Timeline

TIMELINE

Here's the information that can be somewhat intimidating - the timeline! We know that this isn't the most exciting aspect of the wedding day, but this is the one thing that can make or break the entire flow of your day, including your wedding photography and cinematography!

We are more than happy to help you to build an ideal timeline the closer we get to your wedding day, so get in touch with us if you would like our help.

The best timeline is also based on a wedding day that includes a "First Look." Most of our couples choose to do a first look, and you can read more about that option in a later chapter. However, we want to make it clear that we will in no way ever pressure or force you to do the first look option.

If we haven't talked about it yet, feel free to email or call us and we can go over some of the pros and cons about doing a "First Look."

Remember, all wedding days are unique, and timings will differ drastically between different types of celebrations! Feel free to use these pages as a guide, but don't feel like you're doing it wrong if you want to deviate - it is your day after all!

The Details

Couples love having those beautiful shots of their wedding details. It is an important part of your story, and we love having the time to photograph and film the wedding dress, shoes, jewelry, invitations, vow books, etc.

Think about any other sentimental keepsakes you would like to include in the detail shots. We once had a bride bring her grandmother's hand mirror. This is completely optional - but if you have something sentimental you'd like styled with your details, we love including family heirlooms in our detail shots.

These shots allow us to get warmed up for the rest of your big day. We normally like to allow at least 45 minutes for this part of the day. While we are photographing details, we are also capturing shots of the bride and her girls getting ready.

Typically, if the groom is getting ready nearby, we will photograph the guys getting ready close to 40 minutes before the first look since it always takes them less time to get dressed!

Bridal Preparation

It's time for the bride to get into her dress! This is a big moment, and we usually ask the mother of the bride and all of the bridesmaids to be dressed by the time the bride is ready to get into her dress.

This ensures that everyone will look nice in those images. After the bride is in her dress, she can put on her jewelry, veil, shoes, etc., and if there is still time, we will photograph some additional bridal portraits.

Time-wise, work back from the start of your ceremony factoring in travel, putting on your dress, and timings from your hair & makeup artist. Leave a margin of error of one hour!

First Look

This is an ideal time for a First Look between the spouses-to-be and is one of our favorite parts of the wedding day.

Unless you have specifically scheduled time after the ceremony for couple portraits, this may be the only chance that you will get to spend some 'private' time with each other, and it allows you to get some amazing photos together at this momentous time.

If you have a location in mind, just let us know. If not, we will find the perfect location for your First Look! Please don't stress out about that one bit! We will make sure that the location is as private and secluded as possible. Allow around 15 minutes for this special time.

Couple Portraits

After you both have taken your time with the First Look, we will begin to take a few romantic portraits of the two of you while the initial excitement is still present! We will find the locations for these shots as well! Remember, the light will determine where we take the photographs, so we can't decide on portrait locations until that day. As we take these portraits, the bridal party can start making their way to us for bridal party portraits! Allow around 30 minutes for your creative portraits.

Bridal Party Portraits

Now it's time for bridal party photos! We like to buffer in extra time throughout the day just in case of unexpected things that hold you up! One way to ensure that we stay on schedule for the bridal party portraits is to have someone put the boutonnieres on the men before they arrive for portraits.

During bridal party portraits, we will make sure to take some great photos of the guys and girls separately and together! After bridal party portraits are complete, it's time to get underway for the ceremony! Allow around 30 minutes for the bridal party portraits.

Ceremony

It's time to get married! Ceremonies typically take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes for a non-religious ceremony, 30 to 45 minutes for a civil wedding/partnership, and 60 to 90 minutes for a religious ceremony. Cherish these moments! Your ceremony will pass by so quickly! We like to arrive at the ceremony venue (if different than the bridal prep location) in time to capture you arriving with your father.

