A Wedding Timeline is incredible important! I get tons of questions about this- the hows, whys, and whens. I assembled the most frequently asked questions and answered them all in one place! If you have a question that I didn’t answer, comment below with your question and I’ll answer the best I can.
- Do I even need a wedding timeline? Yes! Having an order of events for the day helps the day run smoothly. Additionally, it also ensures that you don’t miss any events, photos, or important moments on your wedding day. And, you want to make sure that your guests aren’t confused on where to be when.
- How do I begin to make a wedding timeline? If you booked with me you don’t have to worry about starting one from scratch. I have ideal mock timelines for each season! Once we’ve chatted about your vision for your big day, and I have an overall feel for how you want your wedding to go we can start. I’ll get to work customizing your timeline and send it over to you. Next step is looking it over with your fiancé and discussing what works and what doesn’t. After you’ve agreed on that, reach back out and we can alter the timeline to fit your day perfectly!
- What types of things should I consider when thinking about a wedding timeline? I love this question, because this day is all about YOU TWO and your wedding timeline should reflect that. Here are some things to chat about and decide if you want these things to be a part of your Wedding Day
•First look with dad
•First look with groom (Check out my blog on reasons to do a first look)
•Prayer before ceremony
•Ceremony rituals (I.e unity candle, religious traditions, etc . . .)
•Family formals (think about all the different groupings you’d like)
•Reception traditions: (toasts, first dances, bouquet toss, garter toss, cake cutting, etc . . .)
•Exit (faux or real) - How long do portraits take? I get this question pretty often and I always give the same answer. It depends. Perfect, right? Some portraits like the ‘first look’ are usually around 10-12 minutes. However, if there is a lot of tears, or emotion that time could easily be longer. Family formals on average last around 20-30 minutes, but again . . . if you have a lot of groupings or very few this can vary greatly. These times are the average. Whatever your situation, I will ensure that we have time to capture it all, and I always allow for some flex time in case there are any changes. My promise to you, is that you won’t have to stress about these things on your day. My assistant is a pro at keeping us on track for timing. We will get all your portraits and then some! This is a great example as to ‘Why you should hire a professional’. Experience in keeping wedding days on schedule, handling time delays, and still getting tons of amazing portraits regardless of any changes that day is one of my top reasons on why hiring a professional is the best choice!
- When is ideal for the ceremony? Such an important question. Your entire wedding timeline will revolve around what time the ceremony is. So figuring out an ideal starting time is a great place to begin your timeline! Start by looking up when the sun will set that day. A great rule of thumb: If your ceremony is the typical 20-30 minutes- start your ceremony about 2 – 2 1/2 hours before sunset. This usually works out beautifully to get family formals after- enjoy some of the reception and then sneak away for some sunset portraits. (this is MY preference, if your photographer has a different style or process check with them).
I hope this was helpful! Enjoy some of my favorite b&w images from one of my favorite weddings!
This wedding took place at Top of the Pines in Ridgway CO, an amazing venue for both locals and a popular destination wedding location!
