Wedding Day Timeline Guide

Your wedding day is a celebration filled with unforgettable moments. A well-planned timeline is the KEY to making it all run smoothly! As your photographer, I’ve been part of many wedding days, and I know how important it is to keep things organized while leaving space for joy and spontaneity.

Today, I’m sharing my best tips and tricks for creating a timeline that helps your day flow seamlessly and ensures we have plenty of time to capture all the magic.

My biggest piece of advice is that amazing photos take TIME. Rushing from one item to the next, jam packed timelines, and unrealistic expectations lead to stress and zero time for calm, sweet, and candid moments. The photos you see on my site are a result of couple's building a timeline that allows ample time for photos, buffer time in between events to avoid stress, and down time throughout the day to soak it all in.

First Look

First looks are great because you can get all or most of the photos taken ahead of time. They allow for your day and timeline to be much more relaxed. You will also receive more photos in your final gallery as this gives us the time to get those natural and romantic poses everyone loves! Again, Amazing photos take TIME. If we have 10 minutes for photos of the two of you, we will work with what we have. Priorritize what is important to you on the wedding day. If photos aren't a priority. That's ok! We just need to plan ahead and ensure we have adequate time if they are.

Everyone needs to be dressed and ready 2 hours before the ceremony for pictures

Even if you aren't going to see each other before the ceremony, we will do wedding party photos seperately before the ceremony.

The Little Things: Flat Lay / Detail Photos

The details are the first thing I photograph when I arrive. This includes both rings, invitations, dress, shoes, garter, flowers, jewelry, family heirlooms... There isn't another time during the day for these items to be photographed. Please make sure to have the dress / outfit unpacked and hanging in the location you would like it photographed.

Have your stylists come to you

One of the best ways to save time and reduce stress on your wedding day is to have your hair and makeup team come to your getting-ready location. Whether it’s your home, a hotel suite, or the wedding suite at your venue, having your stylist on-site eliminates travel time and allows you to relax in a familiar and comfortable space.

Pro Tip: If you would like photos of both groups getting ready, They will need to be in the same hotel or getting-ready location as you. Otherwise, we will just photograph finishing touches when they arrives at the ceremony venue.

  Get a Hotel suite to get ready! 

Keep in mind that if your wedding venue's bridal space is dark, cluttered, or in most cases—school rooms—your pictures will suffer due to fluorescent lighting (most will be in black and white). I suggest getting a hotel room to get ready in for the most bright and modern pictures. You will need plenty of room for stylists, your crew, family, and me :)

BEST HOTELS DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS FOR GETTING READY*

Omni Severin, The Alexander, JW Marriott, Le Meridian, The Conrad, The Westin

*The Alexander & Omni Severin are wonderful for winter weddings due to the interior photo locations

*The Westin and Hyatt Regency have a beautiful courtyard and is across the street from the state house providing beautiful photo locations

Carmel Area:  Hotel Carmichael

 Factor in Travel Time

If your ceremony, reception, or getting-ready locations are in different spots, be sure to include travel time in your timeline. Don’t forget to account for traffic, parking, and loading/unloading.

Pro Tip: Hiring transportation for your wedding party is a great way to keep everyone together and on schedule.

Skip the receiving line after the ceremony

You will have plenty of time to greet and mingle with your guests during the reception. Receiving lines take up a huge amount of time, and guests must wait and watch you mingle with every guest rather than enjoying cocktail hour. This is one of the top complaints of guests who attend weddings.

Plan for Family Photos

Family formals are a must, but they can take longer than expected if we don’t have a plan. Before your wedding day, I’ll help you create a list of family groupings so we can keep things organized and efficient.

Pro Tip: Designate a family member or friend to help gather people for photos and make SURE family members know when and where photos will take place. It speeds up the process and keeps things moving!

