I know. It’s terrifying… The wedding day timeline. Where do you start? What should it include? Should it be notarized? Ok… the last part was a joke, but the rest can be pretty daunting for a bride. You have 1,001 other things on your mind let along creating the flow to your day. That’s why it’s super important to let it go.
Cue the “Frozen” soundtrack.
Why You Should Let Your Photographer Take Over
In all good fun, it’s true. Letting your wedding photographer take over that very important task is such a good idea, and here’s why:
- Ideally, they’ve been photographing their fair share of weddings and they’ve seen what does and doesn’t usually work.
- If they’re a natural light photographer, they rely a lot of their photography on the sunlight, so once that’s gone, so are those images that you were dying to have. They will build the best timeline to be sure to include all the images you and your groom are wanting in the amount of time they need.
- It’s surprising how long family formals may take. You may believe that it would only take fifteen minutes to take your cherished family images, but in reality, it can take up to a half hour depending on how many groupings of photos you’re wanting. Photographers have a good idea on how long most events take during your day.
- Your photographer and/or wedding planner (if you hire one) will have this timeline and manage your day for you. No flyin’ by the seat of your pants girl! Not on this day. I know it all sounds Negative Nancy here, but trust me- your day is going to fly by and if you place value in your wedding day imagery, it’s good to have everything wanted written out.
Your To-Do List:
All that’s needed of you, my beautiful bride, is to tell your wedding photographer what you’d like documented on your special day. Most of my brides in the past have chosen something similar to this.
Example Timeline
Getting ready photos of both the bride and groom
Details of the dress / rings/ etc
Photos of the ceremony space prior to guests arriving
First look between bride and father of the bride
First look with bride and groom (optional)
Bride and groom images
Ceremony
Certificate Signing
Family Formals
Wedding Party Photos
Bride and Groom Photos at Sunset
Reception Space prior to guest coming in
Wedding Cake
Grand Entrance
First Dance
(Dinner Break)
Toasts
Parent Dances
Open Dance
Cake Cutting
(Other fun games if you’re wanting IE Garter Toss, Bouquet Toss etc.)
Open Dance
Sparkler Exit
Ok, Take a Breath Now
I know this seems a tad overwhelming. I remember it was when I was a bride too… but trust me, girl. The more you have this set prior to your big day, the better. It will flow smoothly and you won’t have to worry about a thing!
So be sure you hand over the reigns and allow your photographer or wedding planner to create your ideal timeline. We’ve got it down to a science!
