This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
Over the last couple of years and after attending many a wedding, I’ve made a few changes in my business to help my brides and grooms plan out their wedding days. As much as I want to be on hand to capture things as they naturally unfold, a little bit of forward planning can never go amiss! Time is of the essence on a wedding day, you quickly get swept up in the moment and before you realise it you’re sitting down to eat your wedding breakfast. Things just seem to go a million times faster than a normal day, and with so much to pack in I want to be sure that I (and you!) don’t miss a moment.
So many people used to ask for advice on how to write a wedding timeline, that I now include a wedding day checklist in my welcome packets to make things easier. I ask my couples to send this form back at least three weeks before their wedding day. This ensures that I have time to go through it, re-order their group shots to make them a little more efficient and make suggestions about timings if things are able to be changed. This little checklist serves as my schedule of the day, and it tells me exactly what is happening at any given time.
I encourage my couples to make notes of anything that may be happening on the day that they are sure they want photographs of. Often times, they include things I would naturally photograph (Don’t worry I wouldn’t forget the first kiss!) but they will also mention the time that they intend to cut their cake or have their first dance too. This is incredibly helpful to know, as it means I can then plan when to do the rest of the fun stuff like your couple portraits!
It’s also handy to make a note on the checklist about any surprises you may have planned for your guests. This can be anything from present giving in the morning or after the speeches, singing waiters, a magician to a choreographed first dance. These are the types of things I need to know so that I can be sure I’m in the right place at the right time to capture the reactions of your and your guests.
So just where do you start when it comes to the timeline?
Firstly, think about the sections of the day that have to happen at a fixed time, that can’t be flexible. Most commonly this will be your ceremony, so work backwards and forward from that point. For example you may be having a 2pm ceremony and you are getting ready 35 minutes from the church or venue. You will have to leave at the very latest at 1.25pm. From here you can work out when you’ll need to be dressed by and when your hair and make-up should be finished by. Your hair and make-up artists should be able to advise how long it will take them to apply your make-up or style your hair, as well as anyone else you are arranging it for. So again once they have advised you, you can work backwards from the time you need to be thinking of putting on your dress.
Getting Ready
On the morning of your wedding it’s handy to plan how long you have to get ready by the time your photographer needs to leave for the ceremony. Depending on the logistics of your day, I may have to shoot off thirty minutes before you in order to catch the groom for a few photographs before you arrive. Make sure your make-up artist and hairstylist are also aware of the timings in the morning, and how many people they need to be working on. All these little things if well organised beforehand will mean that you’ll be getting ready stress free and in plenty of time.
The Boys
Not all grooms want photography coverage in the morning and thats absolutely fine. Some are happy for me to come and meet them at the pub en route to the ceremony or grab a few shots of them together outside the ceremony venue. however you want to play it, just make sure its considered in your timeline as again, this is all down to the logistics of your wedding day. Ideally you and your groom want to both be getting ready nearby your venue, so its a matter of minutes for me going to each location.
On some occasions, where time is tight I can do a ‘mock up’ getting ready with the boys, perhaps before they head off for some breakfast or to the pub. This usually only take 15-20 minutes so its always worth considering!
Putting on The Dress
Before you get into your dress, ask your bridesmaids, mum or whoever is helping you into it to make sure they are dressed and ready too, this will mean everyone is looking their best for these photographs and once you are dressed too, we can grab some shots of you all completely ready together.
I advise that you plan to put your dress on one hour before I need to leave for the ceremony. This is because doing the dress up always takes longer than expected (especially corseted dresses) and it allows plenty of time for make-up and hair re-touches.
Once you are ready I’ll try to grab a photo of you with your parents, and you and your bridesmaids as well as a few of you alone (if time allows). so it’s well worth, getting yourself ready early to enjoy this part of the day. Brides always underestimate how long this part of the day takes, so adding in extra time and planning to be ready much earlier than you need to be is much better than running late and becoming flustered!
Leaving for the ceremony
Before I leave for the ceremony, I’ll always try to get a few shots of you on your own, some photos with your bridesmaids and a photo of your dad as he first sees you in your dress. I’ll usually try to leave at least 15-30 minutes before you to get to the ceremony, unless your ceremony is taking place at the venue you are getting ready at.
