Ideal Wedding Photography Timeline
Odds are that you've received countless advise from friends, family, and even some other wedding professionals regarding your wedding timeline. One thing that I've found throughout the years is that each and every wedding is different & unique in its own way. However, I've also found that while every wedding is different, if we (emphasis on "WE") plan accordingly, the wedding day will run that much smoother if enough time is allotted for every important moment to be captured. Weddings can sometimes be stressful, so let's alleviate some of that stress by following some of the suggestions below.
Getting Ready
Suggested Time: 60-90 Minutes
I recommend scheduling at least an hour for the groom and about a an hour and a half for the bride. This is usually plenty of time to capture all the fun candids, details, final makeup/hair, and time to get the dress or suit on. For my brides, I always add a few extra minutes in the timeline to get in the dress, the last thing that you want to feel is rushed on your wedding day.
First Look
Suggested Time: 15 - 20 minutes
The actual time needed for the first look isn't really 15-20 minutes, most of them are done within a 5, but I like scheduling a bit more time within the so we can capture some of the more formal portraits of the bride and groom. Once those are captured, this will allow us to spend more time photographing the more romantic and/or artistic photos later in the day.
Ceremony & Detail Photos
Suggested Time: 20 minutes
Shooting all the pre ceremony photos is usually done about 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony. This is the time that I usually schedule for ceremony detail shots to be captured. 20 minutes is plenty of time to capture your wedding ceremony setup (florals, programs, guestbooks, etc.)
Family Photos
Suggested Time: 20 minutes
Family photos are some of the most important photos of the day. Whether they are captured before or after the ceremony, enough time should be scheduled in the timeline to allow for all of the family photos requested to be captured. 20 minutes is usually plenty of time to photograph every parent, sibling, grandparent, and every other combination in between.
Wedding Party
Suggested Time: 60-90 minutes
Depending on the size of the wedding party, an hour or so should be enough time to capture these photos. I usually photography all the bride/bridesmaid photos and groom/groomsmens photos before the ceremony and then capture the larger full wedding party photos after the ceremony.
Couples Photos
Suggested Time: 60 Minutes
Whether you choose to have a first look or not, I almost always recommend scheduling at least an hour of time to capture the most important photos of the day, the ones of the newlyweds. As mentioned before, the last thing you want to do is feel rushed, because believe me, it absolutely shows in photos. Having an hour of time to capture your wedding photos allows us to not only get some awesome photos, but it also gives you a time to take a breath.
Reception Details
Suggested Time: 15 minutes
Similarly to ceremony detail photos, about 15 minutes is needed to captured all the details of your wedding reception before guests are allowed to enter the area. This time is usually scheduled right after the couples session is finished after the ceremony depending on when the reception area is completed.