Sample Timeline as You Plan your Wedding!
There are so many moving parts when planning a wedding - even experienced party planners will find that weddings are different than your average party due to the extra formal portrait time. Due to this I always suggest hiring a wedding planner or a Day Of Coordinator if it is in your budget to do so. If this is not in your budget or need to book vendors earlier than you book your planner, I have some helpful tips for you regarding your timeline!
suggestion number 1: book hair and make to be complete earlier than you may realize! Most folks choose to do a first look and want most formal portraits done before their ceremony. I highly suggest a first look as well and have another blog about that found here. In order to cover first look, couples portraits, wedding party portraits, immediate family formals + have a photo break 30-45 minutes before your ceremony - make up and hair needs to be complete at least a full 3-4 HOURS before you walk down the aisle.
Here is what an ideal 8 hour timeline for photo purposes looks like with a sample 5:00 pm ceremony time & all at one location:
1:00-2:30 Getting ready and details shot by photographer - this includes all those lovely ring, invitation, and florals being shot. The dress or dresses or suits will be taken for a shot in the venue somewhere. we will follow details with end of getting ready photos of each of the couple.
IMPORTANT - 1:30 bride or brides complete with hair and make up so they have time to get dressed
2:30-3:15 first look & couples portraits - more portraits can be scheduled for 15-30 minutes during or after sunset at the reception as well! if you opt out of sunset or blue hour portraits or are having private vows - please make this segment a full hour.
3:15-3:45 Wedding party photos
3:45-4:15 family formals
Photo break - You hide from guests as they arrive & Photographer sets up for ceremony and shoots empty space and guests arriving
5:00 Ceremony
5:30-5:45 Couple signs paperwork & gets photo with officiant- whiles guests go to Cocktail hour
5:45-6:00ish extended family portraits and then couple can join cocktail hour if they wish
6:15 Photographer shoots empty reception space & details
6:30 Guests called into reception area
6:40 Couple introduced into reception - thank you’s are often done now or after toasts
6:45 Dinner service starts - you eat first! and this is also the perfect time for your photo/video team and dj to eat - as we all need to be back on the floor for toasts or table follows
7:30 Toasts/speeches begin while dinner is wrapping up - i suggest giving speech givers a 2-3 minute cap in advance as a guideline
7:50 Cake Cutting - nice here so catering can cut the cake and serve during open dance floor
7:55 First dance and parent dances
8:05 Open dance floor
8:15 Sunset photos with couple (depending on time of year - 15 minutes or so)
9:00 Photography coverage ends
if you want your grand exit covered or have more than 2 nearby locations you may need 9+ hours of coverage.
for those of you who want to skip getting ready photos - a 6 hour timeline often works!
Other things I strongly suggest to ensure your day moves along with ease: Assign members of wedding party to take care of last minute tasks. Assign a family member on each side to gather family for formals. Make sure guys know how to tie their ties in advance. Make time for boutonniere pinning as it always takes longer than everyone thinks. A day of coordinator helps immensely with the above items - if it is in your budget - please consider this option!
It is always my goal to ensure you have as little stress as humanly possible on your very special day. I am so happy for couples that can just sit back and enjoy their receptions to their fullest and this happens most readily you have time to get those photos you really want in a timely manner. :)
Happy Planning! xoxoxo
should we do a first look?
i get this question all of the time and as a wedding photographer, i definitely have a biased answer, and it is - YES!!!!! and here is why:
your first look is basically designed to help you enjoy your reception to its fullest! the formal portrait section of the day includes 3 items:
your couples portraits
your wedding party portraits
your family portraits
if you choose to wait until after your ceremony to see each other, ALL THREE portions cannot be fully complete until after your ceremony and during cocktail hour. we can also try and schedule some sunset couples portraits too, which i do recommend, but again this is only about 15 minutes of your time pulled away from your party.
ideal scheduling times for portraits looks like this:
45 minutes for couple, including first look. an additional 15 minutes for sunset photos as well.
30 minutes for wedding party. sometimes less, if your wedding parry is very small.
30 minutes for family. 45 minutes if your family is large.
add that up, up there and you will see why you’ve been to so many weddings where the couple and family were late to their own event!
another advantage of the first look is the intimacy factor. the first look will just be the two of you, and your photographer and videographer. it can be one of the sweetest moments of the day! PLUS you will have time to get your make-up refreshed before your ceremony and guest arrival.
after the first look is complete, we go right into couples portraits. after that we can complete the wedding party. we can even complete the family portraits too and then give you a 15-30 minute break before your ceremony while guests arrive. other options are to do the family portraits directly after the signing of your paperwork, during cocktail hour.
now, if your heart is ABSOLUTELY set upon waiting to see your partner during the ceremony we will oblige! but just know you will very busy post ceremony and what often suffers is your couples portrait time being cut very short unless you have an extended break between ceremony and reception or an extended cocktail hour of 90-120 minutes. .
i hope this answers any questions you have as you plan your amazing wedding day!!!!
tips for family & wedding party portraits!
In my opinion, one of the most challenging parts of the day is gathering family, friends, wedding parties for the formal portraits. Yes, it can sometimes be like herding cats! This is always why I ask very detailed shot-list of this portion of the day! I can shoot very efficiently if we are organized, and we can move forward with all the most fun things for your special day asap.
Here are some of my biggest tips to prepare for your day and PLEASE feel free to pass this info along to family and friends:
PRESS UPON YOUR GUESTS HOW IMPORTANT THESE ARE TO YOU AND TO BE WHERE YOU ASK ON TIME. If you have a very organized family member to assist making sure all people are where they are supposed to be, it is so very helpful.
EMPTY YOUR FRONT POCKETS in advance of shooting. Cells phone, keys? Please move them to hidden pockets in jackets or in back pockets.
