Tips for Creating Your Own Wedding Timeline
Planning your wedding day can be a whirlwind, but having a well-thought-out timeline can help everything flow smoothly, even when things inevitably run a bit behind. Anna Shastie Photography here to help you craft the perfect timeline for your special day, taking into account the unique details of your wedding season—whether it’s a crisp fall day, a cozy winter evening, a blooming spring afternoon, or a warm summer night.
Key Questions to Consider:
- What time does the sun set on your wedding day?
- Are you planning to have a first look?
- Does your venue allow flexibility with the ceremony start time?
These are crucial questions that can shape your timeline, especially if your ceremony and reception are in the same location.
How to Allocate Time on Your Wedding Day
Before diving into seasonal specifics, let’s talk about how much time different parts of the day typically take.
Depending on whether you’re having a first look or need to travel between locations, I usually start photographing around 4-5 hours before the ceremony.
- 1 Hour for details and getting ready: I love capturing those special details—your dress, shoes, jewelry, and invitations—while you’re in the final stages of hair and makeup.
- 30 Minutes for getting dressed: This is a beautiful moment to photograph, especially with your closest family and friends around.
- 30 Minutes for the first look: If you’re doing this at a different location, be sure to account for travel time.
- 15-30 Minutes for family photos: Whether before or after the ceremony, these moments with your families are precious.
- 30 Minutes for bridal party portraits: These can happen before the ceremony if you’ve done a first look.
- 20 Minutes for sunset portraits: Don’t miss this magical time for photos! Depending on the season, we might capture these during cocktail hour or later in the evening.
- Travel Time: If everything is happening at one location, great! If not, it’s essential to plan for how everyone will get from place to place.
The First Look!!!
Ah, the first look—a moment that’s both intimate and practical. If you’re eager for a variety of portraits and want to make the most of your time, I highly recommend it. Couples who choose a first look often get more photos in different settings, adding to the variety and richness of their wedding album.
If You Prefer Not to Have a First Look
No worries! If you’d rather not see each other before the ceremony, but still want plenty of photos, consider a summer wedding. The longer daylight hours give us more time for portraits after the ceremony.
Considering a Sunset Ceremony?
Sunset ceremonies are incredibly romantic, with soft, flattering light that creates stunning images. If this is your plan, I suggest doing a first look to ensure we have enough daylight for all your portraits.
Quick Tips for Creating Your Own Timeline
Here are a few shortcuts to help you get started:
- For fall and winter weddings, plan your ceremony about an hour and a half before sunset.
- If you’re doing a first look, start your pre-ceremony photos about 4 hours before the ceremony.
- Without a first look, start your pre-ceremony photos 3 hours before the ceremony.
Seasonal Wedding Timeline Examples
Whether you’re getting married in the fall, winter, spring, or summer, each season has its unique charm—and timeline considerations.
- Fall Wedding: With an October 15th date and a 6:50 PM sunset, aim for a 5:00 PM ceremony start.
- Winter Wedding: For a January 15th date with a 5:52 PM sunset, consider a 3:30 PM ceremony start.
- Spring Wedding: On April 15th, with a 7:44 PM sunset, a 5:00 PM ceremony works well.
- Summer Wedding: With a July 15th date and an 8:25 PM sunset, a 5:00 PM ceremony gives you plenty of time for everything.
Here are some sample timelines to give you an idea:
FALL WEDDING TIMELINE WITHOUT A FIRST LOOK
6:50 PM Sunset in Florida
Ideal Ceremony Time – 5:00 PM
- 2:00 PM: Details and getting ready
- 3:00 PM: Get dressed
- 3:30 PM: Individual family photos
- 4:10 PM: Bridal party photos
- 4:40 PM: Pre-ceremony portraits conclude / photograph ceremony site and guests entering
- 5:10 PM: Ceremony (30 minutes)
- 5:40 – 6:00 PM: Family portraits
- 6:00 – 6:20 PM: Bridal party portraits
- 6:20 – 6:40 PM: Married couple portraits
- 6:55 PM: Grand entrance into reception
FALL WEDDING TIMELINE WITH A FIRST LOOK
- Ideal Ceremony Time: 5:00 PM
- 1:30 PM: Details and getting ready
- 2:30 PM: Get dressed
- 3:00 PM: First look
- 3:45 PM: Individual family photos, followed by combined family photos
- 4:30 PM: Bridal party photos
- 5:00 PM: Ceremony (30 minutes)
- 5:30 – 6:00 PM: Any additional family portraits / bridal party portraits the couple wants
- 6:00 – 6:30 PM: Married couple portraits
- 6:50 PM: Grand entrance into reception
WINTER WEDDING TIMELINE WITHOUT A FIRST LOOK
5:50 PM Sunset in Florida
Ideal ceremony time 4:00 -4:15 PM
- 1:15 PM: Details and getting ready
- 2:15 PM: Get dressed
- 2:45 PM: Individual family photos
