If you're anything like me, you have no idea where to start when it comes to planning out and writing down your wedding day timeline. I was so ahead of the game in my wedding planning in every way except for this whole timeline thing. To put it simply, I was a hot mess each of the dozen times I even attempted to put a comprehensive schedule together. Luckily, I did know what parts of our day were most important to me and my now hubby and HAD to be photographed, so I planned around the timing of those events.

Generally, a full day of wedding day coverage includes the following:

Wedding Day preparation (hair, makeup, getting dressed, etc.)
First Look or No Peeking sessions
Bridal portraits of Bride & Groom (or Bride & Bride / Groom & Groom)
Bridal Party portraits/formals
Ceremony
Family portraits/formals
Reception

Looking at this list probably makes you think, "I should be good with just a few hours of photography coverage." Let's take a closer look at the details. I've put together a sample timeline featuring 6 hours of photography coverage, which you'll find below:

SAMPLE WEDDING DAY TIMELINE WITH 6 HOURS OF PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE

3:30 Tail end of getting ready candids of Bride & Groom
4:45 First Look session at the park (15 minute drive from preparation location)
  -Solo portraits of Bride & Groom together
5:00 Bridal Party portraits at the park
-Full bridal party
-Bride & Groom with flower girl & ring bearer
-Bride & flower girl
-Bride & ring bearer
-Groom & flower girl
-Groom & ring bearer
-Bride & bridesmaids
-Bride & groomsmen
-Groom & groomsmen
-Groom & bridesmaids
5:30 Portraits are finished, bridal party drives to ceremony location to freshen up (30 minute drive)
6:30-7:00 Ceremony
7:00-7:30 Receiving Line (maybe longer; 200 guests means 30+ minutes!)
7:30 Family portraits
  Bride's Family
-Bride & Groom with Bride's parents
-Bride & her parents
-Bride & mother
-Bride & father
-Bride & her siblings
-Bride & Groom with Bride's siblings & spouses (children included)
-Bride & grandparents
  Groom's Family
-Bride & Groom with Groom's parents
-Groom & his parents
-Groom & mother
-Groom & father
-Groom & his siblings
-Groom & Groom with Groom's siblings & spouses (children included)
-Groom & grandparents
8:00 Leave ceremony location for reception location (10 minute drive)
8:15 Bridal party enters reception
8:20 First Dance
8:30 Dinner, toasts and speeches
9:00 Parent dances
9:10 Cake cutting
9:15 Bouquet & garter tosses
9:30 Photographer exits

Pretty detailed, right? And the above schedule is an on time schedule! Could you imagine if anything or anyone was running late? This timeline only left 15 minutes for solo portraits of the Bride & Groom (I usually like to grab them for an hour or so to do these portraits, even if it is split up into smaller time frames throughout the day)! In all reality, wedding days are never on time, and do have little hiccups that can cause a set back in the timeline. As you are planning your wedding, keep the above list and time frames in mind. Every wedding is different (which is what makes it uniquely yours!), but my general recommendation is to never go for less than 6 hours of photography coverage if your shot list looks like something I have laid out above.

Of course I've also photographed weddings for 8 or more hours. Usually, the longer the photography coverage, the easier the wedding day photo timeline plays out. Below is the same shot list from the 6 hour timeline, but with 8 hours of photography coverage:

SAMPLE WEDDING DAY TIMELINE WITH 8 HOURS OF PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE

1:30 Tail end of getting ready candids of Bride & Groom
2:45 First Look session at the park (15 minute drive from preparation location)
-Solo portraits of Bride & Groom
3:30 Bridal Party portraits at the park
-Full bridal party
-Bride & Groom with flower girl & ring bearer
-Bride & flower girl
-Bride & ring bearer
-Groom & flower girl
-Groom & ring bearer
-Bride & bridesmaids
-Bride & groomsmen
-Groom & groomsmen
-Groom & bridesmaids
4:00 Portraits are finished, bridal party drives to ceremony location to freshen up (30 minute drive)
5:00-5:30 Ceremony
5:30-6:00 Receiving Line
6:00 Family portraits
Bride's Family
-Bride & Groom with Bride's parents
-Bride & her parents
-Bride & mother
-Bride & father
-Bride & her siblings
-Bride & Groom with Bride's siblings & spouses (children included)
-Bride & grandparents
Groom's Family
-Bride & Groom with Groom's parents
-Groom & his parents
-Groom & mother
-Groom & father
-Groom & his siblings
-Groom & Groom with Groom's siblings & spouses (children included)
-Groom & grandparents
6:30 Additional solo portraits of Bride & Groom
6:45 Leave ceremony location for reception location (10 minute drive)
7:30 Bridal party enters reception
7:35 First Dance
7:45 Dinner, toasts and speeches
8:30 Parent dances
9:00 Cake cutting
9:15 Bouquet & garter tosses
9:30 Photographer exits

Wow... right? What a difference there is between the two timelines. Overall, the 8 hour timeline is less jam packed with wedding day events, allowing you and your soon-to-be husband or wife to enjoy your day. And you should! Your wedding day should be stress free (because all of the stress came during the planning process)! From my experience as both a photographer and a bride, longer coverage allows for more time to relax. The wedding party didn't have to worry about the next event around each corner, and they had more time to enjoy the party.

So remember, while planning out your timeline, don't forget to take the following things into consideration:

Starting your timeline- The ceremony start time decides it all. Plan out your timeline around the ceremony, so you know when to start getting ready, when you can carve out time for bridal portraits, formal photographs, etc.
Lighting & Weather- An hour or so before sunset is the best time for outdoor photographs (i.e. solo portraits of the Bride & Groom). During the spring and summer months, when the days are longer, it's easier to get more outdoor photographs. Also, the word that should not be said on a wedding day: RAIN. Have a backup plan and/or location in case of inclement weather. *Note: If you're up for it, I'm not totally against doing some out outdoor shots in the light rain or snow!
Shot list- What photos do you and your partner want captured on your wedding day?
Number of locations- How many locations will you be traveling to for photography purposes? If possible, choose locations that are closer together to cut down on travel time.
Travel time- How long does it take to get from one location to the next? **Be sure to account for potential traffic, especially if your wedding falls on a holiday weekend.
Wedding party & family sizes- Bigger wedding parties and families means it takes more time to get everyone together for portraits. Some members get a little restless or even cranky (especially young children, which is why it's best to photograph them first). I like to tell my couples to nominate someone who is familiar with everyone in each grouping so they can gather them for each group photo. Doing so helps to keep us on schedule.
Remember that your wedding day only comes once. Your wedding photographs are a way for you to remember it all forever!
Have more questions? Just ask! I'm more than happy to help you write out a timeline to ensure we capture the details of your day!