Wedding Photography Timeline
Every wedding day is unique, but there are common themes and details we like to capture to help make your wedding day photography complete. The list below will give you typical time frames for the moments that most couples and families like to capture. And although some of the times might seem long, the time will fly by! In addition, most weddings run just a little behind and so having just a little extra time built in will help to make sure all the photos you want are included.
Dress, Shoes and other details
Ideal Time: 20 minutes
Ideal location: a nice room with a window for beautiful light
Note: We sometimes need to take the dress out of the room if there’s not enough space, or if we have a great location in mind. In a lot of cases, the dress does not photograph well inside a hotel room. The 20 minute allotment is in case we need to go down to the lobby or outside in order to capture a beautiful image of the dress. It’s always worth it!
Bride getting ready
Ideal time: 45 minutes
Ideal location: a nice room with a window for beautiful light. Typically, hotel room window light is beautiful.
Note: During this time we will capture your final touches of hair and makeup, getting in the dress, putting on all your details (jewelry, shoes, garter, veil), and a few portrait shots of you in the room. We will also capture a few shots of you and your girls having fun in the room, especially if you have matching robes!
Groom getting ready
Ideal time: 20 minutes
Ideal location: same location as the bride (hotel or at the church)
Note: Ideally, it is helpful to have the groom getting ready in the same venue as the brides. We do not split photographers as our goal is to capture each location with multiple angles, in order to produce the best end product possible. The guys don’t take as long to get dressed as the ladies, but we we still want to capture a few fun images of him getting his final touches. (buttoning shirt, putting on tie, cuff links, shoes, having his best-man put on his jacket, etc.) And if all the groomsmen are in the room we can capture a few shots of them hanging out.
First Look and Daylight Couples Photos
Ideal time: 45 – 60 minutes
Ideal location: Shaded garden area at hotel or venue
Note: More photos?!?! Yes please!! Having a first look is a great idea in order to capture more signature images of the two of you. Typically, we are very limited on time after the ceremony so when given the opportunity to capture some awesome imagery before the ceremony, we capitalize! In addition, if you are having a sunset ceremony, we take advantage of the time to capture the two of you in natural light.
Wedding party
Ideal time: 45 minutes
Note: We’ll capture some great images of the entire wedding party, and will use the time to have a great portrait taken of you and each of your bridesmaid / groomsman, as well. This is also a perfect opportunity to take some “less-formal” shots of the entire group, just in case you want to take a fun photo of everyone.
And if you are not seeing each other before the wedding, here are the bride and groom timelines:
Bride, Bridesmaids and Bride Immediate family (if no first look)
Ideal time: 1 hour
Ideal location: shaded garden at hotel or venue
Note: We will capture the bride with bridesmaids and the bride with her immediate family, in order to cut down on the amount of photos needed after the ceremony. We also use this time to capture portraits of the bride.
Groom, groomsmen and Groom Immediate family (if no first look)
Ideal time: 30 minutes
Ideal location: shaded garden at hotel or venue
*** We will capture the groom with the groomsmen and the groom with his immediate family, in order to cut down on the amount of photos needed after the ceremony. We also use this time to capture portraits of the groom.
Immediate Family
Ideal time: 30 minutes
*** If you are seeing each other before-hand, we can capture immediate family before or after the ceremony. We like to keep this time to immediate family and utilize the reception for any photos with extended family. Immediate family includes: parents, grandparents, siblings, their spouses, and children. If you would like some large group photos with extended family please allow for an extra 5 minutes per group depending on the number of people. We need time to corral! Our suggestion if you want photos with other extended family members is to do them during the reception. We can go out to the lobby and get some great shots then so it does not interfere with photos of the two of you.
Bride and Groom
Ideal time: 1 hour (20 minutes before sunset is best for lighting)
Reception Details:
Ideal time: 15 minutes
*** We like to bring you in into the reception hall before all the guests so you can see everything in all it’s glory. 🙂 We’ll use this time to capture the room details, as well.
Night Shots
Ideal time: 20 minutes
*** Some of what we are known for is our low light imagery (typically captured in the evening). We like to sneak you out after you eat, while your guests are finishing their food, to capture some great night shots!
