How to Schedule Your Wedding Day

Hello friend! I’m so glad you’ve landed on this blog post, and I truly hope it is of great value to you as you are planning your special day. Now most couples have never planned a wedding before and have no idea how long each part of the wedding day actually takes. I’m here to help, whether you are working with me or you have another photographer lined up, I am happy to help and give you all of the information I can to ensure you have a seamless wedding timeline.

After photographing many weddings over the years I’ve established a consistent workflow and have come to understand what the ideal time is needed to capture all aspects of the wedding day for the way I photograph weddings. Each photographer has their own way and may require more or less time but here is what I recommend.

→ 1 hour for getting ready portraits. I always recommend you have hair and make up wrapping up/almost finished upon my arrival. This ensures we can capture moments like: everyone in their bridal robes, helping you get into your dress, etc. I typically reserve 30 min for flat lays/details and 30 min for candid getting ready photos.

→ 30 minutes for ceremony (also allotting time afterwards if you are doing a receiving line).

→ 1 hour for wedding portraits (don’t forget to budget time for travel and bathroom breaks if we are leaving the venue for portraits). Add another 15 minutes for Golden Hour Portraits.

→ 30-45 minutes for wedding party photos. Typically, 30 minutes for a smaller bridal party (4 or less) and 45 for a larger bridal party.

→ 30-45 minutes for family photos. This really depends on how large your family is and how many people you want photos with. These photos always take more time than people think so I like opting for more time vs. less to keep the timeline on track. I always have my couples provide me with a family photo list prior to the wedding to make this part of the day as efficient as possible! Click here for detailed information in how to draft the perfect family shot list!

→ I find the dinner + reception typically lasts anywhere from 2-3 hours of coverage depending how your program looks and how many hours of photography coverage you booked in total. To maximize photography coverage some couples opt to do their first dance and cake cutting as their grand entrance when starting the reception. This ensures we capture all those big moments on the wedding day before your coverage ends in the evening.

Whether you’re getting married in the winter, spring, summer or fall… These general guidelines remain the same. The time that which each of these events take place, may vary!

Remember that every wedding day is different and there really is no one size fits all. This is why I LOVE helping my couples craft the perfect timeline for their day. Your wedding day is unique to you, so if you have questions or concerns about these timeline examples as a Sweetlight couple, feel free to reach out so we can make sure nothing is missed.