What to include in your wedding timeline
Jan 17, 2025
What to include in your wedding timeline
I’ve created this “wedding day timeline” guide with the same suggestions that I use for all my couples. One thing to keep in mind is that each wedding isn’t created equal. Every couple has their own set of events that are significant to their story.
Connecting with you to go over specific is an important part of our journey together. I offer complimentary timeline creation so you don’t have to stress on the logistics. Inquire here and let’s chat!!!
Consider Ceremony start time
Most couples I chat with already have a ceremony time. This is extremely helpful when building out your timeline. Most ceremonies I would say start around 3PM or 4PM. Also take into account time of year when setting your ceremony start time. Winter means darkness falls earlier compared to summer when the sun starts setting at 8:00PM. This is a huge determining factor when planning the rest of your evening.
Most ceremonies last around 30 minutes. I’ve photographed weddings where the ceremony is short and sweet and only about 10-15 minutes. I prefer adding in a buffer of 30 minutes which allows us any extra time before or after the ceremony to be added on for another event.
Think about Venue hours when building out a timeline
Many venues have similar timeframes such as 10AM-10PM unless you are getting married on private property or book a venue for a weekend package. When considering your wedding day timeline, think about how long you have the venue for. This will help in knowing when to arrive all the way to the end and every event in between.
Start adding in your event to the timeline
Now that we have the venue hours and ceremony start time, we can start to build out the rest of the day. Keep in mind that your wedding day is your own! Don’t feel pressured to perform traditional wedding events if it doesn’t align with your values.
Add in Getting ready
What time will your makeup and hair artists arrive? Providing them with your timeline so they know when you need to be ready is important. As your finishing up with your makeup and hair, I take this time to grab some candid shots of the groom and groomsman along with a few portraits. Getting ready can include a variety of photos. Mostly I like spending this time capturing the candid prep of the day to you getting in your dress.
Add in First Look (if you want to) into your wedding timeline
Your first look is where the bride and groom get to see each other for the first time before the ceremony. If you do decide to have a first look it’s the perfect time to grab those authentic bride and groom portraits. There are also a few things you can do for the first look, even if you still want to connect without seeing one another.
- Private first look
- Private vow reading
- First look with parents/siblings/bridesmaids
- First touch without seeing each other
- First touch reading vows
- Private moment candidly captured of you both getting ready together and writing vows
Sample 8 Hour Wedding Timeline
Once we have hit all the formalities of the day, the reception to the end is pretty easy going. Also keep in mind that each couples wedding timeline can look different depending on the events you want captured throughout the day. It’s important to keep our time together simple and even though you’ve investment into an experience with me as your Spokane Wedding Photographer, I’m here to be a fly on the wall and capture your wedding day in a documentary style.
9:00am- Hair and Makeup Team Arrive
1:00pm -Photographer arrives, shoot details
1:30pm- Groom and Groomsman Getting Ready
2:00pm -Bride Getting in Dress
2:30pm -First Look, private vow reading, wedding party photos, Family photographs
3:30pm -Break before the Ceremony
4:00pm -Ceremony Time
4:30pm -Ceremony Concludes/ Cocktail Hour begins
5:00pm -First Dance
5:30pm -Dinner/ Speeches
6:30pm -Parent dances
6:45pm -Cake Cutting
7:00pm -Open Dance Floor
7:30pm -Couples Photos
9:00pm -Photography coverage ends
Your Spokane Washington Documentary Wedding Photographer
Oh, I do travel too! 😉
Being your support throughout your wedding planning journey is all part of our one of kind experience. If you haven’t hired a wedding planner I do have some great local recommendations. Your planner and I will work together to create a wedding day timeline that feels authentic, unscripted and stress-free.
If you are ready to document this milestone of your love story, lets chat! Follow here to inquire with me and I’ll be in touch within the hour M-F 10-4
