Ah, wedding planning…
…it’s like navigating a maze while blindfolded, hopping on one foot, and holding your breath.
A piece of (wedding) cake, right?
Okay, maybe not…
But don’t worry. Planning your wedding, setting up your schedule, and making sure that everything is timed perfectly on your special day doesn’t have to turn into a huge hassle.
As your – hopefully by now: favorite – wedding photographer, I’m here to guide you through the nitty-gritty of coming up with a timeline for the wedding of your dreams, and give you something you can refer back to anytime you feel confused about how to plan your wedding.
So, grab a glass of bubbly (you’ll be doing a lot more of that soon), and let’s dive into this beautiful mess called wedding planning.
1. Preparations:
Estimated Time: 1 Hour with the Groom and 1.5 Hours with the Bride (after showering, hair, and make-up)
First thing’s first – let’s get you ready to look fabulous on your wedding day.
And, obviously, to nail your close-ups like the king & queen the two of you are.
For grooms, we’re looking at a breezy 45-60 minutes of photo time.
I’ll come in and you’ll be dressed ready to go except for your jacket. I’ll capture details, some portraits of you, you and the boys, and some family photos. A little hair gel here, clinking of some whisky there, a tie adjustment, and voilà! You’re basically good to go. Please make sure you have your details in a box put aside ready to go for me.
Now brides, we all know you’ve been dreaming of this day since forever so I know the expectation is high. In my experience, allowing at-least an hour and a half is vital after your make-up & hair, for details, getting into your dress, photos of you, you and the girls, and family photos/candids. It’s all about feeling like royalty today. Please make sure additionally for you miss bride to be, that you have at-least one room clean with lots of natural light with your dress hung and details ready for me.
Please make sure you are showered, have eaten, brushed your teeth, and have your hair & make-up done before I arrive, ideally you want your hair and makeup done 30 mins before my arrival (and everyone dressed except you!) It looks a little funny everyone helping you get into your dress if they themselves aren’t dressed and poor planning here will result in loss of time. This is to make sure you love the way you look from your very first photo – all the way to your last one. If you would like photos of you and the girls in PJ’s with champagne, please add on an additional 30 mins.
But once I’m there, think spontaneous shots of your once-in-a-lifetime moments filled with your anticipation & excitement. Imagine all the beautiful memories that are about to happen on your once and a lifetime day.
2. First Look: A moment to calm the nerves
Estimated Time: 1 hour
You only get one first look – and you might want to turn it into a surprise for the both of you.
But even if you choose to get ready together, you still might want to do a first look. You know, when you’re all ready, and you take a moment to realize: “Oh my god, this is really happening!”
Now, your first look is completely optional. Depending upon the time of year, if it is non daylight savings a first look can be really helpful to get your couple portraits done early before we loose sun. I find overall first looks really do help make the day go a lot smoother and give your final gallery a lot more variety. I’ve never had one of my couples regret doing a first look. I like to allow 30 mins for the first look itself, and then 30 mins for couple portraits after. This is usually done in a nearby spot. That way if it goes longer I’m not rushing you two through an emotional sweet moment, you two can take your time and I can take a step back and focus on documenting the magic. Then I’ll guide you to a beautiful spot for some gently posed couple portraits of you two.
First looks are almost always more meaningful and emotional than seeing each other down the aisle, and no it doesn’t take away from that special moment either I promise. So, if you’re afraid you’ll miss that epic moment later on, I’d honestly recommend you do a first look. You can read more about first looks here.
So, if you do want me to capture the first time you see each other on your big day, get ready for me to freeze your most authentic, heartfelt moments for eternity. I’m talking genuine surprise, laughs, tears, and smiles – your uncontrollable emotions that you will cherish looking back on forever.
We can choose to have your first look session where you’ve gotten ready, at the place of your ceremony, or a completely different location too. But no matter where you want to see each other for the first time, I’d recommend you travel there separately, and that you make sure the groom gets there at least 5 minutes before the bride.
It’s also worth noting, alot of my couples love to do either an additional first look with family members, bridesmaids as well. So if you would like this as well, allow another 30 mins.
If you would like styling photography done of your set ups, it can be worth investing in a second shooter here or I can give myself a 30 minute buffer before ceremony starts and another 30 minute buffer before reception starts to capture these for you guys.
3. Ceremony: Time to get Married!
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Whether you’re opting for a civil ceremony or something more spiritual (45 mins+), keep in mind that it’ll generally take about 30-35 minutes to say those magical words “I do.” Followed by your moment of joyful celebration under a shower of confetti and a group photo, before heading into family photos.
