With the diversity of the cultural  aspects of our weddings, it’s difficule to pinpoint an exact wedding timeline template.  However, there are ideal time frames you should consider when planning your day.  Som eof these times may seem long on paper but keep in mind that 1) the day will fly by, 2) most weddings run slightly behind schedule, and 3) make phot sessions fun, so it won’t seem like a long time.

Ideal Time Allotment – 30 minutes

Ideal Time of the Day – Morning

Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite

Advise – Having at least 30 minutes for details ensures that your photographer have plenty of time to get that perfect photo of the dress, rings, shoes, bouquets, and the other details of the day.

There are times when a hotel room is too crowded or simply unappealing: Your photographer have to take the dress all the way down to the lobby or event outside.  This can take some time, but as you can see from the results, it’s well owrth the additional work.

Idean Time Allotment – 60 minutes

Ideal Time of the Day –  Morning or Early Afternoon

Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite

Advice – Having 30 minutes to 1 hour of preparation is ideal for the getting ready photos.  During this time, your photographer will be getting close ups of the makeup and hair being applied as well as the candid moments and the bridesmaids and groomsmen get ready for the day.  Keep in mind that these are the most emotional and fun times of the day, so you don’t want to cut it short.

Most likely the lead shooter will be with the bride while the second shooter will be with the groom.  Whie it doesn’t take guys an hour to get dressed, there are still tons of great moments during this time between the groom and his family and friends.

Ideal Time Allotment – 30 minutes

Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Early Afternoon

Ideal Location – Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite, Venue Lobby, or Venue Garden

Advice – Right after prep is the best time for individual portraits of the bride and groom (separately).  Besides makeup and hair being completely fresh, the day hasn’t gotton hectic yet, so your photographer can take their time and get those perfect portraits.

Also, keep in mind that the window lighting in most hotel rooms creates a unique look that can’t be duplicated in any environment throughtout the rest of the day.

Ideal Time Allot – 45 minutes

Ideal Time of the Day – Moring or Early Afternoon

Ideal Location – Venue Garden, Empty Venue Hallway (shaded ares with natural light)

Advice – The first look should be around 45 minutes.  During this time, the bride and groom enjoy seeing each other for the first time on the wedding day.   While the actual first look might only be 5-10 minutes, the rest of the time is spend on a few basic portraits of the bride and groom.

Ideally the photographer are saving the bulk of the couples session for later (see the “couple session” section below).  However, if there is no other time in the day, it is best to allocate another 45 minutes to an hour here so that we make sure we have enough photo of just you two.

Ideal Time Allotment – 45 minutes

Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Afternoon

Idal Location – Venue Lobby, Venue Garden, Beach, Park, Off-site-Location

Advice – Wedding Party Photos should be around 45 minutes.  During this time, your photographer will get a variety of shots in a variety of poses.  They will start with the basic, classic photos focused on great expression and lighting.

Then will move into a set of fun and creative shots.  Finally, they will know how much your wedding party means to you, so we are sure to get pictures with you and each one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen individually.

Ideal Time Allotment – 30 minutes

Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Afternoon

Ideal Location – Venue Lobby, Venue Garden, Beach, Park, Off-site Location

Advice – Immediate Family Photos should take another 45 minutes.  It’s important to have additional images with your parents, grandparents, and sibilings beyond the basic formal (mentioned in the section below).

Plan on 3 minutes per group on average.  For example, if you have 10 groups, schedule in a 30 minute time slot.

We all know how much weddings mean to the immediate family, and we want to make sure we’re capturing enough pictures with them.

Ideal Time Allotment – 30 minutes

Ideal Location – Ceremony Site

Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Afternoon

Advice – Please allow 30 minutes for the main or second shooter to take pictures of the ceremony site, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area.

Before you have the guests seated, it’s important that the photographer is there to capture the complete set up of your ceremony site so they can capture the scene at its best.

Ideal Time Allotment – 45 minutes

Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Afternoon (Post Ceremony)

Ideal Location – Ceremony Site

Advice – Formals should be take around 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of your family and the number of guests.

Plan on 3 minutes per group on average.  For example, if you have 10 groups, schedule in a 30 minute time slot.

Some couples have decided that they want a picture with all guests while others have decided that they only want pictures with select VIPs to save time.  We recommend something is between.

We also recommend being very organized, with a list of groups and helpers from each side of the family to help round people up.

Ideal Time Allotment – 30 minutes

Ideal Time of the Day – Early Evening

Ideal Location – Venue Garden, Beach, Hotel Lobby, Park

Advice – Please allow 30 minutes for the photographer or second shooter to take pictures of the reception room, completely set up with no guests or vendor in the area.

Similar to the ceremony details, this is the only opportunity we have to capture the beauty of the reception room prior to guest arrival.

Ideal Time Allotment – 10-15 minutes

Ideal Time of the Day – At the end of Cocktail Hour before doors open for guests

Ideal Location – Reception Site

Advise – This is when the reception space is revealed to the couple for the first time.  It’s a great opportunity to capture a genuine reaction, as well as a moment alone with the dance floor to practice your first dance, which also makes a great photo.

Ideal Time Allotment – 20-30 minutes

Ideal Time of the Day – Dusk to Night Time

Ideal Location – Areas with interesting lights, fountains, city scapes and mirrors

Advice – During the reception, please plan on sneaking out for a couple of night shots. The photographer only need 20-30 minutes, as we understand the importance of being a good host.  However, this time is important if you appreciate the night photography that we deliver.  The ideal time for this is right after you grab a bit to eat or during the open floor dancing after you’ve danced a few songs and would like a break.  Another suggestion would be to get these shots at the very end of the night once all the guests have departed.  Check out our Wedding Reception Timeline post for more tips on how to layout a great wedding reception.

Additional Wedding Day Details

Table Shots – Table shots are when you go around  visiting tables.  There are two options for photography during this time.  (1) You can take formal pictures with each of these tables or (2) we can simply focus on photojournalism, capturing the smiles and hugs as you mingle with each table.  If you’re planning on doring formal table shots, please keep in mind that these will take about 3-5 minutes per table.  For example 20 tables would require 60-100 minutes of time.

Cultural Weddings – For cultural wedding slike Indian Weddings, there are elements like the Baraat that require time to photograph.  More information on this and Indian weddings visit out Indian Wedding Timeline page.