How to Create a Wedding Timeline
March 26, 2023
How to Create a Wedding Timeline
I’ve created the ultimate “How to create a wedding timeline” guide just for you!! This is the exact process I use to create wedding timelines for all my wedding couples, and hope it helps you too!
No matter what type of wedding you’re having, it’s so important to have a timeline of events (either loose or more structured) so you have an idea of what’s happening when, can enjoy a stress-free wedding day, and of course get the best photos possible!
Creating a wedding timeline can be a daunting task– I know so because I help so many of my couples create their wedding timelines & they come to me like, “Bridgette, I have no idea where to even start…”.
If you’re feeling like this, you came to the right place! I’m gonna break down how I create a wedding timeline for all my couples, and how you can make your wedding timeline as well!
P.S. I offer complimentary timeline creation for all my wedding couples, so if you end up hiring me (or already have!) — you don’t even have to worry about this part! I’ll create your wedding timeline for you. Inquire here and let’s chat!
Consider sunset/sunrise time first when creating your wedding timeline
When creating your wedding timeline, considering when the sun will set (or rise if you’re having a morning wedding) is the best way to plan out your wedding timeline! There’s so many things to consider when making your timeline, but one thing’s for sure: your wedding photos revolve around lighting, and if you want great wedding photos, start by planning your day around that! Everything else always falls into place, AND you’ll have the most beautiful wedding photos.
Once you know when the sun will set, you can start planning your day around that. For example, if you’re getting married on August 5, 2023 in Lake Tahoe for example, I would Google “August 5 2023 Tahoe Sunset” and it’ll tell you! According to Google, the sun will set at 8:08pm.
Now that you know when the sun will go down, you can start planning out everything else! My favorite way to do this is to work backwards, and then work forwards.
Start working backwards to create your wedding timeline
A few things to note:
Most ceremonies are 30 minutes long, give or take. Cocktail hour is typically one hour long after the ceremony, where drinks, apps, and entertainment of some sort are provided for your guests. All portraits (family photos, wedding party photos, and couples photos) can be taken before the ceremony, if you decide to do a first look with your partner! If you want to wait to see each other at the ceremony, these portraits will have to be taken after the ceremony, since you can’t see each other until then. All portraits typically take 30 minutes or so, depending on the size of your family shot list.
With that being said, we’ll now work backwards and add in these events before sunset!
Add in sunset photos with the newlyweds
7:30pm || Sunset photos with newlyweds
8:08pm || Sunset
Since newlywed photos usually take 30 minutes, and we know the sun sets at 8:08pm, we now know that we can start sunset photos around 7:30pm by subtracting 30 minutes.
Expert tip – don’t rely on the sunset time that Google gives you. Lots of locations “sunset” time could vary drastically due to weather, mountain size, tree coverage, etc. So make sure to do your research, ask your photographer, or ask the venue owner to make sure!
Add in buffer time
In the timeline we started above, you’ll notice I didn’t make sunset photos exactly “30 minutes”, in fact, I made it “38 minutes” long. I don’t ever make this spot on, because nothing ever takes exactly 30 minutes.
Everything will be approximate, and adding in buffer time is so important! By keeping those extra 8 minutes in there, now we all have time to slowly walk back to the venue after photos, breathe, and not rush through anything! You deserve to have a relaxing, stress-free day.
Add in cocktail hour to your wedding timeline
6:30pm || Cocktail hour
A question that’s important to ask your partner and answer together is:
Do you want to join your guests during cocktail hour, or are you okay taking portraits the entire time?
If yes, you’re most likely going to have to do a first look, so you can get all of your portraits done prior to your wedding ceremony. More and more couples are wanting to spend this quality time with loved ones, so I recommend doing a first look so you can get all the portraits out of the way, and then you can just have fun & celebrate!
Add in family photos to your wedding timeline
6:30pm || Family photos
Family photos typically take 30 minutes, and usually happen immediately after the ceremony since everyone is all in the same place! These can definitely happen prior to the ceremony, but usually work better knocking them out afterwards.
Make sure to chat with your photographer and create a family photo list! This is a list of photos you must have! For example, a photo with the newlyweds + the brides family. If you end up hiring me as your photographer, I’ll help you create this list, so don’t worry!
Add in your ceremony
6:00pm || Ceremony
Most ceremonies last 30 minutes, from the beginning through exiting the aisle, hugs and celebrating afterwards! If your ceremony is shorter or longer, make sure to account for that time.
Add in time for your photographer to get wedding details, prior to when guests arrive
5:00pm || Venue/Reception detail photos captured
5:30pm || Guests arrive
This is the biggest part of a wedding day that I see overlooked, and I think is one of the most important! All of those details: florals, table settings, ceremony decor, reception details, etc you put so much thought into, and you want to make sure you get photos of that!
Butttt — make sure you schedule in that time for your photographer to get these detail photos BEFORE your guests arrive. You know all that time your planner and coordinator spent making all the chairs perfectly aligned with the tables? And all the table settings perfectly curated?
Make sure to give your photographer about 15 – 30 minutes to get those details captured without purses on tables, coats on chairs, etc.
Add in portraits to your wedding timeline
4:30pm || Wedding party photos
Wedding party photos, also known as the bridal party, can happen prior to the ceremony if the couple does a first look!
These typically last about 30 minutes, to capture the entire wedding party, as well as both sides: the bridesmaids and the groomsmen.
Add in a first look (if you want!) to your wedding timeline
4:00pm || First look
A first look is where the wedding couple sees each other for the first time on their wedding day after they get ready! This is done alone, just the two of them (typically), instead of seeing each other for the first time during the ceremony.
