Wedding day timelines, what are they? Why are they important? A wedding day timeline is basically a planned schedule of how events will unfold morning to end of the day at your wedding. And if you’re reading this saying to yourself, “oh no, we’re super relaxed we’re gonna go with the flow” then Honey, you need a timeline more than most people. Why? Because the flow of a wedding with a planned timeline is like the Mississippi, steadily moving in one direction but with a lot of calm flat water. A wedding without a planned timeline is more like the raging rapids rushing over the edge of Niagara falls. They both might look great in photos, but one of them is a much more comfortable boat ride, if you know what I mean. *wink emoji* So let’s start this list from the bottom and work up to my number one piece of advice!
4.Keep it simple, let everyone come to you.
This could also be called, “try not to spend too much time in the car on your wedding day”, the whole thing is only 24 hours after all. The more time you spend changing locations, the more time you lose not at your party and the greater opportunity to be derailed by the random acts of mayhem of the universe; traffic, flooded roadways, vehicle breakdown, getting lost (you would be horrified to learn how often limo drivers have NO clue where they are going), and above all – the total hassle of getting in and out of cars repeatedly in a wedding dress and not leaving anything you need behind. **Sidebar – just a few of the things that have been left behind at weddings I’ve photographed: veils, rings, one shoe, the groom’s pants, the best man’s vest, the mother of the bride, the marriage license, the checkbook with the money for the caterer, and lastly – the bride and groom themselves. This is why I LOVE a good all in one wedding venue. You only have to pack everything up once, you arrive at your venue, and then you get to sit back and relax as the day unfolds knowing you can’t be late, because you’re not going anywhere! Guests really appreciate an all in one venue as well for the same reasons! They don’t have to keep track of multiple sets of directions and they know there won’t be an awkwardly long lag between the ceremony and cocktail hour when they have to find something to do to amuse themselves for 3 hours in dress clothes before the doors open for the reception. If you really want to make your day hassle free, skip the trip to the salon and have an on location hair and make up team come to you!
3.Break up your photo time. Smiling for three hours is painful.
This is where having a photographer with lots of wedding experience who is willing to be helpful with planning is a huge bonus! All of my packages come with wedding day timeline planning because I’ve been a part of over three hundred ceremonies and I’ve SEEN some things lol. My sister and I have also been brides ourselves and we know how overwhelming it can be to make all the details come together! There are no rules that say you have to take all your wedding photos during the time in between the ceremony and reception. Not only is that going to mean non-stop smiling and being “On” for two solid hours or more, it’s kind of like putting all your eggs in one basket when it comes to weather, lighting, setting, etc. When I set up a timeline with a couple, I like to plan little 15-25 minute chunks of time throughout the day so that we’re stopping to take photos on purpose, but not taking over the whole vibe of the day and turning it into an on purpose photo shoot. I want you to enjoy some of your cocktail hour with your guests! I want you to eat dinner! I want you to sit down, grab a drink, and take in the view on your wedding day!
2.Schedule down time into your day. If you don’t plan it in your timeline, it won’t happen.
Truth bomb, unless you plan it into your wedding day timeline, you and your new spouse aren’t going to get to spend any time alone together. In the midst of a wedding day, there will always be someone to hug, some detail that could be double checked, and yes sometimes the universe throws you a curve ball that takes a little time to sort out. If you don’t plan a little time to breathe and be take it all in, it’s easy to go into survival mode and just start hugging people and rushing headlong into the day without any time to process. (I’m looking at you, fellow introverts!) I always try to plan ten minutes for a bride or groom to be alone before they get dressed. This is a great time to read notes from your soon to be spouse, have a chat with your bestie, or just breathe and take things in. In a minute, there’s going to be a fantastic chaos of clothes and shoes and final touches coming together and this pause is important to give a little attention to how you’re feeling and get some last minute self care happening. Once a bride is in her dress with all of her jewelry ready to walk out the door, I love to give her a minute just to get used to the feeling, and take a look in the mirror. This is also a great time for portraits when her hair, make up, and florals are the most fresh. If you decide to do a first look and see your spouse before the ceremony as part of your wedding day timeline, I like to photograph that first initial reaction, and then step back. I also plot a full 30 minutes of downtime for the couple right before the ceremony starts. I like to use this time to pick up any remaining detail shots I might need, set up my equipment for the ceremony, and check in with the coordinator/officiant etc. This is usually the same time that extended family members are arriving and they all want to greet the couple and their relatives and grab a last minute hug before the aisle. This is also the time to pee and make sure you’ve got a little food and water in your stomach. Later in the day, I don’t take pictures of couples eating. Will I capture toasts? Detail photos of your menu and signature drinks? Absolutely! But I when you’re actually putting your fork in your mouth, you won’t see me. This is some well earned off-camera relax time for you. Also no one makes good faces when they’re chewing. If we go out for sunset photos in the evening, once I’ve got the shots I need, I usually tell the couple to take a little walk to designated spot, or go sit on a bench and have a conversation. We step way back and might secretly grab a few candid photos from a distance, but what’s a better memory than sitting alone together watching the sun go down on your wedding day hand in hand? A good wedding day timeline gives you the chance to make good memories.
1.Prioritize yourselves first. Your guests will attend lots of weddings in their life, but this one is YOURS.
What’s my number one wedding day timeline planning piece of advice? Know when to ignore it. Some things are worth taking the time even if it means getting off schedule. Over the years, I’ve found the that best time of day for me to get beautiful timeless photos of a bride with her mom (and dad’s too) is in that quiet fifteen minutes right after the wedding dress goes on. If things are running late and there’s not time, I MAKE time. You’d think there would be plenty of opportunity later for these photos, but I know better. Later in the day, we’ll be outside, we’ll be surrounded by other people, there will chatter and food and drinks and music and above all – you’ll be married. That time right after your dress is on before we leave for the ceremony, it’s the LAST time you’ll be together someplace quiet as their little girl who they’ve loved and raised and prayed for this beautiful day. And whether we’ve got ten minutes or not, I’m the photographer that’s going to make sure we take that ten minutes and we make those photos together. I know that photo is going to matter more in twenty years than 100 photos cheesing for selfies with your bridesmaids. The same goes for grandparents. If we don’t have time, I MAKE time. If this makes me sound a little pushy, I’m Ok with it. I know from experience. It’s really easy to get caught up in the moment and believe that these moments and photos will happen again “later” but there is no “later” on a wedding day. If you told me months before your wedding that you were super excited about sunset photos or photos with your dog and it comes time to be announced into the reception and we don’t have that done yet, I’m going to say forget that schedule! So what if your guests have to wait an extra fifteen minutes? They’ve had food and drinks, they won’t die. I promise. On the other hand, if you give up on the thing you were most excited about leading up to your wedding in order to make your guests happy in the moment – you will regret it. They will get to be a guest lots of times, but this day is yours. The sun will only set once, the rain clouds may only part once with that rainbow once, you’re only going to get to ride in a row boat in a wedding dress once, don’t be afraid to choose your happiness over their temporary convenience.
Above all, find a photographer you connect with, tell them what’s important to your heart and then trust them to know what to do on your wedding day.