Learn to tie ties in advance of wedding day! I cannot tell you how often I walk into the groomsmen room and everyone has youtube videos on their phones and no one can tie their tie. While it always amuses me, it can throw our portrait timeline off! Take the time to kindly remind your wedding party to practice bow ties and regular ties BEFORE your wedding day! :)
BOUQUETS in hand and BOUTONNIERES should be on by scheduled portrait time. It can really slow us down when everyone shows up unprepared to the allotted formal portrait time. hopefully, I have already shot the pinning of boutonnieres at this point, but it’s good try and advise all members of family and wedding party to come prepared: front pockets empty, boutonnieres on, and bouquets in hand!
LOOK AT YOUR LEAD SHOOTER ONLY. People behind me will inevitably have their cell phones out grabbing photos. I have got no problem with this as long as they give me space to move about while I shoot. That said, multiple cell phones out, has led to group photos where people are all looking in different directions! I do shoot fast, so I promise only a few minutes of concentration is needed. Also, no need to look directly at video shooter if you have one, unless they ask. Keep your eyes on the lead photographer as best as everyone can.
TAKE OFF TRANSITIONAL GLASSES - AKA SUNGLASSES - I wear transitional glasses myself and totally forget they have turned into sunglasses while outside. While I am busy getting everyone posed, checking camera specs and the like, focusing on the couples attire, even I have missed that someone was wearing transitional glasses. It is super helpful to me to remind people to take them off in advance.
STICK WITH APPROVED SHOTLIST -until the end. I always take requests for photos that didn’t make it to the shotlist as time allows, but switching things up on the fly can be confusing and make us run late.
PICK A LOVED ONE TO BE DRESS FLUFFER. Sometimes my second shooter or assistant is busy and during times of COVID we do not touch you or your clothing. Having a designated loved one to keep an eye on the details of the dress is suggested. Fanning the train in front is best for group photos.
WAIT TO GRAB ME FOR FORMAL PORTRAITS until AFTER that time is allotted. A lot of times during the getting ready phase, which is photojournalistic shooting, your guests who don’t understand we have that time already scheduled, and they will asks for “quick” formal portraits. We will run behind if this happens, and trust me - it will. Please kindly remind them we will get to those later. During the reception is another good time to grab me for those types of photos *you want. I generally say no to anyone other than the couple for special request photos until the reception and even then I prefer your approval. We can always speak in advance of wedding day about this for clarification.
Lastly, in general, remind your family and friends that you chose me based on my photojournalistic style. This means pretending I am not there and allowing me to grab natural photos with natural emotion. I will ask your guests to look at the camera when we are taking formal portraits. I will always take special request spontaneous portraits that you want at the reception, but the rest of the day I ask that folks understand to relax, have a great time and IGNORE ME. :)
hope this helps!!!
alex + stuart
love at islandwood
what a glorious wedding this was at amazing islandwood on bainbridge island, washington! this venue is special. on 250 acres with tree houses, suspension bridges, ponds, hiking, and more the location is truly magical. alex and stuart made their destination wedding a 3 day event over labor day weekend & it was just perfect.
i will never forget their vows to each other. so romantic and realistic at the same time! a truly special way to make a lifetime commitment - with a rock solid foundation. many happy returns to alex and stuart! xo
laura + travis
love in bend, oregon
i had the honor of shooting this beautiful wedding in bend, oregon at the gorgeous tetherow resort! i love travelling throughout the pnw for weddings!
laura and travis are outdoor enthusiasts so the setting was perfection. the weather on the day of the wedding didn’t cooperate as planned, and things were moved inside, but the rain cleared up periodically and we had a chance to shoot some outdoor portraits and catch an amazing sunset! this wedding was a blast and had the most epic first dance in history. the guests joined in as well and literally broke the dance floor!!! it was great fun and i wish laura and travis many happy trails!
katarina+sam
love in redmond, wa
civil ceremonies deserve amazing photography too! this is a perfect example of a bride and groom who valued excellent photography and hired me for a customized elopement package for their civil ceremony + bridal and family portraits directly after their ceremony.
sam’s family flew out from montreal for the intimate affair and everyone was so very happy. i was extraordinarily honored to witness their nuptials by a fantastic judge at the redmond courthouse. let me tell you, he was hilarious and sweet - and it was one of the best ceremonies i have attended!
afterward we took all family and friends over to the park next door for portraits and i kept the couple a little extra time for bridals. we *had to finish our time up at redmond city hall because that building is *stunning and we grabbed a few of my most very favorite environmental portraits i have ever taken! :)
so please- ladies and gents! if a huge wedding isn’t your thing, hire a pro to document it! you’ll be so happy in twenty years that you will have these fond memories to cherish forever.
i do accommodate customized elopement packages to fit within modest budgets, so contact me today and let’s make something special happen on your once in a lifetime day!
henry
senior session, discovery park, seattle, wa
i just love love love shooting seniors. maybe because i will always be a teenager at heart!
henry was pleasure to shoot, and went up to discovery park for a fun hour with multiple cool locations. we had the chance to do some more artistic photos which is always a treat for me! :)
anne-marie+antonio part ii
love at diablo lake, wa
this was an AMAZING post-wedding adventure and such a fun day with anne-marie and antonio. it was a few weeks after the wedding and we caught some fall sunshine and headed out to diablo lake in the north cascades. it was worth every second of drive time. so epic and so *windy and they were such good sports about it all. seriously, what better excuse to get all dressed up again in your wedding clothing than against this tremendous backdrop? antonio himself is also an amaaaaaaazing photographer, so i caight some behind the scenes of him shooting his beautful wife as well!
these shoots are fantastic and i hope you enjoy these and consider a location like this for your elopement or post wedding adventure when booking with me!
