Wedding Day Timeline
A well-planned wedding timeline is essential for a smooth, stress-free wedding day. It keeps everything organized, allows enough time for each moment, and helps your day flow naturally.
These timelines are simply examples. I’m happy to customize a timeline that fits your vision and suits your wedding day perfectly, while allowing me to capture everything beautifully.
A 6 HOUR WEDDING TIMELINE WITH A FIRST LOOK:
- 2:15 Photographer Arrives and photographs details like dress, shoes, invitation, etc.
- 2:45 Groom, and groomsmen getting dressed. Last minute touch up make up and hair
- 3:00 Bride gets dressed Last minute touch up make up and hair
- 3:15 Groom departs for first look
- 3:20 Bride departs for first Look
- 3:25 First Look and Bride and Groom Portraits
- 4:10 Bridal Party Photos
- 4:20 Groomsmen Photos
- 4:30 Whole Wedding Party Photos
- 4:40 Immediate Family Photos
- 5:05 Tucked away before guests start to arrive
- 5:05 Photographers capture ceremony details
- 5:25 Bridal Party lines up for ceremony
- 5:30 Ceremony
- 6:00 End of ceremony guests to cocktail hour
- 6:10 Extended Family photos
- 6:30 Photographer photographs reception details and cocktail hour
- 6:45 Grand Entrance
- 6:45 First dance
- 6:55 Welcome Toasts, Prayer,
- 7:00 Dinner
- 7:20 Bride and Groom sneak away for sunset pictures
- 7:30 Speeches
- 740 Parent dances
- 7:55 Open Dance
- 8:00Cake cutting
- 8:10 Bouquet/garter toss
- 8:15 Photographers leave
A 6 HOUR WEDDING TIMELINE WITHOUT A FIRST LOOK:
- 3:30 Photographers Arrives and photographs details like dress, shoes, invitation, etc.
- 4:00 Bridesmaid, groom, and groomsmen getting dressed. Last minute touch up make up and hair
- 4:15 Bride gets dressed
- 4:20 Bridal Party Photos
- 4:30 Groomsmen Photos
- 4:40 Tucked away before guests start to arrive
- 4:40 Photographers capture ceremony details
- 4:55 Bridal Party lines up for ceremony
- 5:00 Ceremony
- 5:30 End of ceremony guests to cocktail hour
- 5:40 Extended Family photos
- 6:00 Whole Wedding Party Photos
- 6:10 bride & Groom Photos
- 6:40 Photographer photographs reception details and cocktail hour
- 7:00 Grand Entrance
- 7:05 First dance
- 7:15 Welcome Toasts, Prayer,
- 7:20 Dinner
- 7:40 Bride and Groom sneak away for sunset pictures
- 7:50 Speeches
- 8:00 Parent dances
- 8:10 Cake cutting
- 8:20 Bouquet/garter toss
- 8:30 Photographers leave
8 HOUR DAY WITH A FIRST LOOK:
- 1:00 pm Getting Ready
- 3:00 pm First-look
- 3:10 pm Couple Photos
- 3:45 pm Wedding Party Photos
- 4:15 pm Couple Downtime; Photograph Ceremony & Reception Decor & Get Ready for Ceremony
- 5:00 pm Ceremony begins
- 5:30 pm Ceremony ends; Family Photos (Cocktail hour begins for guests)
- 6:30 pm Reception begins; Grand Entrance of Wedding Party
- 6:40 pm Speeches
- 7:00 pm Dinner is served
- 7:40 pm Cake Cutting
- 7:45 pm First Parent Dance
- 7:50 pm Second Parent Dance
- 7:55 pm Couple’s First Dance
- 8:00 pm Dance Floor Opens
- 8:15 pm Sunset or Nighttime Photos of Couple
- 8:30 pm Sparklet Exit
- 9:00pm Photography coverage ends
8 HOUR DAY WITHOUT A FIRST LOOK
- 2:00 pm Getting Ready
- 3:45 pm Bride & Bridesmaids Photos
- 4:00 pm Groom & Groomsmen Photos
- 4:15 pm Couple Downtime; Photograph Ceremony & Reception Decor & Get Ready for Ceremony
- 5:00 pm Ceremony begins
- 5:30 pm Ceremony ends; Family photos (Cocktail hour begins for guests)
- 6:00 pm Wedding Party Photos
- 6:15 pm Couple Photos
- 6:45 pm Grand Entrance of Wedding Party
- 6:55 pm Cake Cutting
- 7:00 pm Speeches & Toasts
- 7:20 pm Dinner Begins
- 7:50 pm Sunset or Nighttime Photos of Couple
- 8:05 pm First Parent Dance
- 8:10 pm Second Parent Dance
- 8:15 pm Couple’s First Dance
- 8:20 pm Dance Floor Opens
- 9:30 pm Sparkler Exit
- 10:00pm Photography Coverage Ends
10 HOUR SAMPLE TIMELINE
WITH A FIRST LOOK
- 11:00 am: Photographer arrives and greets bride & groom!
- 11:30 am: Getting ready, candid & detail photos of bridal party, or just bride & bridesmaids as time allows (hair/makeup, dress, shoes, rings, invitation suite, ceremony space, etc.) – about 1.5 hours
- 1:00pm: Bride gets dressed
- 1:15pm: First Look and a few portraits of bride & groom – about 30 minutes
- 1:45pm: Bridal party portraits – about 30 minutes
- 2:15pm: Family portraits- about 45 minutes
- 3:00pm: Bridal party / bride / groom tucked away 30-45 minutes prior to ceremony
- 3:30pm: Ceremony
- 4:00pm: Receiving line or usher guests out of ceremony space (optional)
- 4:15pm: Cocktail hour – bridal party / bride + groom visit with guests!
- 4:30-5:00pm: Photos of guests at cocktail hour, reception space, cake/dessert, tables, etc. – about 20-30 minutes
- 5:45pm: Entrance to Dinner
- 6:15pm: Dinner service
- 8:15pm: First Dance (and any parent dances) and open dance floor coverage- 30-45 minutes
- 8:30 pm: Sunset / late afternoon portraits of bride & groom – about 10-15 minutes
- 9:00pm: Photographer departs
10 HOUR SAMPLE TIMELINE
WITHOUT A FIRST LOOK
- 11:00am: Photographer arrives and greets bride & groom!
- 11:00am: Getting ready, candid & detail photos of bridal party, or just bride & bridesmaids as time allows- About 1.5 hours
- 12:20pm: Bride gets dressed
- 12:30-1:30: Bride + Bridesmaid and
- 1:50pm: Bridal party / bride / groom arrive at ceremony location and are tucked away 30-45 minutes prior to ceremony
- 2-2:30pm: Ceremony
- 2:30-2:50pm: Receiving line or usher guests out of ceremony space (optional)
- 3-3:30pm: Family portraits – about 20-30 minutes
- 3:45-4:15pm: Bridal party portraits – about 15 minutes
- 4:15pm-4:45pm: Bride & groom portraits – about 30 minutes
- 4:45-5:45pm: Photos of guests at cocktail hour, reception space, cake/dessert, tables, etc.
- 5:45pm: Entrance to Dinner
- 6:00pm: Dinner Service
- 8:00pm: First Dance (and any parent dances)
- 8:30pm: Sunset / late afternoon portraits of bride & groom – about 10-15 minutes
- 8:45-9pm: Open Dance floor coverage – about 15 minutes
- 9pm: Photographer departs
