Wedding Day Photography Timeline

Wedding day photography timeline

So you’re trying to work out the schedule for your wedding day? Not sure what happens when?

I thought it might be helpful to provide a typical timeline to show you how your photographer will capture your wedding day! All weddings are beautifully unique but they often share some familiar elements – the getting ready, the ceremony, the food, the entertainment, and so forth. I have designed this diagram to walk you through these various elements in a common order and though yours may well differ (fine and dandy!), this should give you a better idea as to the key shots that your photographer might be aiming for throughout the day and therefore help you to plan your timings to perfection!

When you are organising your wedding, it can be difficult to judge the timings, so do take advice from the venue and from your photographer so that you can appropriately schedule the day according to your hopes and wishes. If you want to have lots of family formals, for example (and, trust me, people often generate a very long list despite originally saying they don’t want many posed photos!) then it’s unlikely that 30 minutes will be enough time in which to do this. Every photographer works differently so make sure you have a chat before committing to your itinerary.

Similarly, whilst your wedding photographer will instinctively know which shots to capture, it is worth highlighting any very personal or specific elements which they may not otherwise know to shoot, for example, a particular relative or a subtle commemorative item.

Don’t forget that your photographer will need a break, most certainly if you are having full-day coverage. They are likely to be one of the only suppliers who are with you working all day long, so make sure you respect their need to refresh and grab a bite to eat! This is usually whilst you are eating too so you won’t miss them too much ;-)

Hope this is helpful! Would you like me to create a blank, customisable timeline that you can tailor to your own wedding day? If so, please leave me a comment below or on my Facebook page here!