Tip: Consider Unplugging

If you've been to a wedding recently, you may have seen a sign from the happy couple asking for their guests to remain "unplugged" during the ceremony. And while it might seem like a strange request to ask guests to put down their phones, there's a pretty good reason for it! You made a big investment in photography/cinematography, and we're sure one of the last things you want on your wedding day is for our photos of your ceremony to be filled with obtrusive iPhones, iPads, and relatives standing in the aisle with their cameras.
To help us do the best possible job of capturing your wedding, we recommend asking guests to unplug during the ceremony

Ceremony Exit

Ever wonder why people throw rice at newlywed couples at weddings? This post-ceremony practice has been around since ancient Roman times and isn't just a festive way of ending a wedding; it symbolizes showering the bride and groom with abundance and fertility. Don't you want to use rice?

In France, wedding guests throw wheat, a symbol of bounty, after the ceremony. Italians rain candy and sugared nuts over couples, for sweetness in marriage.

For something a little less traditional, give your guests flower petals or paper airplanes to toss, or choose biodegradable confetti, which is even easier to clean up. Some churches have restrictions, so make sure to check beforehand.

Alternatively, confetti throwing can take place during your drinks reception, often with more options available to capture those creative photos that couples love! Allow 1-5 minutes for this time-honored tradition - it will take longer than you think to get everyone organized!.

Family Portraits

Family & guest formals normally take place immediately following the ceremony but may take place at your reception venue if located elsewhere.

Allow around 5 minutes per group photo for family formals. We send our couples a wedding questionnaire before the wedding, where you can list out the shots that you would like. We recommend photographing portraits outdoors if possible so that they resemble more natural family portraits (weather dependent, of course).

Receiving Line

If you are planning a receiving line, then allow up to 40 minutes. Designate at least a couple of your bridesmaids or ushers to direct guests, assist with the receiving line, and to gather up any loitering guests.

Reception Details

While you are enjoying your drinks reception/cocktail hour, we will head into the reception space for about 15 minutes to capture all of the details that you spent so much time and careful planning. Photographing reception details during this time is ideal because the room has been untouched by family and guests and is still as beautiful as ever. Allow 90 minutes to two hours for your drinks reception to allow you time to mingle with your guests and for us to take capture moments.

Seating guests

Allow guests up to 30 minutes to move from the drinks reception to the location of your reception and for them to find their seats.

Reception

Once the reception has begun, timings can often go out of the window! However, some key things need to be factored into your schedule; otherwise, they can be easily forgotten in the excitement of the festivities.

As a general rule, allow up to two hours for a three-course meal. Your caterers will be able to give you a guide on how long they think their service will take.

Allow no more than 30 ta 40 minutes for speeches with each speaker allocated up to 10 minutes. Any longer normally results in fidgety guests, and your evening might lose momentum! We use this time to capture candid moments of you and your guests enjoying themselves, emotional moments during the speeches, and much more!

Top Tip! When you ask your speakers how long they think they will take - double the time! From our experience, we have never heard a speech that ran on time.

We therefore normally advise our couples to factor in their first dance, cutting the wedding cake, and throwing the bouquet no later than 45 minutes after the end of their meal (this will ensure that we manage to capture everything before our allotted leave time). As well as capturing these key wedding day moments for you, we also utilize this time to concentrate on capturing all of the crazy moments of the party.

Reception Exit

If you are interested in having your exit photographed, there are several options! Either make sure that we are scheduled until the end of the night, add additional coverage, or if your timeline allows for it, plan a faux exit with just your bridal party! While long wedding sparklers are one of the most common ways to make a grand exit from your wedding, there are plenty of other options:

• flags, which they can wave as you make your grand exit

• small wedding bells or cowbells, a spin-off of the classic church bells

• bubbles, to add an elegant yet playful touch

• glow sticks make for a great alternative to sparklers

• sky lanterns, to add a romantic touch

• percussion instruments for a playful and lighthearted departure

• paper airplanes, an affordable and easy option you can personalize to your theme or color palette

• smoke bombs, a dramatic and photo-worthy send-off

• silly strings, a hilarious and fun-filled wedding send-off

• flower petals that can be easily customized to your taste and budget

• streamers, to exit your wedding through a sparkly tunnel of streamers

• confetti poppers, fun and affordable way to add some color and excitement to your grand exit