PLANNING YOUR WEDDING DAY PHOTOGRAPHY TIMELINE
Welcome to the nook of our website that I hope will help to clarify and help you plan your wedding day timeline.
Things to consider: what are the priorities for your day? Is it sunset photos? Are there fireworks? Is your favourite band kicking off the dancing? If these are the elements that you want to be photographed, keep them in mind while planning out the rest of your day.
We made this post in hopes to help you plan out the perfect day. Now, we ALWAYS recommend a wedding planner or day of co-ordinator, to help things run smoothly + help the unseen things be taken care of while you're enjoying your day. Find our reccomendations here.
SAMPLE TIMELINES BELOW
FYI: a little advice based on the seasons
Summer
Plan a ceremony after 4:00 pm. Any earlier and you risk melting your guests (and yourself) in the sun + heat. And as a photographer, having all that sunlight blast in their faces does not make the best portrait. This goes for outdoor ceremonies (obviously!)
Winter
Because it gets dark super earlier, we recommend an earlier ceremony around 3:00 or 4:00 pm. And if outdoor photos are important then plan a first look to capture these before the days events.
Fall + Spring
Plan for a plan B for ALL of your outdoor plans. This is a no brainer, as during the fall + spring the weather can change. Having the back up option allows for no stress and a solid contingency for your vendors to act on.
Sunset
If light is a large influence on your day. Plan your day around when the sun goes down. Don't hesitate to reach out to us for more info.
PLANNING YOUR WEDDING WITHIN SIX HOURS
our package starts with six hours, but of course you're welcome to add as much extra time as you need
SAMPLE FOR A SUMMER WEDDING WITH A FIRST LOOK
3:00 First look
3:15 bridal party (20 minutes)
3:45 Family photos
Go inside refresh + hide while guests arrive
4:30 Ceremony kick off (30 minutes long)
5:00 Alone time for couple to take it in (5 minutes)
5:05 Cocktail hour kick off (candids, groups shots and mingling!)
5:45 Steal couple for small photo session while guests get seated for dinner
6:00 Guests go to dinner
6:10 Entrances
--- speeches, first dances throughout
--- steal couple away for sunset photos (10 minutes)
9:00 dance floor opens up (we capture a few party shots)
SAMPLE WITH GETTING READY INCLUDED IN Traditional layout
2:30 Getting Ready coverage starts + bridal party photos
3:30 Head to venue
4:00 Ceremony kick off (30 minutes long)
4:30 Alone time for couple to take it in (5 minutes)
4:30 Cocktail hour kick off (candids, groups shots and mingling!)
5:00 Family photos at a private spot
5:15 Bridal party group shots + Couples Only Photos
6:00 Reception kick off, Guests go to dinner
6:10 Entrances
--- speeches, first dances throughout
--- steal couple away for sunset photos (10 minutes)
8:30 dance floor opens up (we capture a few party shots)
SAMPLE WITH AN UNTRADITIONAL TWIST
3:00 Getting ready
3:30 First look
3:45 Bridal Party + Family photos
Go inside refresh + hide while guests arrive
4:30 Cocktail with guests + couple present to welcome
6:00 Ceremony Kick off (30 minutes long)
6:30 Couples photos then join group for champagne toast
7:30 Reception kick off, dinner is ready
--- speeches, first dances throughout
--- steal couple away for sunset photos while guests switch to dancefloor location
9:00 dance floor opens up (we capture a few party shots)
Intimate wedding sample under 30 guests
4:00 Getting Ready coverage starts
4:30 First look + family photos + champagne pop and toast
5:40 Ceremony kick off (30 minutes long)
6:00 Alone time for couple to take it in (5 minutes)
7:00 Meet at dinner location & enjoy cocktails
8:00 Dinner kick off
--- speeches, first dances throughout
--- steal couple away for night shots (10 minutes)
9:00 dance floor opens up (we capture party shots)
9:45 Pinata/champagne toast/fireworks, something grand to celebrate the intimate occasion.
As you can see, if you'd like more getting ready coverage or love lots of party shots, we encourage you to add time to your package at either 30 minute or 60 minute increments. You can add time to your package at any point, including on the day of the wedding.
