Wedding Love: The Wedding Day Timeline

Often questions about the Wedding Day timeline will come up in initial meetings with couples. The best I can do is give potential couples estimates about time as they are usually in the preliminary planning stages of their wedding and don't have a solid idea of when things might happen. Without concrete details about when a Ceremony might take place or when a Reception may begin it's hard to give them realistic times. What I usually advise couples is how long I like to spend with the Bride and Groom their Families and the Bridal Party. Since this question gets asked a lot, I thought I'd share my thoughts on what an ideal Wedding Day timeline looks like!

I like to start the day with the Bride (my second shooter with the Groom) about an hour or two before anything major happens, such as the First Look or the Ceremony. I use this time to photograph any details like the dress, veil, bouquet, bridesmaid dresses, shoes and more. In order to get creative and unique images I like to have time to walk around the area, go outside, or rearrange furniture. This requires time, and I'd rather not add any stress to the day by rushing around trying to photograph things.

I also want time to photograph the Bride getting into her dress and time to photograph her alone in all her bridal beauty! There is usually this, "I'm getting married!!" moment that fills the room just after the Bride gets into her dress. Having time to calmly capture this moment is a lot of fun!

After the Bride is ready and in her dress, we will make our way to the First Look or the Ceremony. Ideally I love when couple's choose to have a First Look and so I'll base this example as if this imaginary couple is having one:)

The First Look typically happens about an hour or two before the actual Ceremony.  I want to budget for time for the couple to relax or freshen up,  so we're not shooting straight up to the ceremony time. Typically the couple will allot half and hour for their First Look. Often they'll also budget in time to have the Family Formals and possibly the Bridal Party Formals taken before the Ceremony as well. I spend around half an hour with the Family and half and hour with the Bridal Party (all depending on the size).

Following the Ceremony, if the couple would like more portraits we'll wander off and do that while my second photographer will spend time at the Cocktail Hour, mingling with guests. If the couple did not choose to have any Family Formals taken before the Ceremony, we'll use this time to rock those out.

Following the Cocktail Hour we will typically go with the flow of the reception and just photograph things as they happen. I don't normally try and influence when things happen throughout this part of the night and typically will consult with the DJ to find out when things have been scheduled.

Here is an hourly breakdown of an "ideal" Wedding Day timeline with a First Look:

1:00pm - Getting Ready

3:00pm - First Look

3:45pm - Family Formals

4:30pm - Ceremony

5:00pm - 6:00pm -- Cocktail Hour

5:00pm - Bridal Party Portraits

5:30pm - More Bride and Groom Portraits, if requested

6:00pm - Start of the reception

Now I realize that not every couple wants to have a First Look. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and traditions so everyone has a varying opinion on the matter. If you don't choose to have a First Look that's ok! But keep in mind that you're timeline will need to be adjusted to make room for all the photos to be taken following the Ceremony.

Here's a hourly breakdown of an "ideal" Wedding Day timeline without a First Look:

1:30pm - Getting Ready

3:30pm - Ceremony

4:00pm - 5:30pm - Cocktail Hour

4:00pm - Family Formals

4:30pm - Bridal Party

5:00pm - Bride and Groom Portraits

5:30pm - Start of the reception

When you go to plan out your day, make realistic adjustments when it comes to your photography. To get images that you see on my blog and on my website, I need TIME to spend with you. I cannot create unique and creative images that represent the couple, if we only have ten minutes to spend together. We time for you to be able to relax and simply enjoy each other. We need time to walk around the property to find good light and good locations. We need time to budget for guests who may arrive late or get lost (which happens at EVERY wedding). We need time to relax.

Every couple I work with is given a Wedding Questionnaire two months before the Wedding. We create at timeline that best suites your needs for your Wedding Day that also allots enough time for photography based on my suggestions above. Ultimately you want to create a timeline that creates a stress-free and complication-free environment. Communicating with your wedding planner, officiant, and venue coordinator (well BEFORE your wedding) about your expectations and what you desire will help do just that!:)

Here is a photo from Brian & Lisa's wedding day this summer. This is a beautiful candid moment from their First Look :)

Wedding Love: Favorite Memories

There are some memories from our wedding day that I keep tucked away in my heart. Memories that I will bring to the forefront of my mind when I need a pick me up or a reminder of all that is good in life. Like the time when Dave and I were connected by a string of spit or the screams of my bridesmaids as they feared getting struck by lighting. Of course I'll always remember arriving in style in my Uncle's decorated van or breathing into a paper bag before I walked down the aisle. So many to special memories to choose from.

But my favorite memory above all is sharing a dance with my Dad. My Dad is not the overly emotional type, he's a typical New Englander. I'd never danced with my Dad before (except if you count standing on his feet dancing) so I had no idea what to expect. I left the job up to my dad to pick a song. As the first note began to sound he whisked me onto the dance floor and twirled me around. I felt like I was five, standing on his feet, all over again.

He chose "Too Marvelous For Words" by Frank Sinatra. A perfectly wonderful song for someone who doesn't like to dance (it's only 2 minutes long.) But more than that, the lyrics are simple and beautiful and mean so much to me. Dancing with my Dad for that short two minutes as Frank Sinatra serenaded us around the dance floor is my favorite memory from our wedding day. Nothing could have meant more.

Here I am dancing with my Dad.

Here's a video of Sinatra signing "Too Marvelous For Words". Ignore the weird dancing through columns thing and the fact the forgot a few words and just enjoy Sinatra's velvet voice:)

Of course wedding day details are important, the little things that make the day flow are important, all your planning is important. But don't forget to take a few minutes throughout the day to just forget all that and remember what it feels like on your wedding day. Try to capture slices of the day and tuck them away into your heart. Then when you need them most, you can reach in and relive each precious moment, just as if it just happened. You can relive exactly how you felt that day. What could be better? What's your favorite memory from your wedding day? What are you looking forward to most?