You can obviously take out elements or add elements to go for a shorter – or longer – ceremony if you want. It’s completely up to you, and I’m not going to be the one to tell you how you should plan your ceremony (in fact, don’t let anyone tell you how to do things on your wedding day).
Still, I’ve found that 30-35 minutes is usually the sweet spot for most of my couples. It’s definitely not so long that you risk exhausting yourselves – or your guests – too soon. But it’s still enough time for you to lose yourselves in the magic of the moment, for me to snap some adorable pics of one of the most intimate & special moments of your lives, and for your guests to shed a few tears too.
Oh, and speaking of waterworks…Don’t forget to budget an extra 10-20 minutes for hugs and kisses galore once you’ve officially tied the knot. Trust me: no one wants Aunt Edna feeling left out. Got a large guest list (120+) and want more time to mingle? This can absolutely be done, just let me know and I’ll make it happen!
4. Family Portraits, Bridal Party Portraits, Couple Portraits: Capturing Everything that Makes You, You
Estimated Time: 1.5 hours+
Alrighty then – time for this picture-perfect party to really get started!
If possible, plan at least 10-15 extra minutes per set as a buffer in case anything runs overtime. After all, you definitely don’t want to rush through your day, constantly feeling that you’re late to somewhere. Give yourselves some extra time, let go, and just focus on enjoying the experience.
Family Portraits – 3 minutes/set (30 mins for 10 groups)
First up are family portraits (min. 30 minutes), where you’ll want to capture those special memories with your loved ones. Allow about 3 minutes per set, and be prepared for some herding of cats – er, I mean relatives – which I’ll be glad to coordinate for you on the spot.
I’ll even email you a “Family Photo List” questionnaire a month before your wedding to make sure I have everything to bring your vision to life as smoothly & seamlessly as humanly possible.
Bridal Party Portraits – 30 minutes
Next, it’s time for the bridal party to shine (another 20-40 minutes). Consider this your opportunity to unleash your inner supermodel with your besties by your side. If you would like to pop some champagne here we can, just keep in mind you might be left feeling a little sticky for the rest of the day so sometimes it can be best to wait until late in the evening to do this. But I’ll bring a speaker and we will have lots of fun!
Your Portraits – 30 minutes
Finally, make sure to carve out at least 30 minutes for just the two of you. If you would like more time, or are travelling offsite I would go max an hour.
After all, today is all about celebrating your love, your story, your fairytale but I know you two are keen to relax, and celebrate with your loved ones. So, these Instagram-worthy dreamy shots of your most romantic moments will undoubtedly warm your hearts for years to come. Relax, and I’ll create a space where you two can play and have fun. Remember up until this moment you have NO photos together (unless you’ve opted for a first look!) so remember not to rush this. These are the photos you’ll run to first to see!
5. Reception: Let the Good Times Roll
Estimated Time: 5+ hours
Ah, at last, the moment we’ve all been waiting for (you know, besides that whole getting-married thing). It’s finally reception time!
Pop some champagne, leave about 20 minutes for your romantic sunset photos (either before or during your reception, depending on, you know, when the sun will set, this depends upon the time of year for Australian Summers this is around 7:30pm which is in-between speeches as the sun sets later, but in Winter this can be right after ceremony at 4:30pm ish and we can tie this in with your bridal party/couple portraits post ceremony. I’ll help you both with this), and let’s dive into the festivities.
While your entire reception is bound to be a treasured memory that you’d love to replay again-and-again, a few key moments will inevitably rise above all other moments.
My job as your wedding photographer will be to make sure I capture those key moments to help you relive them whenever you want…
Entrance – 20 minutes
*Before you arrive to start the party, I like to give you both atleast 5 mins to freshen up. This is the perfect time to change your shoes to comfy dancing shoes, use the toilet, freshen up your makeup, grab some water, and so on.
It’s time for you to make an entrance with style! Leave yourselves 20 minutes to make a grand entrance at your wedding and have a chance to greet your guests, and mingle (and get a few incredible shots while you’re at it). You’ve been go go go the whole day, emotions high, and by this point its normal to be starting to feel tired and there’s nothing better that soothes the soul than being able to mingle with your loved ones without your photographer watching the clock.
Remember: it’s all about choosing the perfect soundtrack and combining it with some smooth – or even not-so-smooth – dance moves. And don’t be afraid to get creative here – after all: subtlety is so overrated. A common popular entrance is to get those napkins twirling but just because it is common doesn’t mean its not effective! It always starts the night of with a bang with everyone you love cheering and getting excited at you two entering!
Your wedding guests will talk about this entrance for years to come… or at least until they leave the reception.
