Your wedding day timeline sets the pace for everything. It creates space. It brings calm. This is where we thoughtfully plan each part of your day so you can be fully present and trust that every meaningful moment is cared for.
Timeline Creation
We will meet again to review everything. We will make adjustments as needed and ensure the timeline still reflects your priorities, your locations, and your day as it has taken shape.
The information below, along with sample timelines, will give you insight into how I structure the day. Every wedding is unique. Locations, family size, time of sunset, and your personal preferences all play a role. Together, we create a timeline that feels organized, realistic, and completely tailored to you.
As your wedding date approaches
This becomes such a helpful resource as you meet with other vendors and plan the details. It guides when lunch should arrive for the wedding party, when hair and makeup should wrap up, when family should arrive at the church, and how everything flows from one moment to the next. Instead of guessing, you will have a clear, thoughtful plan in place.
We will walk through the vision for your day and build your timeline together.
our initial meeting
See 9 Hours without a First Look
Photo Coverage Complete
Sunset Photos
Dance Floor Opens
First Dances
Toasts
Dinner
Grand March
Couple & Wedding Party Photos
Ceremony
Prepare for Ceremony
Family & Wedding Party Formals
First Look & Couple Portraits
Bride Dresses
Details & Dress and Getting Ready
9 Hours of Coverage with a First Look
9 Hour Friday Evening Timeline
Sunset Photos
Dance Floor Opens
First Dances
Toasts
Dinner
Grand March
Couple & Wedding Party Photos
Drive to venue or photo location
Couple Portraits in Church
Family Formals
Ceremony
Prepare for Ceremony
Bride Dresses
Details & Dress and Getting Ready
9 Hours of Coverage without a First Look
Photo Coverage Complete
See 9 Hours with a First Look
Photo Coverage Complete
Dance Floor Opens
First Dances
Toasts
Dinner
Grand March
Couple & Wedding Party Photos
Ceremony
Prepare for Ceremony
Family Formals
Wedding Party Photos
First Look & Couple Portraits
Bride Dresses
Details & Dress and Getting Ready
9 Hour Friday Evening Timeline
One of the biggest decisions that shapes your wedding day timeline is whether you would like a private first look before the ceremony or prefer to wait and see each other for the first time as you walk down the aisle. There is something incredibly beautiful and meaningful about the aisle reveal. The anticipation. The doors opening. The moment you lock eyes.
At the same time, a private first look offers something equally special while giving your day more freedom and flexibility. It does not take away from the ceremony. Instead, it creates an additional moment that is just for the two of you.
Private First Look Vs. Aisle Reveal
Without a first look, couples often spend much of the wedding morning and early afternoon apart.A first look creates a quiet, private moment before the busyness begins. It is time to calm nerves, laugh, cry, hug, and simply breathe together. Many couples tell me it was the moment that grounded them and made the entire day feel real. Whether you choose a private first look or the aisle reveal, we will build your timeline around what matters most to you. Both options are meaningful. The goal is a day that feels peaceful, joyful, and fully yours.
More Time Together
When many of your portraits are completed before the ceremony, your post-ceremony schedule opens up beautifully. You are able to greet guests, enjoy more of cocktail hour, begin dinner on time, and truly be present with the people who came to celebrate you. Rather than feeling pulled in multiple directions, you get to soak in the joy of the evening.
More Time With Your Guests
A first look allows us to spread portraits throughout the day rather than fitting everything into a short window after the ceremony. This can be especially helpful for Catholic weddings with limited church time, winter weddings with early sunsets, or couples who simply want a relaxed and unrushed timeline. Beginning portraits earlier in the day means more variety, beautiful natural light, and a calm flow from start to finish. Instead of racing the clock, we move intentionally and comfortably.
More Time for Photos
Benefits of a first look
One thing I have learned after years of photographing weddings is this. Everything takes a little longer than you think it will.
That is exactly why we build realistic timing into your timeline from the very beginning. It is always better to have extra breathing room than to feel rushed or behind all day.
With intentional buffer time built in, you are able to enjoy each moment instead of watching the clock. You can trust that I am capturing what matters and gently keeping us on schedule in the background. And if we are ahead of schedule, that just means more time for photos, a chance for you to sit and rest, or more time to simply enjoy with your family and friends. Extra time never goes to waste. It creates peace.
Remember when planning for travel to factor in traffic, parking, moving bags, and transporting many people. Travel takes longer than you expect on a wedding day, but we’ll plan accordingly.
Building in Buffer Time
Cocktail hour does not have to be an hour. Things to consider when choosing your cocktail hour time and length include, how many people are traveling from out of town or will need to check into a hotel? How many guests - if it’s more than 200, they’ll need more than one hour to park, arrive, and get a drink.
Work with your DJ or emcee to determine timing for the reception. Ideally there aren’t large breaks (or any) between the toasts and dances. That is the role of the DJ or emcee to be able to direct the guests and you to the next part of the night seamlessly.
Considerations
- Cocktail Hour: 1-3 hours
- Dinner: 1 hour before toasts
- Toasts: 30 minutes, if shorter, jump right into first dances
- First Dances: 15 minutes
Reception
The sizes of your family and wedding party will greatly dictate the time needed for these photos but these are good places to start and include buffer time if one group goes longer or shorter
Considerations
- Couple Portraits: 60-75 minutes total
- First Look & Church Portraits: 30 minutes
- Post-Ceremony Photos (done at the same time as wedding party): 30 minutes
- Sunset Portraits (optional): 15 minutes - Immediate Family & Grandparent Formal Photos: 45 minutes
- Wedding Party: 45 minutes total
- Formal Wedding Party at Church (optional but especially useful if there are children in the wedding party): 15 minutes
- Post-Ceremony Wedding Party Photos: 30 minutes - Extended Family (optional): 15-30 minutes
Portraits
We need to finish photos so you can be ‘out of sight’ and prepare for your wedding 30 minutes before the ceremony
If you choose to do a receiving line after the ceremony, typically plan for an additional 30 minutes depending on guest count
Considerations
- Outdoor or non-church ceremony: 30 minutes
- Rite of Marriage without Mass: 45 minutes
- Rite of Marriage within the Mass: 75 minutes
- Traditional Latin Mass: 90 minutes
Ceremony
If you are getting dressed somewhere separate from the ceremony location, add travel time.
Bride Getting Ready includes more than just zipping the dress. We need to make sure mom and the bridesmaids are ready, do a final touch-up, bathroom break. Many dresses are more complicated than one zipper. We’ll also spend time putting on your veil, jewelry, and shoes.
Considerations
- Photos of Dress & Details: 60 minutes
- Groom Getting Ready: 15 minutes
- Bride Getting Ready: 30 minutes
Morning-of
Timing Expectations
Florals
Men Getting Ready
Flat Lay
Hair & Makeup Tips
Getting Ready Location
Special Morning
Reminders
Communication
Transportation
Seasons
Weather
Designating Tasks
What to Expect
Shot List
Sunset Portraits
Wedding Party
Extended family
Family Photos
Buffer Time
First Looks
Reveals
sample timelines
Expectations
Videography
DJs
Planners
Florists
Catering
Hair
Venues
Dessert
Transportation
Use your photos
What to Expect
Locations
What to wear
