Sample Wedding Day Photo Timelines // Oregon Wedding Photographer
Trust, I get it … Planning a wedding is a lot of freaking work!
Not only are you doing this for the first time but just in order to get a few key wedding vendors booked, you need to know a basic timeline and you’re stressing the heck out … Simmer down, I got you!
I’ve photographed dozens of weddings and I have seen so many timelines, I thought I would help you out by showing you a few examples of wedding day timelines so you have a starting place to get rolling on yours!
I will always always recommend hiring a wedding planner or day of coordinator because they are worth their weight in GOLD when it comes to minimizing & erasing stress for wedding couples and guiding them through the planning process. But still, I know we’ve got a lot of “I can do it all” couples out there, CHEERS!
Let’s get to it
6 hour timeline:
If you are planning a smaller wedding with 75-100 guests, the 6 hour timeline is usually sufficient for wedding photography.
4pm is a very standard ceremony start time in Oregon for Summer/Fall but depending on what type of day you are planning you can obviously adjust …. This timeline also includes a first look which is becoming more popular in order to accommodate formal portraits before the ceremony and getting right to your guests after the ceremony.
1pm- Photographer arrives and begins photographing details and the venue
1:30pm- Partner 1 get dressed- photos
1:45pm- Partner 2 gets dressed- photos
2pm- First look and couple portraits
2:30- Wedding party photos
3:30- Family portraits
3:15- Hide wedding couple from guests - last minute touch-ups
4pm- Ceremony
4:30- Ceremony ends, cocktail-hour/appetizers start/any formal portraits still needed
5pm- Sign marriage license
5:15- Couple announced into reception, dinner announced
6pm- Cake cutting
6:15- Speeches
6:30- First Dance
6:40- Open dance floor/ dancing photos!
7pm- Photographer leaves
I always like giving buffer time in the beginning of the day because if the timeline falls behind, it is usually during “getting ready”.
8 Hour Timeline:
I find this is the most popular timeline for my couples and it seems to work best for sill-medium sized weddings up to 200 guests.
We are sticking with the 4pm ceremony on this timeline as well to keep things simple but you can see there is ample amount of time for getting ready all the way through most of the reception!
1pm- Photographer arrives- detail photos and getting ready photos
1:30pm- Partner 1 get dressed- photos
1:45pm- Partner 2 gets dressed- photos
2pm- First look
2:30- Bridal party photos
3pm- Family photos
3:30- Couple hidden away before ceremony
4pm- Ceremony
4:30- Ceremony ends, sign marriage certificate, a few couple photos.
5:30- Couple announced into reception, dinner announced
6:30- Cake cutting
6:40- Speeches
7:00- First dances
7:15pm- Open dance floor
7:30- Couple sneaks away for 15 min of sunset photos!
8pm- Dance party/games
8:45- Staged exit (Sparklers, glow sticks, smoke bombs, tunnel, etc)
9pm- Photographer departs
10 hour photo timeline
So you’re planning a big shin-dig and you want alll the coverage!?! the 10 hour timeline is the perfect length for larger weddings. If you are expecting more than 200 guests, have incredible details you wanted documented and are doing a rad exit later in the evening and plan to party like rockstars … this is the timeline for you!
12pm- Photographer arrives and begins photographing the venue, details and plenty of getting ready photos from both the wedding couple as well as family helping set up
1:30- Partner 1 getting dressed + solo portraits
2pm- Partner 2 getting dressed + solo portraits
2:30- First look and couple portraits
3pm- Wedding Party photos
3:30- Couple hidden away
4pm-4:45 Ceremony
4:45- Family portraits (I will make sure this is organized)
5:15: Sign the dotted line - marriage certificate
5:30- Announced into reception, dinner served
6:15- Speeches
6:30- Cake Cutting
7- First dances
7:30- Couple leaves for sunset portraits (optional)
7:50 - Open dance floor
9:45- Couple exits (sparklers, glow sticks, tunnel, etc.)
10pm- Photographer leaves
Overwhelmed? I sure hope not! but if you are now thinking about the possibility of a planner, here are a few of my favorites!
These incredible ladies are champions in helping you narrow down your day to the tiniest detail so nothing goes forgotten!!!