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Crafting your timeline is one of the most important details that will help your wedding day go smoothly. If you have a wedding planner, they will help you create this. If not, use this as a guide, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
4 questions to ask yourself prior to creating your timeline:
1. Will I have a first look?
Having a first look will dictate what photos can get done before the ceremony. Taking photos before then alleviates pressure and allows you to spend more time with your guests at the reception.
2. Am I getting ready at my ceremony location?
Getting ready at your ceremony location will take away a lot of stress and well as provide you more time for hair, makeup, etc. Make sure if you are getting ready elsewhere, that you pencil in travel time. Add 10-15 minutes onto your estimated travel time to allocate for traffic, forgetting something, etc.
3. Are my ceremony & reception at the same location?
Just like the prior question, if you are not celebrating the reception at the same site as your ceremony you will need to pencil in travel time, plus buffer time.
4. What time of year am I getting married?
In my opinion, natural light is the best light for photographs. If you are getting married in the summer, the average time of sunset is around 9pm, while in the winter time it is around 4pm. We will need to be mindful to set your ceremony time accordingly to finish all outdoor photography before we lose the light. The time of sunset on your wedding day is _______. We will aim to be finished with all photography (aside from indoor reception activities/departure) by this time, or we will need to plan for artificial light.
Once you answer these questions, you’re ready to create your timeline.
Begin with your ideal ceremony time, then work backwards.
WITHOUT A FIRST LOOK
Extra Tips!
Want the party to last all night but really want those cute send off photos?
Have a fake send off! Tell your immediate family & wedding party ahead of time & sneak out to get those fun photos! Then go back inside & keep partying!
Buffer time!
It might seem like a lot to allocate 30 minutes, but I promise it’s worth it! This day can go by so fast & oftentimes the couple feels stressed because they are getting ready up until the last minute. This will guarantee you/your partner will have time to touch up makeup, or get a drink of water before walking down the aisle. If anything, it gives you thirty minutes to run late before actually running late! I promise you it’s worth it!
