Wedding Photo Timeline
This is the part that can be somewhat intimidating! The TIMELINE! I know this isn’t the most exciting aspect of the wedding day but this is the one thing that can make or break your photography! While this will outline an ideal wedding day working off of a 6pm ceremony time frame of 8 hours of photography…. you can count on Luque Photography to help you build an ideal timeline the closer we get to your wedding date. This ideal timeline is also based off of a wedding day that includes a first look. 70% of my couples choose to do a first look and you can read more about that option in this blog. However, we want to make it perfectly clear that we in no way will ever pressure or force you to choose the first look option. If we haven’t talked about it yet, feel free to contact us and we can go over some pro’s and con’s about doing a First Look. Remember that all wedding days are different and your timeline may differ due to travel times and unique situations.
Details 2:15-3:15
Every bride loves having those beautiful shots of her bridal details. It’s an important part of the story and we love having some time to shoot the dress, shoes, jewelry, invitations, etc. These shots allow us to get warmed up for the rest of the big day. We normally like to allow at least 45 minutes for this part of the day. While we’re shooting details, We’re also capturing some shots of the bride and her girls getting ready! If the groom is getting ready nearby, Luis will begin photographing the dudes getting ready close to 40 minutes before the first look since it always takes them less time to get dressed!
Bridal Prep 3:15-3:45
After the details have been photographed, it’s time for the bride to get into her dress! This is a big moment! I usually ask the mother of the bride and all of the bridesmaids be dressed by the time the bride is ready to get into her dress. This ensures that everyone will look nice in those images. After the bride is in her gown, she can put on her jewelry, veil, shoes, etc and if there is time, Luis will shoot some additional bridal portraits .
First Look 4:00
This is one of our favorite parts of the wedding day! We will find the perfect location for my couple’s First Look! Don’t stress about that one bit! I will make sure the location is private and as secluded as possible .
Portraits 4:15 – 4:45
After the bride and groom take their time with the First Look, I will begin taking a few romantic portraits of the two of them while the initial excitement is still present! I will find the locations for these shots as well! Remember, the LIGHT determines where we shoot and so I can’t decide on portrait locations until the day-of. As we shoot these portraits, the bridal party can start making their way to us for Bridal Party portraits!
Bridal party portraits 4:50-5:20
Now it’s time for Bridal Party shots! I buffer in extra time throughout the day just in case we have some unexpected things that hold us up! One way to make sure we stay on schedule for bridal party portraits is to have someone put the boutonniere on the guys BEFORE they arrive for portraits. During Bridal Party portraits, we will make sure to take some great shots of the guys and girls both separately AND together!
Bride in hiding! 5:30-6:00
After bridal party portraits are complete, the bride will go into hiding so that early guests don’t sneak a peek and the ushers will begin their duties.
Hidden details 5:30 – 6:00
Typically this is the point in the day where we like to “ hide the couple”. You will always have guests that arrive super early so we try to avoid seeing them as much as possible. While you are hidden, we will take that time to assess the ceremony space, as well as shoot any details there before your guests start sitting down. This is also a great opportunity for us to get pictures of your guests anxiously waiting for the couple’s arrival.
Ceremony 6:00-6:30
It’s time to get married!! Most ceremonies are 30 minutes long. If your ceremony is longer than 30 mins, we’ll make adjustments to the timeline! Cherish these moments! Your ceremony will pass by so quickly!
Family, Portraits 6:40-7:10
Family formals normally take place immediately following the ceremony. It’s best to save all of the family formals until after the ceremony because ALL family members will be present at that time. We’ll need about 30 minutes for family formals and we will discuss the details before the wedding where you can list out the shots that you want. I recommend shooting portraits outdoors if possible so that they resemble more natural family portraits, especially if the ceremony location is dark!
Reception details 7:15 – 7:30
During this time while you are enjoying your cocktail hour, we will head into your reception space to capture all of the details that you spent so much time planning out. Shooting during this time is ideal because the room has been untouched and is still as beautiful as ever. Also, this gives us time to set up all of our equipment to make sure we are ready to go once the party begins .
Party time 7:30-7:45
This is when the bridal party lines up for introductions and the party begins!! By this part of the day, our timeline isn’t as strict. We utilize this time to really concentrate on getting all the crazy moments of the party.
Exit! 10:30
If you’re interested in having your exit photographed , there are several options for this ! You can either make sure that we are scheduled until the end of the night if your timeline allows for it, add additional coverage, or plan a faux exit with just your bridal party! We have had GREAT success with this and the party never stops!
Final Thoughts:
Every wedding day is different and no single timeline will look the same. It all depends on venue location, family size, bridal party size. If you need some advice on putting together your timeline feel free to contact me! Or use my free printable wedding day timeline worksheet with step by step instructions to put your timeline together. Just click the button below!