When you arrive I’d advise that you don’t leave the car until you can spot me (I’ll be waiting outside for you!) just so we can get a quick few shots of you and your dad in the car before you head inside to get married!
The Ceremony
The ceremony is the one part of the day that will usually always run to schedule! It’s always handy to know before the day how many readings you have planned, so I’m prepared to capture them and if you have anything out of the ordinary happening during.
Group Shots
This is the part of the day where time really does get sucked away!
I think group shots are really really important photographs. It’s these that you’ll probably look back on with your children one day and point out all their relatives to them who look so different now! So whilst they do take time, it’s important that we get them and that we get them of all the right people.
I advise my couples to pick just 5-8 group shots maximum. This is because guests can get bored and frustrated waiting around during this point (and cold! in Winter) and you’ll get a sore face from all that posing. Usually this list looks a little like this;
1. Bride, Groom, and Brides Parents (or immediate family)
2. Bride, Groom and Brides Extended family
2. Bride, Groom and Grooms Parents (or immediate family)
4. Bride, Groom and Grooms Extended family
5. Bride, Groom and both sets of parents
6. Bride, Groom, Bridesmaids and Groomsmen,
7. Bride and Bridesmaids
8. Groom and Groomsmen
Remember shots such as ‘bride and parents’ or ‘bride and dad’ are the type of shot I’ll naturally take on the morning of your wedding once you are completely ready. And I can always grab a shot of the groom and his parents a little less formally later on. Adding these smaller shots to the group shots part of the day can often make this time drag. As a guideline it takes about 5 minutes per photograph to set up your group shots. This includes the time it takes to locate everyone, and there will nearly always be someone who has disappeared to the loo too!
It’s always a good idea for these shots to take place immediately after your ceremony, as this means that no one has the chance to wander off. Plus as soon as they are done, your guests can just enjoy the day instead of worrying about not spilling drink or food down themselves during the meal, or when they need to have touched up their lipstick!
Think twice about whether you really need a group shot of everyone as well. It is tradition, but more often than not you can’t really make out your guests faces as us photographers have to find somewhere (like an upstairs window) to shoot from. While this can be a fun shot to have, it can take some time to organise, and we just can’t guarantee everyone will want to play too!
Couple Shots
I like to whisk you off for couple shots soon after finishing the group shots. This is so we have lots of time and aren’t rushed but also because otherwise you’ll get lost in a crowd of congratulatory guests and it will be hard to pull you away! Where possible I like to have about 20-30 minutes to walk around the grounds with you both, enabling us to use a few different locations and providing lots of variety for your couple images.
This part of the day is really good for you too, you may not actually get to spend much time together on the day as you chat to various relatives you’ve not seen in a long time. So 30 minutes alone together gives you both the chance to take in what has just happened and to have a bit of quiet time.
If your venue is nearby an attraction or area you’d love to use just let me know! I’m not opposed to driving you to a nearby beach, to get some romantic photographs just say so!
Speeches
It’s always handy to know the time that your speeches are planned to start at. More often than not myself and my assistant will be seated in a separate room to you during your wedding breakfast (we use this time to re-charge batteries, back-up cards and grab some food ourselves!). So keeping an eye on the time is vital to us, we will often ask a waiter to let us know when the champagne is nearly all served so we know when you are ready to start.
The Golden Hour
In the summer, about an hour or so before the sun sets there is what photographers refer to as the ‘golden hour’. This is the most perfect light to photograph in, and if possible I encourage all of my couples to consider adding it into their timeline. It usually happens at a very inconvenient time (i.e- just as you’re about to tuck into desert!!) but if you’d like soft, hazy warm photographs then I advise you to just spare 10 minutes for a few shots!
Cutting the Cake & The First Dance
Lots of couples like to wait until their guests arrive to cut the cake, make a note of when you think most will have arrived and when you’re ready to kick off the party. I find its usually best to cut the cake and then head straight into your first dance, this means the DJ or Band can get going and hopefully your guests will hit the dance floor. More often than not, no one will dance until you’ve had that first dance so consider getting it done straight away, especially if you are nervous about it! Letting your DJ or band know about this part of the schedule means that they can announce it too, so all your guests should congregate at the right time.
So before I leave, I just wanted to share with you a schedule of events that went exactly to time recently, and all because there was just superb planning beforehand. It really does pay to plan your day out so take some time to sit down with a checklist and really think about the most important parts of the day!
