How to Set Your Wedding Day Schedule

My recommendations for planning a wedding-day schedule.

There are two wedding day schedules I usually recommend. This is a skeleton and can be fleshed out, added to or lengthened how you need it. I don’t recommend making any of these time-frames shorter. These times are the minimum amount of time I recommend for each part of the wedding day. You will need to account for travel times in between locations. The two wedding day schedules are different in when the formals and bridal party images are taken.

Schedule 1

Getting Ready 60-90 minutes before ceremony and add travel time.	This can range for every bridal party. I usually start photographing the last 60-90 minutes of getting ready which usually encompasses the bride’s make up, final touches on her hair, and getting into her dress. This stage is usually an exciting time of the day where the wedding couple is surrounded by their village. If it is wanted that the groomsmen will be photographed getting ready, I will need to have time to go to their location too so more time will need to be added in this segment. (hint: guys don’t take very long to get ready.) I just get them doing their final touches. This can, of course, be flexible to accommodate many different wedding couple scenarios.
Travel time, if necessary
Ceremony	Everything hinges on the ceremony time
Family Can range from 30-60+ minutes depending on family size and a few other factors if done close to the ceremony site.	This is a great time to get those new family pictures and is convenient if done at or close to the ceremony site. Make sure to communicate to the family members where you need them and when before the wedding day. Families range from large to small. Family pictures generally take between 30-45 minutes. If your family is very large, or you have many family groups you’d like taken or if there are a lot of small children – these factors add more time.
Travel time, if necessary
Bridal Party 60 minutes	This section is often done together with the wedding couple formals, if we are moving locations as a bridal party, or if the bridal party is smaller. If we are staying in one location, I will separate these two sections and photograph the bridal party first, then excuse the bridal party, except for a bridesmaid to help attend to the dress, to photograph the wedding couple in a more private atmosphere. This two hour time-frame is a minimum suggested time and does not include travel to different locations. The more time I have here, the more of those gorgeous pictures you get of you and your new spouse! If we are traveling locations, make sure to add that time on top of the 2 hours of photographing.
Wedding Couple Formals 60 minutes
Travel time, if necessary
Dinner/Reception	It is time to let your hair down, sit down and eat and enjoy your time with your friends and famiy.

Schedule 2

Getting Ready 60-90 minutes before ceremony and add travel time.	This can range for every bridal party. I usually start photographing the last 60-90 minutes of getting ready which usually encompasses the bride’s make up, final touches on her hair, and getting into her dress. This stage is usually an exciting time of the day where the wedding couple is surrounded by their village. If it is wanted that the groomsmen will be photographed getting ready, I will need to have time to go to their location too so more time will need to be added in this segment. (hint: guys don’t take very long to get ready.) I just get them doing their final touches. This can, of course, be flexible to accommodate many different wedding couple scenarios.
Travel time, if necessary
Wedding Couple Formals 60 minutes	With this schedule, the formals are done before the ceremony. There are several advantages to this schedule: 1) your pictures are done soon after hair and make up, 2) the formal photographs are all done by the time the ceremony time comes so there is not a big break for your wedding guests, 3) the formal photographs are all done by the time the ceremony time comes which surprisingly takes a lot of energy and you will get that part of your day done earlier, and 4) you are spending more of your wedding day with your new spouse. With this schedule, I usually have the bridal party meet up with us part-way through. This two hour time-frame (which includes wedding couple and bridal party) is a minimum suggested time and does not include travel to different locations. The more time I have here, the more of those gorgeous pictures you get of you and your new spouse! If we are traveling locations, make sure to add that time on top of the 2 hours of photographing.
Bridal Party 60 minutes
Travel time, if necessary
Ceremony	Everything hinges on the ceremony time
Family Can range from 30-60+ minutes depending on family size and a few other factors if done close to the ceremony site.	This is a great time to get those new family pictures and is convenient if done at or close to the ceremony site. Make sure to communicate to the family members where you need them and when before the wedding day. Families range from large to small. Family pictures generally take between 30-45 minutes. If your family is very large, or you have many family groups you’d like taken or if there are a lot of small children – these factors add more time.
You could insert some refresh time, or downtime in this part of the day.
Travel time, if necessary
Dinner/Reception	It is time to let your hair down, sit down and eat and enjoy your time with your friends and famiy.