Wedding day timeline – 4 examples that work
Are you planning your wedding and struggling to know how much time you need for all of the various activities? I’ve collected 4 different wedding day timeline examples from my 5 years in the wedding photography industry. I have also included some little tips and tricks for each piece of your day! You’ll see things like ways to make your getting-ready stage a little more personal with your bridal party, tips for family pictures and your formal bridal pictures, and more!
Within this blog post, you will find:
Wedding Day Timeline with First Look
Wedding Day Timeline with an Aisle Reveal
Wedding Timeline – Morning Ceremony with Luncheon
Wedding Timeline – Winter/Early Afternoon Ceremony
Other Timeline Planning Considerations
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Wedding Day Timeline with a First Look
I absolutely LOVE first looks. I think it creates a special moment for the two of you in the middle of your wedding day chaos that might not be there otherwise. It is traditional to not see the bride before you see her walking down the aisle, but I personally would not have liked it if I couldn’t see my husband before our ceremony. We did our first look during a bridal session prior to our wedding day, which meant that we could get ready together the morning-of and I loved it.
I love first looks because you still have the “wow” factor of seeing each other for the first time in wedding attire, but it also gives you a chance to share feelings, and even do a private vow reading, etc. before the ceremony. I also think that it can make your wedding day timeline more efficient, especially if your ceremony is not until later in the afternoon or evening. Eventually there just is not enough light to do many pictures outdoors after the ceremony.
Let’s jump into this version of a wedding day timeline.
Timeline:
~12:00 – Start getting ready. You and your makeup and hair artist may need more time, especially if they are also doing your bridesmaids’ hair and makeup. So, check with them to determine an accurate start time.
2:00 – Photographer arrives. Your photographer can start taking your flat lay and detail pictures and capture the tail-end of getting ready photos. TIP: Add in something fun, like a toast or a reveal of you in your wedding attire with your bridesmaids and groomsmen to make the getting ready time with your friends even more special.
3:00 – First Look. The photographer will scout out a spot around your venue that will be perfect for your first look. They will set up the groom and give him instructions, like “don’t turn around, whatever you do!”, that sort of thing. They will coordinate how the bride will arrive, give more instructions, and let the moment play out! It’s always so special. From here, you will flow into couple photos and bridal party photos.
3:15 – Couple photos and bridal party photos. I recommend taking a few couple photos before your bridal party photos because you will still be on a high from your first look. Perhaps have your bridal party arrive at 3:15, but account for some stragglers and start bridal party photos at 3:30. Depending on the photographer, these can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes. Afterwards, take a few more couple pictures before your ceremony.
4:30 – Ceremony. Wedding ceremonies can be anywhere from 15-30+ minutes long. It all depends on what the program is and what the officiant is planning to talk about, as well as if you have written your own vows or if you are planning on the officiant’s provided vows. It also depends on if it is also a religious ceremony.
Post-ceremony – Greet your guests. This is optional, but before you start taking pictures, take a few minutes to greet your guests as they head into cocktail hour. They will be anxious to say hi and congratulations.
5:30-6:30 – Pictures. This time is used for family pictures and a few more couple pictures if there wasn’t enough time before the ceremony or there are more spots you’d like to hit up. Bonus: use some of this time to just relax together and take it all in before you jump back into the festivities!
5:30 – 6:30 Cocktail hour. Cocktail hour is mainly for your guests to relax and chat while you are away at pictures. You might catch the tail-end of it once you’re done.
6:30 – Grand Entrance and Dinner. Enter back into the festivities with a grand entrance! Plan a grand entrance with your bridal party, and even add in your first dance before you sit down to eat. Then take some time for a sit-down dinner before the reception and partying later. Once you’re done with dinner, this is another time to find a spot and have a private, relaxing moment with your new spouse before partying it up!
7:30 – Reception. Greet your guests (if you’re having an open house), dance, cut the cake, play some games, and enjoy the party! I recommend creating a timeline to share with your bridal party and vendors with all of the activities of the reception.
Sunset – Couple pictures. I highly recommend sneaking away with your photographer to get some sunset photos. Talk to your photographer about the timing of golden hour.
9:00 – Send off. Send off can be pretty much anytime, so this can be adjusted depending on how your day goes. There are so many fun ideas for send offs these days, from the traditional sparkler exit, to bubbles, or even a pinata or something unique like that!
