How to create the best wedding day timeline
Your wedding is coming up, the vendors are booked, but how can you ensure everything goes according to plan? A well-planned wedding day timeline is a MUST HAVE for a stress-free and seamless celebration! Your timeline can cover everything from the vendor arrival times all the way to your last song. And well of course, ensuring you have all the time for your breathtaking photos and must-capture moments.
I want to ensure that you have sufficient time for all your wedding moments. So here are some tips to help you create the best timeline:
1. START PLANNING EARLY
It’s never too early to start drafting your timeline. You will feel less stressed with the task and it gives enough time for any adjustments. You’ll also need to reach out to specific vendors (like makeup and hair) to know how long they will need and factor that in.
2. GET GUIDANCE FROM THE PROS
If you have a wedding planner, get their professional input since they know all the ins and outs when it comes to coordinating big events and multiple vendors. Don’t hesitate to get advice from your photographer & videographer to ensure you have ample time (and photography coverage in your package) for your key moments. We are here to guide you on coordinating those formal family photos and recommending the best times for couples portraits before the sun goes down!
3. SET YOUR PRIORITIES
Decide what are the must-have moments to be captured on your day. Golden hour couples portraits? Large family and wedding party? Epic dance floor and reception surprises? Identifying these photo opps will help ensure there’s more than enough time and nothing is missed.
4. ACCOUNT FOR BUFFER TIME
Remember to account for time to travel between your locations or for expected pauses or possible delays. It happens, it’s better to be prepared.
5. TELL YOUR VENDORS
Either you or your wedding planner should communicate with all the vendors to ensure everyone is where they’re supposed to be. Think caterers, makeup artist, DJs, photographers, florists etc. Bonus tip: share the final timeline with an organized member of your family or wedding party so they can also keep track of the time.
6. DELEGATE!
I mentioned it above, give the responsibility to people you trust who can ensure that the bridal party is running on time. That way, you can relax and be fully present on your day.
7. BE FLEXIBLE
Yes timelines are essential to us organized kweens, but remember to stay adaptable and know that minor adjustments may occur due to unexpected circumstances. That’s also what the buffers are for!
Need help deciding how much photography coverage you might require? Here’s a helpful time guide that I share with my clients:
Getting ready prep (at hotel or home): 60-90 minutes
First look & couple portraits: 20-30 minutes
Formal portraits before the ceremony (like wedding party or family): I’d say give yourself 30-60 minutes. If you don’t do any pre-ceremony portraits, they will be done after the ceremony and before the reception
Ceremony: this all depends on the amount of formalities, so I would say it can range from 15-60 minutes
Formal Portraits (if you opted to not do any before the ceremony. Again this would depend on the size of your families and number of photos you want): 30-60 minutes
Couple portraits: at least 30-45 minutes - this is the ONE time of the day its just you two!! We’re not just taking pictures, it’s also a moment to relax without others around
Reception entrance and speeches: Usually around 20-40 minutes based on how many people are speaking
Cake cutting, first dances: 15-20 minutes
Dance floor action: 60-120 minutes. Usually you don’t need more than this since everyone will have a few drinks in them and nothing major will change on the dance floor. Of course, if you have any special surprises in the reception, let your photographer know to determine how and when it’s best to be captured
There you have it! Just remember this doesn’t account for travel time between locations. So keep all this in mind when planning your day.
