Hello my wedding planning compadres! And welcome back to my blog 🥰
Today we’re going to be exploring wedding day timelines and I’ll also be giving you some sample timelines you can incorporate as you plan your wedding. Many couples wonder how many hours they’re needing a photographer for and how long each part of the day takes, so I figured this would be a great way to help you in figuring that out!
Common Wedding Events & How Long They Take
Below are some events that most weddings have in common and how long each segment takes to photograph from start to finish. This will help you in figuring out how many hours of wedding day coverage you’ll be needing–you can easily add up the times and then BOOM! You’ll have a better idea as to how many hours you need to book your photographer for!
Bridal details and getting ready photographs ~ 1-1.5 hours (this is where your photographer will take the most time during the wedding day–they’ll be styling your detail items [vow books, invitation suite, jewelry, veil etc] and they’ll be photographing the makeup final touches, or figuring out where/how to hang your dress for the classic dress shot)
Groom getting ready ~ 30 minutes
Bride getting in gown ~ 30 minutes
First look & portraits ~ 20-30 minutes
Bridesmaid’s photos ~ 15 minutes
Groomsmen photos ~ 15 minutes
Ceremony details ~ 20 minutes
Ceremony ~ 30 minutes
Family photos ~ 30-45 minutes (depending on how big the family is, i.e if you’ll be doing extended family photos or just immediate family)
Full bridal party photos ~ 15 minutes
Romantic portraits with couple ~ 30-45 minutes
Cocktail hour ~ 20 minutes
Reception photos before guests are let in ~ 20 minutes
Grand entrance ~ 5 minutes
First dance ~ 2 minutes
Dinner ~ 20-30 minutes (usually photographers take dinner break during this time)
Toasts ~ 15 minutes
Formal Dances ~ 5-10 minutes
Golden Hour/Sunset photos ~ 10-15 minutes
Open Dancing ~ 30 minutes
Grand exit ~ 15 minutes
1st Sample Wedding Day Timeline
Now that we’ve chatted about how long each portion of the day can take (usually), let’s get in to some sample wedding day timelines!
8 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage (no first look, no second photographer, & 7:30 sunset)
12:00-1:30pm-Bridal details
1:30-2pm-Groom details
2:00-2:30pm-Bride getting in dress shots
2:30-3pm-Groomsmen photos
3:00-3:30pm-Bridesmaid photos
3:30-4pm-Bride in hiding, Ceremony details
4:00-4:30pm-Ceremony
4:30-5pm-Family Photos
5:00-5:15pm-Full Wedding Party photos
5:15-5:45pm-Couple’s Portraits
5:45pm-Break before grand entrance
5:55pm-Grand Entrance
6:00pm-Dinner starts
6:30pm-Toasts start & continue through out dinner while guests eat (couple eat first and are done eating by the time the toasts start)
7:00pm-Couple sneak out for sunset portraits (for 10-15 mins an hour before the sun sets)
7:15pm-First dance
7:20pm-Parent dance
7:25pm-Parent dance
7:35pm-Cake cutting
8:00pm-Grand/Sparkler exit
8:05pm-Photographer departs
2nd Sample Wedding Day Timeline
Here’s a wedding day timeline that is fairly typical:
10 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage (with a 1st look & second photographer & 8:00 sunset)
11:00am-12:00pm Bridal details and getting ready photographs
11:30am-12:00pm Second photographer covers groom getting ready
12:00-12:30pm Bride gets in gown
12:45-1:15pm First look
1:15-1:45pm Bridesmaid photos
1:45-2:00pm Groomsmen photos
2:00-2:30pm Ceremony Details
2:30-3:00pm Ceremony
3:00-3:30pm Family Photos
3:30-3:45pm Full bridal party photos
3:45-4:15pm Romantic portraits with couple
3:30-4:00pm Second photographer covers cocktail hour
4:00-4:30pm Second photographer covers reception photos before guests are let in
4:45-5:00pm Grand entrance, first dance & welcome toast
5:00-5:30pm Dinner
5:30-5:45pm Toasts
6:00-6:15pm Dances & Cake Cutting
6:15-7:00pm Dance floor opens
7:15pm-Couple sneak out for sunset portraits (for 10-15 mins an hour before the sun sets)
7:30-9:00pm-Photographers depart
Conclusion
And there you have it! 2 different sample timelines that should give you a better idea on how much coverage you need, how long each segment of the day is, and when to start important parts of the day (ceremony, dinner, etc)
If you’d like even more help and resources on how to plan your big day, I offer a complimentary 70+ wedding day guide to all couples who book me as their photographer! Be sure to fill out a contact form here for more info.
