Wedding Photography Timeline: Capturing Every Moment of Your Big Day
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and you want to make sure that every moment is captured perfectly by your photographer. But with so many different parts to a wedding day, it can be hard to know how to plan the perfect photography timeline. In this article, we'll break down the different parts of a wedding day and give you tips on how to create a timeline that ensures all the important moments are captured.
Getting Ready
The getting ready part of the day is often filled with excitement and anticipation, as the bride and groom prepare for their big moment. It's a great opportunity for your photographer to capture candid moments of you and your wedding party as you get ready. We recommend allowing at least 1-2 hours for this part of the day to ensure your photographer has enough time to capture all the important details.
We recommend 45 mins for hair, makeup and silk robes, accessories and group photos and 15 min for finishing touches and getting the dress and veil on and for the groom we suggest at least 30 minutes for finishing touches, accessories, solo and group photos.
First Look
The first look is a special moment when the bride and groom see each other for the first time on their wedding day. It's a great opportunity for your photographer to capture the emotion and excitement of the moment. We recommend scheduling the first look 1-2 hours before the ceremony, so that you have enough time for portraits and bridal party photos afterwards. And it will take at least 15 min. We recommend you communicate about the location beforehand with your photographer, if you don't have a location in mind, the photographer will find the best place. We like to get to the area early to scope the place.
Bridal Party and Portraits
After the first look or after the ceremony, it's time to take bridal party photos and portraits of the bride and groom. This is a great opportunity to get some beautiful, posed shots of the couple and their wedding party. We recommend allowing at least 30 mins - 1 hour for this part of the day, depending on the size of your bridal party and the number of locations you want to use for portraits.
Family Photos
Family photos are an important part of the day, as they capture the memories of your loved ones who have come to celebrate with you. We recommend scheduling family photos immediately after the ceremony, before guests start to leave the venue. This will ensure that everyone is present and available for photos. The family photos will take at least 30 min and we suggest the couple make a list with the family members names and groups, that way the activity is more organized and we make sure you get the photos you wanted.
Decorations and Venue
Your photographer will want to capture the beauty of your venue and decorations, so be sure to schedule time for them to do so. We recommend allowing 30 minutes to an hour for this part of the day, depending on the size of your venue and the amount of decorations.
Ceremony
The ceremony is the heart of your wedding day, and your photographer will be there to capture all the special moments. We recommend allowing your photographer to move around freely during the ceremony to capture the best shots. Be sure to check with your officiant to see if there are any restrictions on photography during the ceremony. We have experience photographing church ceremonies and we recommend talking to the priest about the area the photographer is allowed or not allowed during the ceremony.
Golden Hour and Sunset
The golden hour and sunset are the perfect time for romantic, dreamy photos of the bride and groom. We recommend scheduling this time for portraits 30 minutes to an hour before sunset, depending on the time of year and location of your wedding.
Speeches
Speeches are often one of the most memorable parts of a wedding reception. Your photographer will want to capture the reactions of the bride and groom, as well as the speakers. We recommend scheduling speeches before dinner, so that your photographer can capture candid shots of the speeches and the reactions. It will take 30 to 60 mins.
Cake Cutting, Bouquet and Garter Toss
The cake cutting, bouquet and garter toss are fun, lighthearted moments that your photographer will want to capture. We recommend scheduling these events towards the end of the reception, so that your photographer has plenty of time to capture the festivities. These are pretty fast paced events, have fun and smile!
Dance Party
The dance party is the perfect opportunity for your photographer to capture candid shots of your guests enjoying themselves on the dance floor. We recommend allowing your photographer to move around freely during this time to capture amazing moments.
Grand Exit
Bubbles, fireworks, sparklers and more! There are a lot of elements you can use to create an amazing grand exit. Make sure to talk to your photographer before hand that way he’ll be ready in time, also you might need a few people helping with the organization of the activity.