Wedding Timelines: From a photographers viewpoint.
I am prepping for my first wedding of 2022 and I wanted to share some thoughts with you about timelines!
I discovered VERY early in my business that establishing a working timeline with my brides was so beneficial for everyone involved in the wedding day! From vendors to family to bridal party. Timelines not only let people know where they need to be and when, it also allows everyone to know where the photographer is at any given point in the day.
About 2-4 weeks before the big day, I will plan a phone chat with my bride to go over the whole day. Start to finish. We will plan out how the day will flow from the time I arrive to the time I leave the reception. I like to schedule my wedding days in increments of 30 minutes. Less than 30 minutes, in my opinion, feels rushed and it risks becoming “behind” in the timeline. More than 30 minutes typically leaves a lull and I find that some of that time could have been budgeted to a different portion of the day.
Every timeline is different. Just like every wedding. Some timelines need to have an allotment for a first look between a bride and groom or a bride and her father. Other timelines don’t need that. Most timelines do need a chunk of time set aside for the bride to get dressed. Putting on that gown is a big moment in a wedding day! Having enough time should also be important. Rushing through certain aspects of your wedding day will leave you with feelings of regret later down the road.
One timeline aspect of the wedding day that some people “dread” are the family formals. The photos taken directly after the ceremony has ended. Those classic, at the front of the church photos. With the right photographer, dread should absolutely not be how anyone feels. I allot 30 minutes for family formals at my weddings. The most helpful resource I have found for that part of a wedding day is a list. During our timeline phone chat, I always ask my brides to make a list of family formals they want. I print that list and take it to the wedding. When family formals start, I start at the top and work my way down that list. I advise my brides to place people of importance at the top. Grandparents and young children especially. That way they can be done and whisked away to have a seat somewhere and enjoy a nice cold drink. I also advise my brides to let family members who will be needed for those photos to be made aware of that fact. Having to hunt down Great Uncle Bob or Aunt Jane can put the timeline behind, which no one wants. We all (photographer, bride, groom and guests) want the couple to make their grand reception entrance when planned.
I have also learned to budget in “stops”. Thirty minutes before the start of the ceremony, I will stop photos. This allows the bride to have a quiet moment, to get a drink, to use the restroom or touch up makeup. It allows family members to find their way to the ceremony and not feel rushed from taking photos to finding their seats. It also allows myself to take a moment to grab detail shots of the reception area or the ceremony site. I also need to position myself in the best place for the ceremony and having that cushion of time accounts for my movements as well. I also do the same 10-15 minutes before the official start to receptions. I call an all stop on photos to give my couples a few moments alone to celebrate, or for a bride to bustle her gown. It also allows time for the bridal party and family members to line up to be announced into the reception. And once again, it allows me time to set up for the reception. I have lights to set up and gear to adjust. Taking 10 minutes before the reception allows me to be totally ready for the grand entrance.
Any photographer can take your wedding day photos. A great photographer will take your hand and walk with you through the day. They will be your wedding day guide. Showing you the ins and outs, do and don’ts to all that could occur that day. A good photographer will help you step by step because they have the experience from the many weddings before yours. Great photographers know what to anticipate and what to look for during wedding days. They know how to help you before you even know help is needed, when shopping for a photographer, take all of this into consideration. Experience is worth it.
