day is your day. The above ideas are just ideas, let’s build your day the way YOU want your day.