DAY-Of WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY TIMELINE | IDEAL TIMES FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

With the diversity of the cultural aspects of our weddings, it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact wedding photography timeline template. However, there are ideal time frames you should consider when planning your day. Some of these times may seem long on paper but keep in mind that:

1. The day will fly by.

2. Most weddings run slightly behind schedule.

3. We’ll make these photo sessions fun, so it won’t seem like a long time.

RINGS, DRESS, SHOES, AND OTHER DETAILS

• Ideal Time Allotment – 30 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Morning

• Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite

Advice – Having at least 30 minutes for details ensures that we have plenty of time to get that perfect photo of the dress, rings, shoes, bouquets, and the other details of the day.

There are times when a hotel room is too crowded or simply unappealing; we have to take the dress all the way down to the lobby or even outside. This can take some time, but as you can see from the results, it’s well worth the additional work.

PREPARATION

• Ideal Time Allotment – 60 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Early Afternoon

• Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite

Advice – Having an hour of preparation is ideal for our style. During this time, we are getting close-ups of the makeup and hair being applied as well as the candid moments and the bridesmaids and groomsmen getting ready for the day. These are some of the most emotional and fun times of the day, so you don’t want to cut it short.

The lead shooter will be with the bride while the second shooter will be with the groom. While it doesn’t take guys an hour to get dressed, there are still tons of great moments during this time between the groom and his family and friends.

INDIVIDUAL PORTRAITS

• Ideal Time Allotment – 30 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Early Afternoon

• Ideal Location – Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite, Venue Lobby, or Venue Garden

Advice – Right after prep is the best time for individual portraits of the bride and groom (separately). Besides makeup and hair being completely fresh, the day hasn’t gotten hectic yet so we can take our time and get those perfect portraits.

The window lighting in most hotel rooms creates a unique look that can’t be duplicated later in the day.

FIRST LOOK AND DAYTIME COUPLES SESSION

• Ideal Time Allotment – 45-60 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Early Afternoon

• Ideal Location – Venue Garden, Empty Venue Hallway (shaded areas with natural light)

Advice – The first look should be around 45-60 minutes. During this time, the bride and groom enjoy seeing each other for the first time on the wedding day. While the actual first look might only be 5-10 minutes, the rest of the time is spent on a few basic portraits of the bride and groom.

Ideally, we are saving the bulk of the couples session for later (see the “couples session” section below). However, if there is no other time in the day, it is best to allocate another 45 minutes to an hour here to make sure we have enough photos of just you two.

WEDDING PARTY PHOTOS

• Ideal Time Allotment – 45-60 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Afternoon

• Ideal Location – Venue Lobby, Venue Garden, Beach, Park, Off-site Location

Advice – Wedding Party Photos should be around 45 minutes to 1 hour. During this time, we get a variety of shots in a variety of poses. We start off with the basic, classic photos focused on great expressions and lighting.

Then we move into a set of fun and creative shots. We also make sure to get pictures with you and each one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen individually.

IMMEDIATE FAMILY

• Ideal Time Allotment – 30-45 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Afternoon

• Ideal Location – Venue Lobby, Venue Garden, Beach, Park, Off-site Location

Advice – Immediate Family Photos should take another 45 minutes. It’s important to have additional images with your parents, grandparents, and siblings beyond the basic formals.

Plan on 3 minutes per group on average. For example, if you have 10 groups, schedule a 30-minute time slot. We want to ensure we’re capturing enough pictures with immediate family.

CEREMONY DETAIL AND VENUE

• Ideal Time Allotment – 15 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Afternoon

• Ideal Location – Ceremony Site

Advice – Please allow 15 minutes for us to take pictures of the ceremony site, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area. This is when we capture all the details you’ve spent so much time planning. We also take this time to find the best angles and lighting for the ceremony.

CEREMONY SERVICE

• Ideal Time Allotment – 30 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Afternoon

• Ideal Location – Ceremony Site

RECEPTION DETAIL AND VENUE

• Ideal Time Allotment – 15 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Early Evening

• Ideal Location – Reception Site

Advice – Please allow 15 minutes for us to take pictures of the reception room, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area. We want to capture the details and ambiance before guests enter, which are important parts of your wedding story.

FORMAL FAMILY GROUP PHOTOS

• Ideal Time Allotment – 45 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Early Evening (after the ceremony)

• Ideal Location – Ceremony Site

Advice – This is when we’ll take family photos with both sides of the family, typically immediately following the ceremony. Plan for at least 3 minutes per group to ensure everyone is included and organized. We’ll arrange for both formal and candid family moments.

RECEPTION FIRST LOOK

• Ideal Time Allotment – 10-15 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – At the end of Cocktail Hour before doors open for guests

• Ideal Location – Reception Site

Advice – This is when the reception space is revealed to the couple for the first time. It’s a great opportunity to capture a genuine reaction, as well as a moment alone with the dance floor to practice your first dance, which also makes a great photo!

COUPLES SESSION (AFTER CEREMONY)

• Ideal Time Allotment – 45 minutes to 1 hour

• Ideal Time of the Day – Late Afternoon or Early Evening

• Ideal Location – Around the Venue

Advice – This is the best time for the couple’s portraits. With the warm, softer lighting of late afternoon or early evening, we’ll have ideal conditions for intimate, candid moments. If time is limited, we’ll work with you to prioritize shots and make sure you get the photos you want most.

SUNSET COUPLES SESSION

• Ideal Time Allotment – 20-30 minutes

• Ideal Time of the Day – Around Sunset

• Ideal Location – Around the Venue

Advice – If the timing aligns, we highly recommend setting aside 20-30 minutes for sunset portraits. The golden hour lighting adds a stunning natural glow to photos, creating some of the most memorable images of the day.

RECEPTION ROOM – “OPEN DANCING” PHOTOS

• Ideal Time Allotment – 2 hours

• Ideal Time of the Day – Evening

• Ideal Location – Reception Site

Advice – Once the dance floor opens, we’ll capture guests having a blast. Expect a mix of candid shots, close-ups, and crowd photos to capture the energy and joy of the evening.

ADDITIONAL WEDDING DAY DETAILS

Table Shots – Table shots are when you go around visiting tables. There are two options for photography during this time. (1) You can take formal pictures with each of these tables or (2) we can simply focus on photojournalism, capturing the smiles and hugs as you mingle with each table. If you’re planning on doing formal table shots, please keep in mind that these will take about 3-5 minutes per table.  For example 20 tables would require 60-100 minutes of time.