How to Create a Wedding Day Timeline with your Wedding Photographer
Create a Wedding Day Timeline with Kali M Photos!
When planning your wedding, working closely with your photographer to create your timeline is crucial! Photographers offer valuable insight into how much time is needed for key moments like getting ready, first looks, family portraits, and sunset shots. In this blog, I’m diving into why partnering with your photographer for your timeline is a must, and I’ll guide you through creating a seamless 6-10 hour wedding day coverage timeline. This collaboration ensures your day is relaxed and allows for beautiful, authentic moments to unfold naturally!
Why Working with Your Photographer on Your Wedding Timeline is Crucial
The last thing anyone wants on their wedding day is to feel rushed! My photography style is all about capturing real, candid moments as they naturally unfold. But if everyone is stressed or in a hurry, those moments can be harder to find. That’s why planning your timeline with me is key to a relaxed day. I recommend being fully ready 2-3 hours before the ceremony, but several factors can influence this, including whether you’re having a first look, the size of your wedding party, and any travel between locations.
Here’s how we’ll make the day go smoothly:
Tailored to Your Needs
From the moment you set your ceremony and reception times, I’ll start crafting a timeline that suits your specific day. We’ll consider how long portraits will take, when family photos should happen, and how to avoid any bottlenecks in the schedule. Working together ensures that you have time to enjoy each part of your wedding without rushing.
The First Look Factor
Deciding whether or not to do a first look can impact the timeline significantly. If you opt for one, we can get many of the couple’s portraits and even some wedding party photos done before the ceremony. This allows more time later in the day to focus on celebrations or even sneak away for sunset photos.
Family and Wedding Party Size
Another factor that affects the timing is the size of your wedding party and the number of family members included in the formal photos. The more people involved, the more time we’ll need to make sure we capture everyone in an organized and relaxed way.
Travel Time
If there’s any travel involved between your getting-ready location, ceremony, and reception, we’ll want to account for that as well. Even a 10-15 minute drive can add up when you factor in potential delays. Because of this, planning ahead ensures no one is left feeling frantic!
Collaborating on a Google Doc
Once your key times are locked in, we’ll work together to refine the schedule. I’ll share a template with you that we can adjust as needed. Using a shared Google Doc makes it easy for both of us to make changes and ensure everything is perfectly planned before the big day. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that we’re prepared, and I’ll be able to capture your wedding’s most genuine, beautiful moments without any time crunch.
Wedding Timeline Examples
Here at Kali M Photos, we offer a variety of wedding packages for couples to choose from! Check out the three wedding packages that we offer, from 6 hour coverage to 10 hour coverage.
10 Hour Wedding Timeline Example: Wedding Package #1
10:00: Photograph Partner One makeup/grooming, outfit details, and invitations.
10:30: Photograph Partner One putting their outfit on and single portraits.
11: Leave for Partner Two’s House.
11:30: Photograph Partner Two getting dressed, grooming, buttonholes, single portraits, the rings
12:30: I leave for the ceremony to photograph the location/setup before guests start to arrive.
1:00: You leave for the ceremony.
1:30: Guests arrive at the ceremony.
1:40: Ceremony starts.
2:30: Ceremony ends + congratulation Photo.
2:50: Group photo with all the wedding guests.
3:00: Family group photos.
3:40: Guests having canapés + drinks. We go take couple photos.
4:50: Guests find their reception seats.
5:00: Couple and wedding party entrance + cake cutting
5:20: First Dance + everyone invited to the dance floor.
6:00: Dinner + speeches
6:30: Dessert is served + We sneak off for some quick sunset/ blue-hour portraits (Optional).
7:30: We get back / D-floor Shots.
8:00: All Done!
8 Hour Wedding Timeline Example: Package #2
11:00: Photograph Partner One makeup/grooming, outfit details, and invitations.
11:30: Photograph Partner One putting their outfit on and single portraits.
12:00: Photograph Partner Two getting dressed, grooming, buttonholes, single portraits, the rings (location is walking distance).
12:30: I leave for the ceremony to photograph the location/setup before guests start to arrive.
1:00: You leave for the ceremony.
1:30: Guests arrive at the ceremony.
1:40: Ceremony starts.
2:30: Ceremony ends + congratulation photos.
2:50: Group Photo with all wedding guests.
3:00: Family Group Photos.
3:40: Guests having canapés + drinks. We go take couple photos.
4:50: Guests find their reception seats.
5:00: Couple and wedding party entrance + cake cutting
5:30: First Dance + everyone invited to the dance floor.
6:00: Dinner + speeches.
6:30: Dessert is served.
7:00: All done!
6 Hour Wedding Timeline Example: Package #3
1:00: I arrive at the ceremony location/setup before guests start to arrive.
1:30: Ceremony starts
2:30: Ceremony ends + Congratulation Photos
3:00: A few family group photos
3:30: Guests having canapés + drinks. We go take couple photos.
4:20: Guests find their reception seats.
4:30: Couple and wedding party entrance + cake cutting
5:00: First Dance + everyone invited to the dance floor.
5:30: Dinner + speeches
6:30: Dessert is served.
7:00: All done!
Not sure which timeline you should go with? Reach out here!
In conclusion, creating a wedding day timeline with your photographer ensures that you can enjoy your day, stay relaxed, and trust that all the key moments will be captured seamlessly. Whenever you have your ceremony and reception times set, let’s get started! We’ll make sure everything flows perfectly, so you can focus on celebrating and soaking in each moment.
Ready to plan your perfect wedding day timeline? Let’s start planning your Arizona wedding!
Arizona Wedding Photographer | Kali M Photos + Film
Whether you’re seeking to infuse a non-traditional vibe into a conventionally classic wedding or crafting an entirely unprecedented way to say “I do,” you deserve more than just an ordinary photography experience. So, you deserve a destination wedding photography and videography experience as distinctive as you are, and my friend, you’ve just discovered it. Secure your date here!
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