Wedding days can be stressful- but they don’t have to be. Imagine this, you and your closest friends eat a delicious breakfast, enjoy some mimosas or coffee and giddily chat about the day that is finally here. After breakfast you begin getting your hair and make up done, or you do it yourself. Over the course of a couple hours, you listen to music, eat some lunch, enjoy a champagne pop and just have an overall enjoyable day. Then it’s time to slip on that gorgeous dress you’ve been dying to wear for months and your bridesmaids gasp in awe. You excitedly prepare to walk down the aisle and then you catch the eye of your groom. 

To ensure you have the time to enjoy your wedding day, you MUST make sure you have a good timeline in place! If you want to have time to pop champagne while getting ready, you gotta plan for it! The most common amount of photography coverage for a wedding day is 8 hours. So, what can you fit in an 8 hour timeframe and where do you even begin? Below I’ve added a general timeline to help get you started! I always offer my help to my couples so that they feel prepared for the big day!

EXAMPLE TIMELINE

1pm- Details photos/Venue photos/start getting ready photos (it’s good for the photographer to arrive in the last hour of you getting ready. Most brides do not want photos of themselves without their make up done, but of course that’s up to you!) 

2:45pm- Get into dress and enjoy a few moments with your gals

3:15pm- First look with your mannnnnn (A first look is a great way to save time after the ceremony. It can also give you a few special minutes to soak in the emotions and show off that dress to your man!) 

3:30pm- Wedding party photos

4:30pm- Ceremony!!!

5pm- Family Photos and Bride/Groom portraits (to save time, it is best to keep the family portrait combos to a minimum. Plan for about 2-3 minutes per grouping!) 

6pm- Grand Entrance and DINNER!

6:45pm- Cake Cutting/First dances

7:20pm- Get on the dance floor with your guests!

9pm- Send off! (Or keep partying the night away! Some people opt for a fake exit, others prefer to really exit, and others decide to skip the exit all together and just enjoy dancing!) 

Your wedding day does not have to be stressful. If you want to enjoy time with friends and family, plan for buffer time. Hiring a wedding day coordinator will also greatly help with helping the day move along on schedule! One last thing: many wedding days tend to run behind schedule, which is totally fine! Be flexible, and remember that the whole purpose of the day is for you to GET MARRIED! Now go, enjoy making your timeline and reach out if you have any questions!