- 3:15 PM: Bridal party photos
- 3:45 PM: Pre-ceremony portraits conclude / photograph ceremony site and guests arriving
- 4:15 PM: Ceremony (30 minutes)
- 4:45 – 5:05 PM: Family portraits
- 5:05 – 5:25 PM: Bridal party portraits
- 5:25 – 5:45 PM: Married couple portraits
- 6:00 PM: Grand entrance into reception
WINTER WEDDING TIMELINE WITH A FIRST LOOK
- Ideal ceremony time: 4:15 PM
- 12:45 PM: Details and getting ready
- 1:45 PM: Get dressed
- 2:15 PM: First look
- 3:00 PM: Individual family photos, followed by combined family photos
- 3:45 PM: Bridal party photos
- 4:15 PM: Ceremony (30 minutes)
- 4:45 – 5:15 PM: Any additional family portraits / bridal party portraits the couple wants
- 5:15 – 5:45 PM: Married couple portraits
- 6:00 PM: Grand entrance into reception
SPRING WEDDING TIMELINE WITHOUT A FIRST LOOK
7:50 PM sunset in Florida
- Ideal ceremony time: 6:00 PM
- 3:00 PM: Details and getting ready
- 4:00 PM: Get dressed
- 4:30 PM: Individual family photos
- 5:00 PM: Bridal party photos
- 5:30 PM: Pre-ceremony portraits conclude / photograph ceremony site and guests arriving
- 6:00 PM: Ceremony (30 minutes)
- 6:30 – 6:50 PM: Family portraits
- 6:50 – 7:10 PM: Bridal party portraits
- 7:10 – 7:45 PM: Married couple portraits
- 8:00 PM: Grand entrance into reception
SPRING WEDDING TIMELINE WITH A FIRST LOOK
7:50 PM sunset in Florida
- Ideal ceremony time: 6:00 PM
- 2:00 PM: Details and getting ready
- 3:00 PM: Get dressed
- 3:30 PM: First look
- 4:15 PM: Individual family photos, followed by combined family photos
- 5:00 PM: Bridal party photos
- 5:30 PM: Pre-ceremony portraits conclude / photograph ceremony site and guests arriving
- 6:00 PM: Ceremony (30 minutes)
- 6:30 – 7:00 PM: Any additional family portraits / bridal party portraits the couple wants
- 7:00 – 7:45 PM: Married couple portraits
- 8:00 PM: Grand entrance into reception
SUMMER WEDDING TIMELINE WITHOUT A FIRST LOOK
8:20 PM sunset in Florida
- Likely ceremony time: 5:30 PM
- 2:30 PM: Details and getting ready
- 3:30 PM: Get dressed
- 4:00 PM: Individual family photos
- 4:30 PM: Bridal party photos
- 5:00 PM: Pre-ceremony portraits conclude / photograph ceremony site and guests entering
- 5:30 PM: Ceremony (30 minutes)
- 6:00 – 6:20 PM: Family portraits
- 6:20 – 6:40 PM: Bridal party portraits
- 6:40 – 7:15 PM: Married couple portraits
- 7:30 PM: Grand entrance into reception
- 8:15 PM: Sunset portraits with married couple
SUMMER WEDDING TIMELINE WITH A FIRST LOOK
8:20 PM sunset in Florida
- Likely ceremony time: 5:30 PM
- 1:30 PM: Details and getting ready
- 2:30 PM: Get dressed
- 3:00 PM: First look
- 3:45 PM: Individual family photos, followed by combined family photos
- 4:30 PM: Bridal party photos
- 5:00 PM: Pre-ceremony portraits conclude / photograph ceremony site and guests entering
- 5:30 PM: Ceremony (30 minutes)
- 6:00 – 6:30 PM: Any additional family portraits / bridal party portraits the couple wants
- 6:30 – 7:15 PM: Married couple portraits
- 7:30 PM: Grand entrance into reception
- 8:15 PM: Sunset portraits with married couple
Anna Shastie Photo
Wedding Timeline Guide
Typically, I provide coverage for six, eight or ten hours, so this sample timeline fits within that framework.
Adjust it based on your specific needs and preferences!
A Few Tips for Your Reception Timeline
Every couple's reception is unique, so this timeline is a guideline to help you get started. If your photographer, like myself, concludes coverage before the end of the event, plan your last major reception activity 30 minutes before they leave.
This buffer ensures that everything runs smoothly even if there are minor delays.
Eight hours is a typical wedding photography collection for the couples I work with; below is a sample reception timeline added to the Winter Wedding Timeline above to help guide You.
Winter Wedding Reception Timeline with a First Look
( 5:30 PM Sunset )
- 12:30 PM: Details and getting ready
- 1:30 PM: Get dressed
- 2:00 PM: First look
- 2:45 PM: Individual family photos, followed by combined family photos
- 3:30 PM: Bridal party photos
- 3:45 PM: Pre-ceremony portraits conclude / photograph ceremony site and guests entering
- 4:00 PM: Ceremony (30 minutes)
- 4:30 – 5:00 PM: Any additional family portraits / bridal party portraits the couple wants
- 5:00 – 5:30 PM: Married couple portraits (Golden hour)
- 5:45 PM: Grand entrance into reception
- 5:50 PM: Couples’ first dance
- 5:55 PM: Toasts
- 6:00 PM: Dinner
- 6:30 PM: Father/daughter and mother/son dance
- 6:45 PM: Additional toasts
- 7:00 PM: Bouquet and garter toss
- 7:15 PM: Cake cutting, followed by open dance
- 7:30 PM: Photography concludes
This timeline ensures you capture all the important moments while making the most of the natural light during your winter wedding. Adjustments can be made to fit your specific needs and preferences.
Each couple has an individual approach to their day and these are meant to be guidelines in the initial stages of your wedding planning!