Speeches – 5 minutes/person
When your friends & family express their feelings, their happiness, and their special memories of you – now that’s something truly special.
Some speeches will be funny, some will be interesting, others might be heartwarming, emotional, or touching. But all of them will be cherished memories that you’ll be glad someone captured for you. Anymore then 2 long speeches (over 5 mins), or 6 short speeches and guests will start to get bored so if you have more people, spilt them up. One lot before dinner, one lot after dinner.
Sit-Down Meal – 45 minutes
It’s time to take a quick break, replenish your energy stores, and delight your taste buds – all at once. You’ve all had a beautifully exhausting day, and it’s not over just yet. In fact, some of the best parts are yet to come!
So, take some time to enjoy a meal with your guests. This is the perfect chance for some light-hearted conversations, and to take some rest. Trust me, you’ll thank yourselves later!
A wonderful thing you two can do for yourselves here is request in advance to the kitchens that your vendors get fed first, this isn’t because we feel entitled or greedy this is because its quite common for delays to happen and this avoids any upset in the timeline because vendors usually get fed last! So let’s keep your vendors fed, and happy and the timeline on track. It’s just a simple thing you can ask for to ensure the rest of your evening continues on smoothly. You can read more about it here.
Cake or Champagne Tower – 5-10 minutes
After your meal, cutting your cake (after dinner) or drinking champagne from your champagne tower (right after your entrance) is another one of those epic highlights of your wedding day.
10 extraordinary minutes that you’ll love going back to again-and-again. So, cut (or drink) that beautiful creation like there’s no tomorrow, and don’t worry: I’ll be documenting every moment of it for you. A champagne tower provides a beautiful opportunity to go back into speeches by “raising a toast”. This can work really well at the start of the night right after your entrance aswell, to go entrance, champagne tower and it leads naturally into speeches…
Dancing – 2-3 hours+
Okay, the food is gone, the cake is cut – now what?
Well, I think you already know…
You’ve practiced your first dance countless times in your living room – now it’s time for you to show off those killer moves with grace and confidence!
After your first dance, you might want a father-daughter dance which accounts for another 5 minutes. But then, it’s only fair if you invite all of your guests to join in on the fun and hit the dance floor with you for 1-2 hours – or however long you want the party to keep on going! This section is totally your preference, but I found at-least an hour of dance floor coverage is all I need. So if you want to break it up a little see if your venue allows glow sticks, confetti inside, if you have lots of overhead lighting inside I can get some gorgeous shutter drag photos for a while to provide variety in your gallery, have fireworks outside, an outdoor fire-pit to mingle with your guests and get some candids with the family, have your extended family portraits done during this time, change into a short dress with a bow, and lets have some direct flash photos of you two here, go outside under the festoon lights for some gorgeous couple portraits, take some time off camera to yourselves, the night is yours!
Sparkler Exit – 30 minutes
A sparkler exit is like the grand finale of a fireworks display, but you get to be the center of attention. As you and your partner walk through that tunnel of dazzling lights, the vibrant energy from family and friends waving those twinkling wands just elevates the moment into pure magic.
Last Dance – 10 minutes
Your day is over – well, almost. It’s time for one final dance under the fairy lights. It’s just the two of you, with nobody watching (okay, I’ll be watching – but only through my lens, I promise).
One last romantic song, one long embrace, and one final sigh of pure bliss. You’ve done it. You’re finally married. And you’ve celebrated your love with a bang.
Final Tips
Finally, as a quick note, I just want to share a few more things that you might want to keep in mind when planning your wedding day.
First, make sure you factor your travel times into your schedule. Getting from one place to another is dependent on so many things, like distance, your means of transportation, and the traffic. Just try to account for that in advance to make sure you have one less thing to worry about on your big day.
Also, I usually recommend that my couples hire a wedding planner (IF your venue doesn’t provide one already). Sure, as your wedding photographer, I’m glad to help you with anything I can – and even more.
But my primary focus will always be on documenting your special day, your beautiful moments, and your favorite memories. Having someone tasked with planning & managing your special day will help make it a more stress-free and laid-back experience for everyone.
And just like that, we’ve floated through our dreamy wedding timeline together. Remember though: this is only a general guideline to help you plan your special day. But it’s your wedding, your rules – and you can always change anything to have the wedding of your dreams.
At the end of it all, what truly matters is the love you share with one another. So embrace every moment, because this is a day you’ll never forget.
If you’re still looking for the perfect wedding photographer to capture your perfect day, look no further. Get in touch to see if I’m still available for your date – and to discuss how I can help you bring your vision to life.
