Wedding Timeline

Ideal wedding Timeline Guide

Although every wedding is unique in all aspects including timeline, it’s always good to have a guideline on how your day should go. Below is a guide and suggested timeline idea. Excluding differences when it comes to religion and culture, there are two basic wedding timelines - the traditional and the first look. In the traditional wedding timeline, the first time the couple see each other will be at the altar. With the first look timeline, the couple will see each other first before the ceremony. These times below may seem long on paper but keep in mind that 1) the day will fly by, 2) most weddings run slightly behind schedule, and 3) we’ll make these photo sessions fun, so it won’t seem like a long time. Let’s take a more in depth look at an ideal timeline and the differences between these two.

Best Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite

Best outlined time of day – Morning

Best allotted time frame – 30 minutes

Tips and Advice - Allowing 30 minutes gives enough time to ensure the perfect detail photos of the dress, shoes, bouquet, rings and the day’s other details. On occasion the preparation room is too crowded or a bit untidy for photos and the dress has to be taken elsewhere to photograph. This can take a bit of extra time but is well worth the effort for the results it produces.

Prepartion

Best Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite

Best outlined time of day – Morning or Early Afternoon

Best allotted time frame – 60 minutes

Tips and Advice - Giving yourself a full  hour to prepare is ideal for our style. We use this time to get close ups of makeup being applied, hair being styled and those beautiful candid moments. We also use this time to take similar photos of the bridesmaids and groomsmen getting ready for the day. This time of the day is the most exciting and emotional as the anticipation builds and you probably wouldn’t want to cut it short. We allocate the lead shooter to the bride and second shooter to the groom. Most of the time guys get dressed quicker and it gives time to capture some great moments of him with his groomsmen and or family and friends.

Individual portraits

Best Location – Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite, Venue Lobby, or Venue Garden

Best outlined time of day – Morning or Early Afternoon

Best allotted time frame – 30 minutes

Tips and Advice - Straight after preparation is the ideal time to jump into individual portraits of both the bride and groom separately. At this point the day is not too busy and makeup and hair is at its freshest. These 30 minutes gives us time to tweak and get the desired perfect portraits. Another side note, the window light in the majority of hotel rooms is at a certain unique look during this time of day that can’t be duplicated in another setting or light set up.

First look and couple session

Best Location – Venue Garden, Empty Venue Hallway (shaded areas with natural light)

Best outlined time of day – Morning or Early Afternoon

Best allotted time frame – 45 - 60 minutes

Tips and Advice - This is where the main difference happens with the first look and the traditional wedding timeline. At this stage of a first look wedding, the reveal would be done and a couples session will follow. Generally 45-60 minutes is needed for a first look wedding. In the first couple of minutes the bride and groom delight in seeding each other for the first time on their wedding day. After these moments are captured, we use the rest of the time to take some simple portraits of the bride and groom. In an ideal, the main couples session will be later on in the day. However, if it is best to complete the session after the first look, allocate another 45 minutes on the time to ensure we get enough photos of just the two of you.

Wedding party photo

Best Location - Venue Lobby, Venue Garden, Beach, Park, Off-site Location

Best outlined time of day – Morning or Early Afternoon

Best allotted time frame – 45 - 60 minutes

Tips and Advice - Photos of the wedding party will mostly likely take around 45 - 60 minutes. In this time, we use a wide variety of poses to get many unique and exciting photos. Starting off with the basics and classics - focus is on well balanced lighting and great expression. Then we follow on to creative and fun photos for those incredible memories. We know that each of your wedding party members mean a lot to you so make sure to grab a picture with each one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen with you before we head off to the family photos.

family portraits

Best Location - Venue Lobby, Venue Garden, Beach, Park, Off-site Location

Best outlined time of day – Morning or Afternoon

Best allotted time frame –  30 - 45 minutes

Tips and Advice - Taking Immediate family photos will be about 45 minutes. Beyond the basic formal photos, these photos of family together are important. Give 3 minutes for each group on average. As an example, if you have 10 groups, set aside 30 minutes. Weddings mean a lot to the immediate family and capturing enough photos of them is essential.

ceremony and venue

Best Location Ceremony Venue

Best outlined time of day – Morning or Afternoon

Best allotted time frame –  30 minutes

Tips and Advice - Kindly give 30 minutes for the second shooter to take photos of the ceremony venue whilst it is completely set up before guests arrive and without vendors in the area. It is important and looks great to get photos of your ceremony site when it’s looking fresh and all set up. We then capture the ceremony, in this case the time needed will be unique to each wedding.

Formals Family, Friends and Extended Family

Best Location - Ceremony Venue

Best outlined time of day – (Post Ceremony) Morning or Afternoon

Best allotted time frame – 45 - 60 minutes

Tips and Advice - Depending on the size of your family and number of guests, 45 - 60 minutes will be needed. Again, plan on 3 minutes for each group, as in 10 groups need 30 minutes of time. Depending on your wants, you as a couple might want a photo with all the guests while another couple may want a photo with just the VIP guests. We find that an ideal is somewhere in between, again it depends on the size of your family and number of guests. We definitely advise putting together lists of groups as well as helpers from each side of the family to help find and round up the groups. This organization will keep things moving swiftly and smoothly.

couple session

Best Location - Venue Garden, Beach, Hotel Lobby, Park

Best outlined time of day – Late Afternoon (Golden Hour)

Best allotted time frame – 45 - 60 minutes

Tips and Advice - The couples session ideally will be an hour long and start at about 30 - 45 minutes before the sun sets. This is one of the most beautiful times of light and creates stunning pictures. We use this time to get scenic and colourful sky photos. This time frame is also essential if you have booked a venue because of the spectacular view it gives whether it be of the ocean, a gorgeous skyline or vine field etc. It isn’t as important if your wedding is in the middle of a city with tall buildings around. If you decided on a traditional wedding you can add time to this session to make sure we get enough photos of just the two of you.

reception and venue detail

Best Location - Reception Venue

Best outlined time of day – Early Evening

Best allotted time frame – 30 minutes

Tips and Advice - Kindly give 30 minutes for the second shooter to take photos of the reception room whilst it is completely set up before guests arrive and without vendors in the area. Like the ceremony, this time is important and is the only opportunity we have to capture the full beauty of your reception room prior to guests arriving and using it.

Reception first look

Best Location - Reception Venue

Best outlined time of day – At the end of cocktail hour

Best allotted time frame – 10 - 15 minutes

Tips and Advice - The day is coming to celebration time but just before everyone enters, get the couples first look reaction to their reception room. This is quick and creates genuine emotions for beautiful pictures, as well as a bit of time for the couple to practice their first dance, this also makes a beautiful and romantic photo.

couple session - night time

Best Location - Areas with eye catching lights, fountains, cityscapes and mirrors/reflective surfaces.

Best outlined time of day – Dusk to Night Time

Best allotted time frame – 20-30 minutes

Tips and Advice - Plan a sneak out session during your reception to get some contrasted and beautiful night shots. If you appreciate dramatic night couple portraits, this is essential. We understand it’s important to be good hosts for your reception, so we will be quick and only take 20 or so minutes. There are two great times to take these shots, either after you have had a bite to eat and need a break from dancing or at the end of the evening once guests have left.

Additional Wedding Day Details

Table Guest Photos - There are two options when taking some photos as you go around visiting tables . First being, taking formal photos with each table or (secondly) we can capture authentic candid and journalism moments. If you would like to plan on formal shots, bare in mind you will need 3-5 minutes per table. For example 20 tables may take 60-100 minutes of time.

Cultural Weddings - For cultural weddings the timeline may need to be adjusted to keep traditions in place.