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Wedding Day Timeline with an Aisle Reveal
Let’s take a look at a wedding day timeline with an aisle reveal. This timeline is for you if you are wanting to wait to see your future spouse until the ceremony, as y’all walk down the aisle. Thus, the term “aisle reveal.” This doesn’t mean that you can’t have a little private, intimate moment with them beforehand! Consider something like a first touch, private letter reading behind a door, or something else that is special to you that still lets you have the classic “see each other for the first time at the aisle.”
Timeline:
~1:00 – Start getting ready. You and your makeup and hair artist may need more time, especially if they are also doing your bridesmaids’ hair and makeup. So, check with them to determine an accurate start time.
2:00 – Photographer arrives. Your photographer can start taking your flat lay and detail pictures and capture the tail-end of getting ready photos. TIP: Add in something fun, like a toast or a reveal of you in your wedding attire with your bridesmaids and groomsmen to make the getting ready time with your friends even more special.
3:00 (Optional) – Special moment. If you’re doing an aisle reveal and not a first look, consider adding in a different kind of special moment with your future spouse. A few ideas include: a first touch, a blindfolded letter reading, a doorway exchange of letters, etc.
3:30 – Wedding ceremony. Wedding ceremonies can be anywhere from 20-30+ minutes long. It all depends on what the program is and what the officiant is planning to talk about, as well as if you have written your own vows or if you are planning on the officiant’s provided vows. It also depends on if it is also a religious ceremony.
Post-ceremony – Greet your guests. This is optional, but before you start taking pictures, take a few minutes to greet your guests as they head into cocktail hour. They will be anxious to say hi and congratulations.
4:15-6:30 – Pictures. This time is used for family pictures, bridal party pictures, and couple pictures. Let’s break it down: family pictures 30-45 minutes, bridal party pictures 15-30 minutes, and at least 30 minutes for couple pictures.
4:00 – 6:00 Cocktail hour. Cocktail hour is mainly for your guests to relax and chat while you are away at pictures. You might catch the tail-end of it once you’re done.
6:30 – Grand Entrance and Dinner. Enter back into the festivities with a grand entrance! Plan a grand entrance with your bridal party, and even add in your first dance before you sit down to eat. Then take some time for a sit-down dinner before the reception and partying later. Once you’re done with dinner, this is another time to find a spot and have a private, relaxing moment with your new spouse before partying it up!
7:30 – Reception. Greet your guests, dance, cut the cake, play some games, and enjoy the party! I recommend creating a timeline to share with your bridal party and vendors with all of the activities of the reception.
Sunset – Couple pictures. I highly recommend sneaking away with your photographer to get some sunset photos. Talk to your photographer about the timing of golden hour.
9:00 – Send off. Send off can be pretty much anytime, so this can be adjusted depending on how your day goes. There are so many fun ideas for send offs these days, from the traditional sparkler exit, to bubbles, or even a pinata or something unique like that!
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Alternative Timeline: Morning ceremony with luncheon
This is a great timeline for micro-weddings that are not having any evening festivities or a reception. Whether you are having your ceremony in the morning because you want a smaller wedding or because you are traveling in the evening, this is a great timeline to make all of your festivities special.
This timeline example includes a first look, because I’ve noticed that more and more of my couples, and couples in general, are choosing to do a first look over an aisle reveal. But, if you are not doing a first look, this timeline is still easily customized to move your couple pictures to after the ceremony.
I’ve also simplified the notes for each time block, so please refer to some of the other timelines above if you would like more information.
Timeline:
~8:00 – Start getting ready. Check with your HMUA to determine an accurate start time.
9:00 – Photographer arrives. Starts with flat lays, details, venue and ceremony space pictures, and the tail-end of getting ready.
10:00 – First Look. Start with a first look moment with your future spouse, and then flow into couple pictures.
11:00 – Ceremony. Wedding ceremonies can be anywhere from 15-30+ minutes long. It also depends on if it is also a religious ceremony.
Post-ceremony – Greet your guests. This is optional, but before you start taking pictures, take a few minutes to greet your guests as they head into cocktail hour. They will be interested to say hi and congratulations.
12:00 – 1:00/1:30 – Pictures. Here is an easy-to-understand breakdown of the times for each part of pictures: Big group and family pictures: ~30-45 minutes. Bridal party: 15-30 minutes. Optional additional 20-30 minutes for more couple pictures (but I recommend it!).
12:00 – Cocktail hour. Cocktail hour is mainly for your guests to relax and chat while you are away at pictures. You might catch the tail-end of it once you’re done.
