If you've never written a wedding timeline before, it's tricky to know where to start! Before starting my career as a wedding photographer in Kansas City, I had no idea that I would be writing wedding day timelines. I always assumed it's the wedding planners job. And although they do write a timeline, they often ask for input from the photographer, because we each have our own way of going about things.
In this post, I've listed a cheat sheet guide to figuring out how long you'll need for each part of the wedding day. If you want a more relaxed wedding day, I recommend estimating on the lengthier end of the time range. It's never a bad time to have some extra time. When you go to write your timeline, make sure to include some buffer times. I always like to round up. For instance, if my math adds up to family formals ending at 4:36 PM, I'll go ahead and write them ending at 4:45 PM. You have to take into account the time that it takes for you, your partner, your bridal party, your family, your guests, etc, to move from one place or another. Imagine trying to gather a class of Kindergartners on the playground at recess. It takes some time to get everyone in a line!
A quick note on travel: always round up and overestimate how long it will take for you and your group to get from Point A to Point B.
Event | Time Needed for Photos |
Day of Detail Photos (Dress, Flatlays, Florals) | 30-60 Minutes |
Bride + Bridesmaid Getting Ready Candids | Last 15 Minutes |
Groom + Groomsmen Getting Ready | 15-20 Minutes |
Bride Getting in Dress | 10-15 Minutes |
Bridal Portraits | 15-20 Minutes |
First Looks (Bridesmaids, Father of the Bride, Groom, Etc) | Around 5 Minutes Each |
Couple Portraits | 30-60 Minutes |
Bridal Party Portraits Total Bridesmaids/Groomsmen Only Combined Bridal Party | 45-60 Minutes Total 15-20 Minutes Each 15-20 Minutes |
Family Formals | 2-3 Minutes per Each Grouping |
Ceremony Details | 10-15 Minutes |
Guest Portraits | 1-2 Minutes per Grouping |
Ceremony | 15-60+ Minutes |
Cocktail Hour | 45-90 Minutes |
Reception Details | 15-30 Minutes |
Grand Entrance | 5-10 Minutes |
Dinner | 45-90 Minutes |
Speeches & Toasts | 5-10 Minutes per Speech |
Formal Dances | 3-5 Minutes per Dance |
Open Dance Floor | 45-120 Minutes |
Marriage License Signing | 5-10 Minutes |
Quick Reminders of Additional Things to Account for:
Travel Time (Round up!)
Hair + Makeup Touchups
Gathering Groups of People Together
Transition Times (Between ceremony/cocktail hour, cocktail hour/reception, etc)
But that's not all I've included in this blog post! I wanted to share an example wedding day timeline with you to show you how all of these events play out and work together along with my notes on how I plan for buffer times.
"The Morning" Portion
10:00 AM | Photographer Arrives
10:15 AM | Detail Photos 10:45 AM | Groom + Groomsmen Getting Ready Portraits
11:00 AM | Bride + Bridesmaid Getting Ready Portraits
11:30 AM | Hair + Makeup Concludes
11:35 AM | Bride Gets in Dress (Bridesmaids Get Dressed Separately)
11:50 AM | Bridesmaid Reveal
12:00 PM | Bridal Portraits
12:20 PM | Bride + Father of the Bride First Look
12: 30 PM | Bride + Groom First Look
I've added extra time for the Bride + Groom First Look to allow the Bridal Party to collect their things and get ready to leave for portraits
Wedding Day Portraits
12:45 PM | Travel to Portrait Location
In this example, the portrait location is only 7 minutes down the road, but I've allotted 15 minutes so there is ample time for parking and foot travel
1:00 PM | Couple Portraits
This might not take a full 45 minutes, but it allows time for the couple to take a breather between portraits
1:45 PM | Bridal Party Portraits
This might not take a full hour, but it allows the bridal party time to load back into transportation
2:45 PM | Travel to Venue
In this example, the portrait location is only 7 minutes down the road, but I've allotted 15 minutes so there is ample time for parking and foot travel
3:00 PM | Family Formals
I've given a full hour for family formals. They may only take 45 minutes, but that extra 15 minutes will be a breather for the family before guests begin to arrive for the ceremony.
Ceremony Time
4:00 PM | Bridal Party Hidden & Earliest Guest Arrival
This is a great time for bridal party hair and makeup touch ups!
4:00 PM | Ceremony Decor Detail Photos
4:30 PM | Ceremony
4: 50 PM | Cocktail Hour
5:00 PM | Marriage License Signing
This doesn't always need to be scheduled in, but it's a nice touch so the day stays organized!
Reception Time
5:50 PM | Reception Decor Detail Photos
6:10 PM | Guests Seated for Reception
Yep, this can take 10-15 minutes! Especially when the bar is open.
6:20 PM | Grand Entrance
6:25 PM | Welcome Toast
6:30 PM | Dinner Service Begins
7:30 PM | Speeches & Toasts
7:40 PM | Cake Cutting
7:45 PM | First Dances
Open Dance Floor
8:00 PM | Open Dance Floor
8:15 PM | Sunset Portraits
8:30 PM | Sunset
9:00 PM | Photographer Departs
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