WEDDING DAY TIMELINE TIPS
UPDATED FOR 2021 and 2022
wedding day timeline tips
Tips to Get the Most Out Of Your Wedding Day Timeline
Your wedding day will be one of the most important days in your life, so you’ll want to prepare for it as much as possible. Preparation can be especially beneficial for your wedding photos - having a good timeline will give your photographer enough time to take beautiful and creative photos.
Wedding Day Timeline Tips
1. Plan Enough Time to Get Ready
Hair and makeup can take hours. When you plan these, check the timeline with your hair and makeup artist, then add some extra time, just in case. An additional 30 to 60 minutes should do it. It’s better for you to be ready early and enjoy a quiet drink before the ceremony than to be late, stressed out, and rushing everything to the last minute.
In our experience, bridal hair can take up to 1 hour (without washing and preparing) and make-up from 1 to 1,5 hours. If your artist will also be taking care of your bridal party, add extra time for them as well. You, the bride, should always be the last person to get ready, so your make-up stays fresh and solid.
Getting yourself dressed will also take some time. Some dresses take longer to put on (those buttons on the back look lovely, but they will take time to button up), so think about that when you’re trying dresses on in the bridal shop.
BONUS TIP: Check the dress the night before to see if everything is as it should be, especially if it’s a rental. We’ve seen dresses turn up with poor stitching and alterations, and with missing buttons - you don’t want to stress out about this right before the ceremony.
WEDDING DAY TIMELINE TIPS
2. Prepare the Details for the Photographer
If you’re a fan of the detail shots, it’s always good to have these all ready when the photographer arrives. Details are something that we normally photograph during the getting-ready part so have everything ready to be photographed beforehand. We can then take photos in our own way without disturbing you while you get ready and enjoy time with your family and friends.
Which things should you prepare?
Usually, detail shots include your wedding dress, shoes, and any extra jewelry you might wear. Then there are the wedding rings and possibly your engagement ring, invitations and other stationery, the wedding bouquet… and any other item that holds a special meaning for you.
3. Have The Whole Wedding At the Same Place
If you find a venue that you really like and also offers everything you need for your wedding - congrats! This is the best option you can choose. Moving from one location to another, even if it’s just 10 min away, can be a logistical challenge. Will your guests travel in their own cars, or do you need to provide transportation (bus) for them? How long will it take for everyone to change location? Is there enough parking in both locations? What if someone gets lost or can’t find their way to the location? What if there is a situation (an accident or a closed road) that makes you late for the ceremony?
Having everything in one location will help you stay relaxed on your wedding day, and your guests will enjoy it more too (they can relax and have a drink without any guilt).
WEDDING DAY TIMELINE TIPS
4. Consider Doing First Look
Don’t know what a “First Look” is? It’s the moment when you and your loved one see each other for the first time on your wedding day.
This usually refers to the intimate moment when just the two of you meet without any guests. We love taking photos of these moments because of how emotional they are – first, the feeling of nervousness and excitement, followed by happiness, hugs, and appreciation…
Why should you consider doing it? It is a truly beautiful, intimate moment that only the two of you will share on your wedding day. It’s the perfect opportunity to hold each other for a moment and get rid of your nervousness in private right before the ceremony. Steal a kiss and hug each other, tell them how much you love them, and create a truly meaningful memory just for yourselves.
WEDDING DAY TIMELINE TIPS
5. Plan Your Family Photos Ahead
Many couples are not fond of this part of the wedding, since they need to stand around and smile for quite some time, while we take photos of every possible combination of family members.
In the long run, family photos are very important and decades from now you will be happy you took the time, so you’ll have something to remind you of the special time you shared with your loved ones.
That being said - they don’t have to be too formal if that’s not your style. We love doing casual family photos and we’re sure you will cherish these even more.
A great tip that will help you enjoy this experience is to narrow the list down to a minimum - you don’t really need dozens of different combinations with the same people, what matters is that you have these people in your photos.
Instead of tons of formal photos, we prefer to take more time later and do candid portraits of people during the reception. Trust us, the photos are way better when people are having a good time and don’t know they are being photographed.
wedding day timeline tips
6. Hire Experienced Wedding Vendors
We always recommend hiring experienced wedding vendors. They have years of first-hand knowledge and after seeing hundreds of weddings, they have a pretty good idea of what could go wrong.
They can even predict some of the issues from previous weddings and be prepared to avoid them in advance.
An experienced wedding planner could save you a lot of time and money too - they already have connections with great vendors and can get better prices, so it’s an investment worth making. Not to mention they take the stress out of planning a wedding and allow you to focus on the good things.
WEDDING DAY TIMELINE TIPS
7. Talk to Your Wedding Photographer
We always discuss the wedding timeline with our brides and grooms at least a couple of times beforehand. First when they are still planning their wedding and later on just a few days before, to check if anything has changed, what can be improved, and to confirm that we are all still on the same page.
Going through your timeline with your photographer step-by-step is a good idea to make sure everything is clear to everyone.
Also, talk about where you want your photos to be taken. We always ask our couples if there is a specific location they like (maybe it holds personal meaning to them, maybe it was where they got engaged, had their first date…), otherwise, we do our own research and give them a few options we believe are the best places.
If bad weather is expected, we encourage couples to think about a plan B - it can be a hotel room, the reception area, a museum or gallery, a greenhouse, maybe a train station nearby…
wedding day timeline tips
8. Plan Some Photo Time for Your Reception Area
If you want to have photos taken of the reception area (including detail shots of the decoration etc.) before your guests arrive and sit down, plan that into your timeline. This usually doesn’t take more than 10 minutes, but it often gets overlooked – when your ceremony concludes, your guests are invited for some refreshments while we go on to do your portraits.
By the time we get back, everyone has rushed to the reception area to greet you there, and obviously, we can’t ask them to leave again.
WEDDING DAY TIMELINE TIPS
9. Plan Your Photo Session During the Golden or Blue Hour
Light is a key element in photography. We can work in almost any weather, but a portrait session in midday, on a hot summer day is not something you’ll remember fondly.
The best time to have a portrait session with just the two of you is during what we call the golden hour. This is roughly one hour before sunset and it gives us the most beautiful, soft, natural light possible (on a day with clear skies of course).
The blue hour is the time just after sunset and it also provides magical light, but it’s a bit shorter and only lasts about 20 minutes.
On a cloudy day, the hour doesn’t really matter. Since you can’t predict the weather, it’s best to plan your timeline for a sunny day and we can then adjust accordingly on your wedding day.
We hope this tips will help you plan your wedding day more easily
and will prepare you for some common last-minute challenges you can face.
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