1:30 – Luncheon. Depending on if you are doing speeches, dancing, cake-cutting, a send-off, etc. during your luncheon time, you may decide that you don’t need your photographer at this point. Spend time with your family and friends, and don’t forget to find a time to relax and spend a moment with you and your new spouse in private!
Send off – I’ve noticed in weddings with this timeline that send offs only happen about 50% of the time. So, plan it how you want it.
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Alternative Timeline: Winter wedding, and/or early afternoon ceremony
This wedding day timeline is adjusted to fit winter weddings where the light goes away early, or for ceremonies that are just in the early afternoon. Depending on what time the sun sets, you may need to adjust your timeline a little bit. Consult with your photographer to make sure you will be done with photos before the sun sets.
This timeline example includes a first look, because I’ve noticed that more and more of my couples, and couples in general, are choosing to do a first look over an aisle reveal. But, if you are not doing a first look, this timeline is still easily customized to move your couple pictures to after the ceremony.
I’ve also simplified the notes for each time block, so please refer to some of the other timelines above if you would like more information.
Timeline:
~10:00 – Start getting ready. Check with your HMUA to determine an accurate start time.
~11:30-12:00 – Photographer arrives. Starts with flat lays, details, venue and ceremony space pictures, and the tail-end of getting ready.
12:30 – First Look. Start with a first look moment with your future spouse, and then flow into couple pictures.
12:45 – Couple Photos and Bridal Party. Take a few photos before your whole bridal party takes photos. Times: 30 minutes for couple pictures (at least!), ~20+ minutes for bridal party photos. Bridal party can be moved to after the ceremony if necessary.
2:00 – Ceremony. Wedding ceremonies can be anywhere from 15-30+ minutes long. It also depends on if it is also a religious ceremony.
Post-ceremony – Greet your guests. This is optional, but before you start taking pictures, take a few minutes to greet your guests as they head into cocktail hour. They will be interested to say hi and congratulations.
3:00 – 4:00/4:30 – Pictures. Here is an easy-to-understand breakdown of the times for each part of pictures: Big group and family pictures: ~30-45 minutes. Optional bridal party: 15-30 minutes. Optional additional 20-30 minutes for more couple pictures (but I recommend it!).
3:00 – Cocktail hour. Cocktail hour is mainly for your guests to relax and chat while you are away at pictures. You might catch the tail-end of it once you’re done.
4:30 – Grand Entrance and Dinner. Plan a grand entrance with your bridal party, and even add in your first dance before you sit down to eat. Take some time for a sit-down dinner before the reception and partying later.
6:00 – Reception. Greet your guests, dance, cut the cake, play some games, and enjoy the party! I recommend creating a timeline to share with your bridal party and vendors with all of the activities of the reception.
Sunset – Couple pictures. I highly recommend sneaking away with your photographer to get some sunset photos. Talk to your photographer about the timing of golden hour. Depending on the time of year of your wedding, sunset photos may organically happen at the tail-end of your family/bridal party/couple photos after your reception. Then you may not need to sneak out!
9:00 – Send off. Send off can be pretty much anytime, so this can be adjusted depending on how your day goes. There are so many fun ideas for send offs these days, from the traditional sparkler exit, to bubbles, or even a pinata or something unique like that!
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Other things to consider when planning a timeline
There are a few things to consider when planning a timeline that might require you to adjust these templates a little bit, or to add in a little bit of wiggle room. Here are some examples:
- Traveling from church to venue and vice versa, or just traffic and transportation issues in general.
- Delays in getting ready are very common. It takes a lot longer than you might think!
- The weather can always become an issue, even when you might think it will not. This might create delays by requiring your ceremony to be moved inside.
- Depending on your family picture shot list, you may need more or less time. Big groups, groups with complicated dynamics, or groups with kiddos are all reasons why family photos might take a bit longer than the estimated times above.
Above all, make sure that you plan your wedding for YOU. Create times where you can relax and spend a few moments with your new spouse. Although there are lots of times that are especially for photos, your whole day should not feel like a photo shoot. It should capture the memories of your special day for you while you enjoy it with your spouse, your family, and your friends.
If you like what you see here but have questions, leave a comment or send me a message!
If you are looking for a photographer and you love my work, I would love to be considered! I’ll be the perfect balance of bossy, documentary, fly-on-the-wall, and bestie. 
Want to see more of my winter wedding photography? Check out these blog posts and galleries!
Arizona Micro-Wedding Gallery
Full Wedding Day with Aisle Reveal
Winter Bridal Session with First Look
