timelines
CREATING A WEDDING DAY TIMELINE
FITTING IT ALL IN (WITH INTENTION)
TO MAIN WEBSITE
SCROLL DOWN
jump to
Who I Am
Just a Tip
Sample Timelines
Do This First
Recommended Timeframes
More Resources
Learn More
Timeline Template Download
Hey friend!
Whether you are working with a wedding planner or going it alone, one thing's for sure: you'll be dealing with a lot of moving parts in the months and days leading up to your big day.
I've photographed 200+ weddings in the last 9 years, and I'm happy to share my recipe for a successful timeline that has plenty of time to enjoy yourself and have your details and special moments photographed thoughtfully.
Corrie will help you make a timeline, prepare for the wedding with a checklist of the things she will need for all of the detail shots and even makes recommendations of the vendors that won’t steer you wrong! She has a very detailed day-off questionnaire so she knows exactly what photos you want, when you want them, who you want them with and where you want them.
"
- Leah & Kenny
Start planning your timeline early!
just a tip
Your timeline will help with a ton of things on your wedding day, but it will also help all your vendors make their plans. And I don't know about you, but my philosophy is always that preparation is better done sooner than later!
Before you start, think about these two factors:
DO THIS FIRST
I. SUNSET TIME/LIGHT.
Typically, the best time for your bride & groom portraits will be 1-2 hours before sunset to get the pretty, naturally-lit portraits that you see all over my website. You'll want to plan your ceremony time and other activities to allow enough time for portraits (30-45 minutes) during that timeframe. Also think about the lighting during other key parts of the day and the locations you'll be using, like not doing your family photos after dark at a scenic overlook, or your first look at high noon in an area with zero shade. Ask your photographer for help with this!
II. First look or aisle reveal.
Your decision whether or not to do a first look will have a pretty big impact on the layout of your wedding day timeline. If you decide to do a first look, your wedding party photos, family photos, and bride & groom portraits can all be done before the ceremony (and you can plan on enjoying cocktail hour with your guests)! If you decide to go the traditional route with an aisle reveal, most of your wedding party and family photos and all of your bride & groom portraits will take about 1.5-2 hours after the ceremony while your guests are at cocktail hour.
IF YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO DECIDE ON DOING A FIRST LOOK:
BLOG POST: Pros & Cons of First Looks
now you can start planning!
Flatlay Details............................ 45 min
Couples prep............................... 30 min/ea
Putting on a dress....................... 30 min/ea
Putting on a tux/suit................... 15 min/ea
Gift giving................................... 10 min/ea
First looks................................... 10 min/ea
Individual couples portraits...... 15 min/ea
Couples portraits....................... 30 min
Wedding party photos............... 30 min
Family photos............................ 45 min
Ceremony details..................... 20 min
Reception details...................... 40 min
Golden hour portraits.............. 30 min
Reception.................................. 3 hours
Formal exit............................... 15 min
How much time should each part of the day take on the timeline? Here's a guide to use (and if you're doing a first look, this is the basic order that things should go in as well):
FIRST LOOK
sample timelines
AISLE REVEAL
MORNING - hair/makeup begins
1:00 pm - flatlay details photos
1:45 pm - "getting ready" photos
2:15 pm - bride gets dressed
2:35 pm - couple exchanges gifts
2:55 pm - couple gives parents gifts
3:15 pm - first look
3:25 pm - couples portraits
3:45 pm - wedding party photos
4:10 pm - ceremony details photos
4:30 pm - family group photos
5:00 pm - reception details photos
6:00 pm - ceremony!
6:35 pm - announced into reception
6:45 pm - first dances
7:00 pm - dinner begins
8:00 pm - couple's golden hour photos
8:35 pm - cake cutting & toasts
9:00 pm - open dancing
10:45 - sparkler exit
11:00 pm - photographer coverage ends
MORNING - hair/makeup begins
1:00 pm - flatlay details photos
1:45 pm - "getting ready" photos
2:15 pm - bride gets dressed
2:35 pm - couple exchanges gifts
2:55 pm - couple gives parents gifts
3:15 pm - bridals/bridesmaids photos
3:40 pm - groom/groomsmen photos
3:55 pm - ceremony detail photos
4:20 pm - reception detail photos
5:00 pm - ceremony!
5:30 pm - cocktail hour/family photos
6:15 pm - wedding party group photos
6:30 pm - couples portraits
7:05 pm - announced into reception
7:20 pm - dinner begins
8:00 pm - couple's golden hour photos
8:35 pm - cake cutting & toasts
9:00 pm - first dances & open dancing
10:45 - sparkler exit
11:00 pm - photographer coverage ends
These sample timelines are for 10 HOUR weddings in the SUMMER or SPRING with a sunset time of 8:30PM.
If your wedding is in the fall, this same schedule can be adjusted to work just as well. If sunset is at 6:30 on your wedding day, slide everything about 2 hours earlier.
If you've booked less than 10 hours of photography, you'll have to prioritize what you want photos of the very most and then use the reference timeframes above to remove anything from your timeline that you don't want photos of.
You can also cut time down by planning to simplify some of the parts of the day, like only doing 2 family groupings instead of 10 or doing all of your toasts at your rehearsal dinner instead of your reception.
Remember, you can always ask about adding coverage hours so that you don't have make those sacrifices!
get the
Timeline
template
CLICK HERE
To use this template, go to File > Make a Copy and copy it to your Google Drive. If you don't use Google Drive, you can download it to your computer as a .docx file to edit offline.
Don't forget to send the timeline to your vendors, wedding party & other people involved when you're done!
Corrie kept our hopes and dreams in mind throughout every step of the way on our wedding day journey. She maintained organization through unavoidable chaos. Much like her photo style, she kept our interactions through the process light and airy as well which is a breath of fresh air during what can be such a stressful time. Her photography undeniably captured the essence of our wedding day.
"
- Katie & Zach
LET'S WORK TOGETHER!
If you think we'd be a good fit, I'd love to hear more about you & your wedding! The first step is filling out this form. We'll talk about your plans and how I can help make your day amazing!
