Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline

The timeline is one of THE most important aspects of your wedding day. That is why it is so important to follow these insider tips for planning your wedding day timeline! What you decide for the day is what your vendors are going to follow so it is extra important it is exactly what you want. A wedding planner can certainly help with this and if you are one of my lovely couples you can rest assured that I will help create the perfect timeline for you!

Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline

1. Start at the Ceremony

When planning your wedding day timeline, instead of starting at the beginning of the day you should always start at your ceremony time. You will base every other detail around your ceremony start time since that is the one constant of the day. This will be set in stone ESPECIALLY after you send out invitations. Now you can decide what time you need to get dressed, what time all the details need to be in place as well as fill in the later parts of the evening.

Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline

2. Make a List of High Priority Shots

We highly recommend you make priority shot list for your wedding day. This organizes all of the delivery times and sets the pace for the entire day. For example, make sure the flower delivery time lines up with the time the photographer arrives if you want your bouquet photographed with your details. The bouquet will be missed if they are delivered late. Likewise, make sure bridesmaids and Mother of the bride are all dressed and ready to go BEFORE it’s time for that classic shot of you putting on your amazing dress! You need their help putting it on after all! Give your bridal party and family specific times to be ready.

3. Communicate the Timeline

Next, be sure to include ALL the details. I’m talking room numbers, noting who is responsible for what task, exact locations, phone numbers and more. A four page document might seem excessive but I am here to assure you we love it. You don’t want to be answering questions on your wedding day or even days leading up to it so let your timeline speak for you. Since you will already include #allthethings in your timeline also be sure to add when each vendor is due to arrive and depart. Not only will this help everyone know who should be where and when, but it will keep everyone organized and on time. Plus it helps you decide if you need to add on extra hours to cover everything.

Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline

Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline

4. First Moments as Husband & Wife

When working on your timeline you HAVE to include time for you and your new spouse to be alone to check in with each other. Your wedding day will be spent with other people with you throughout the entire day. I recommend you two newlyweds take 15 minutes right after you walk down the aisle, head into a private room along with some pre-set hors d’oeuvres and champagne and enjoy time with just you two. No photographer, no planner, no one. Once your 15 minutes are up its the perfect time to bring in your maid of honor to bustle your dress before you head back out for family photos!

Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline

Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline

5. Bride & Groom Formal Portraits

Lastly, and this is what I consider to be the most important aspect of your timeline, you NEED to leave enough time for bride and groom portraits. These photos are often only given 10 or 15 minutes in a timeline when in reality they need at least 30-45 minutes. Be sure to communicate directly to your wedding planner and day of coordinator that you need at least 30-45 minutes (before sunset). This could be a first look or directly after the ceremony during cocktail hour. These photos are pertinent to your photography experience, so timeless, and in reality the main reason you hire a photographer!

How to plan the best timeline for photos

Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline

After your wedding day, you only have your memories and photos to remember this day. You don’t want to rush through a day you’ve been planning for so long feeling stressed or worse, skip out on this entirely! Skipping or rushing through is a huge disservice to yourselves ESPECIALLY when it comes to reliving your day. We want to ensure that you feel the LOVE & JOY jumping right off your photos as they hang on the walls in your home!

Savor this Time!

Ultimately, however you choose to plan out your wedding, myself and the rest of your vendors will ensure it is the most beautiful day ever! So RELAX, plan the timeline keeping photos in mind and enjoy the wedding planning process! I’m here to help with all of your timeline questions!

How to plan the perfect timeline

XOXO, Tiffany Frank

Hey! I’m Tiffany!

Owner & Photographer
Wife, dog mom, adventurer and yogi.

I fell in love with photography while planning our own wedding in Sarasota, FL! I love creative expression and I quickly became obsessed with capturing the BEST photos that I possibly could! Fast forward years later and here I am! I couldn’t be more happy and grateful that I get to do what I love! I am travel obsessed, love the beach (naturally a FL girl), and I have four fur-babies and the most awesome hubby who’s my second shooter!