Some pros to opting for a first look are:
- You can take more portraits prior to the ceremony
- You get to spend a moment alone together, usually the only moment during your entire wedding day
- You can share personal vows
- You can also get more photos in possibly a different location!
Add in getting ready photos to your wedding timeline
2:30pm || Groom & groomsmen get ready
3:00pm || Wedding details photographed: dress/suit, florals, vows, rings, etc
3:00pm || Bride hair and makeup wraps up
3:30pm || Bride puts on dress, getting ready photos
I typically like taking the Groom’s portraits first (for this example, the wedding couple is a bride and a groom) because they’re quicker to get ready, and can easily take their coats off and chill afterwards! Plus, this gives the bride more time to get ready if need be.
Getting ready photos typically take about 30 minutes for each the bride and the groom! I also like to schedule in 30 minutes of detail photos, so I can take my time to delicately photograph them. For example, finding somewhere creative to hang the dress, or to lay out all the details together in an artistic way, takes time!
When booking a hair and makeup artist (or a few to help do your bridesmaids hair & makeup), I recommend having the bride get ready last. This ensures the bride is the freshest for photos & for the ceremony! If the bride needs to be ready by 3:30pm for example, tell the artist she needs to be ready by 3pm. This will ensure the bride is ready on time for photos, or if the HMUA is running late, they have a 30 minute buffer time just in case! This is typically when the photographer will take detail photos, and hair and makeup photos once the bride is almost ready.
Add in hair and makeup times to your wedding timeline
9:00am || Hair and makeup artists arrive
Every hair and makeup artist is different, so ask them how much time they need per bridesmaid, and then subtract from there! If the bride has to be done with hair and makeup by 3:00pm, subtract from there based on how much time they need, how many bridesmaids you have, and how many artists you book! They would be able to help you the most, since this is their specialty!
Now work forwards from the sunset, to complete the rest of your wedding timeline
We’ve planned everything up until the sunset, so now let’s plan everything after the sunset!
Add in Grand Entrance to your wedding timeline
8:08pm || Sunset
8:10pm || Grand Entrance
Typically, first up is the grand entrance. This is where the newlyweds enter the reception space and are announced as newlyweds!
You can have your wedding party enter before you being announced and doing something fun, or you can enter just the two of you! I’ve seen lots of weddings where the wedding party groupings will each do something different and make it fun for all the guests! They’ll prepare dances, jokes, take shots, etc!
Add in Dinner to your wedding timeline
8:15pm || Dinner is served
How and when dinner is served will be based on what type of dinner you’ll be providing as it vary’s! You can offer taco trucks, In-N-Out delivered (like amazing are you kiddingggg), plated dinners, buffet style, etc!
The newlyweds always eat first, followed by the wedding party, and then the rest of the guests! One aspect that’s super important, is to have your vendor team, especially your photographer and videographer eat with the wedding party. Why? Because you want them to be free and capturing toasts, speeches, dances, and all the reception events that can be happening while the rest of your guests are eating!
Make sure to clear this with catering and your planner to ensure your vendors eat first, so they can keep serving you while everyone else is eating! Also, giving them 30 minutes to sit and eat, go to the bathroom, change batteries, etc is the industry standard.
Add in Toasts/Speeches to your wedding timeline
8:45pm || Speeches begin
Try and limit the amount of speeches that will be held to 3-5 minutes max, this will help keep everyone interested and won’t affect the rest of the evening too much!
Add in Dances to your wedding timeline
9:05pm || Dances
This can include the first dance as newlyweds, parent dances, and any other dances with loved ones!
Get the party started!
9:15pm || Open the dance floor
The party has startedddd! The dance floor is now open and everyone can start dancing and getting down!
Grand Exit
10:30pm || Grand Exit
After the last dance, it’s time to finish your wedding with a bang! Some couples love opting for a grand exit to end their wedding day! A grand exit typically includes having all your guests line up in two lines, and the newlyweds walk through the line celebrating in some way! Some couples incorporate sparklers, streamers, bubbles, confetti– the options are endless!
Sample Wedding Timeline
Now let’s put it all together! By starting with figuring out the sunset, working backwards to ensure great lighting, and then working forwards, creating a wedding timeline isn’t too hard! Let’s put everything together:
9:00am || Hair and makeup artists arrive
2:30pm || Photography coverage begins
2:30pm || Groom & groomsmen get ready
3:00pm || Wedding details photographed: dress/suit, florals, vows, rings, etc
3:00pm || Bride hair and makeup wraps up
3:30pm || Bride puts on dress, getting ready photos
4:00pm || First look
4:30pm || Wedding party photos
5:00pm || Venue/Reception detail photos captured
5:30pm || Guests arrive
6:00pm || Ceremony
6:30pm || Cocktail hour
6:30pm || Family photos
7:30pm || Sunset photos with newlyweds
8:08pm || Sunset
8:10pm || Grand Entrance
8:15pm || Dinner is served
8:45pm || Speeches begin
9:05pm || Dances
10:30pm || Grand Exit
10:30pm || Photography coverage ends
Hire a Wedding Planner
I want to mention that this is how I create timelines for my wedding couples, but I’m definitely not a wedding planner! Wedding planners go into so much more detail and make sure that timeline’s work for everyone involved and every vendor, not just for photography purposes!
I highly recommend hiring a wedding planner or coordinator! They truly take care of everything, that way you can enjoy every second of your day and everything will happen and fall into place!
If you decide not to hire a wedding planner or coordinator, I recommend making sure your timeline at least works with your other vendors. After you get your wedding timeline all together, you can send it out to your other vendors and get their feedback!
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