  Reception Decor:  

 Doing a first look gives us the time after the ceremony to photograph cocktail hour and the reception decor giving your more complete coverage of the day. The photographer will need to be in the reception room to take pictures 15 minutes before they let guests in the room. Typically we do this during cocktail hour. (If you've done a first look) If not, please tell the catering staff that the room needs to be set up earlier in the day if you would like it photographed.

Give Yourself a Moment to Breathe

Your wedding day will fly by, so schedule time to soak it all in. Whether it’s a quiet moment with your partner after the ceremony or a few minutes to freshen up before the reception, these pauses will help you stay present and enjoy the day.

 Pinterest

We love Pinterest! We should follow each other! Pinterest boards are so fun, but they tend to paint an unrealistic picture of a wedding day for brides, because they patchwork together hundreds of different styles, themes, climates, and light conditions, leaving a collage of great inspiration and beautiful images, but an impossible task for any bride to achieve in a single day. We don't want you to feel that pressure at all, but comfortable that you've got two professionals you can trust not to give you pinned pictures, but a wedding that's uniquely yours. If you have a pose you have been dreaming about since you were a little girl...TELL US! You are more than welcome to tell us a few poses you have been excited about (Dip, spin, forehead kiss, etc) - Just let us know. These are shots we do 90% of the time anyway ;)

We just ask that you don't send shot lists. If we are looking at a list all day recreating someone else's wedding - we won't be capturing the beautiful way your day unfolds. We have shot over 1000 beautiful weddings for happy clients, and we can't wait to photograph your unique love story

 Flowers:

Please have your flowers delivered to the hotel / bridal suite where we will be photographing the details. We love having those gorgeous blooms for your ring shots, and photos of your invitation! Ask your florist for loose blooms for us to use in your detail photos.

 With a thoughtful timeline, your wedding day will feel relaxed, joyful, and unforgettable. As your photographer, I’ll be there to guide you through the day, capture every meaningful moment, and help make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Let’s create a timeline that brings your dream day to life!

 I hope this information helps you navigate the timeline planning. Check out the sample timelines below for an idea of how our typical wedding days flow. Let us know if we can help you in anyway, we love being involved in the planning process with our couples!

Sample Timeline with a firstlook

1:00 Photographer arrives to photograph details and prep

1:45 Client One prep and finishing touches photos (if at same hotel)

2:00 Client two prep and finishing touches

3:00 First Look - Photos together

3:30 Wedding party 4:00 - family portraits -- Immediate family only. Mother, Father, Siblings, Grandparents

4:30 - completely done with photos - wedding party freshens up while guests arrive 5:30 - ceremony

6:00 Ceremony Ends Cocktail hour begins

6:00 Finish up any remaining photos or go to second photo location for variety - Couple can attend cocktail hour or relax with wedding party

7:00 Introductions - go straight into first dance \

7:15 Welcome or blessing

7:30 - dinner

8:15 cake cutting, Toasts, followed by other special dances

8:30 Bouquet and garter toss or open dancing if you aren't doing one

9pm: Photographer departs

My most popular packages include 8 hours of coverage on the wedding day.

Sample Timeline with no First look

1:00 Photographer arrives to photograph details and prep

2:00 Client One finishing touches photos

2:30 Client two finishing touches photos

3:00 Client one wedding attendant photos

4:00 Client two wedding attendant photos

4:45 Finished with Photo's - couple, grab a snack and freshen up

5:30 Ceremony

6:00 Ceremony ends -Cocktail hour begins -NO RECIEVING LINE

6:00 Family Formals,

6:30 wedding Party Pictures,

6:45 couple's portraits

7:10 Photographer photographs empty reception room prior to guests entering

7:15 Introductions - Straight into first dance and cake cutting

7:20 Dinner is served

8:10 Toasts followed by other special dances

8:30pm: Garter and Bouquet toss or other reception event

8:45 Open Dances

9:00 Photographer departs

Earlier Ceremony Wedding Timeline with NO first look

12:00 Photographer arrives to photograph details

1:00 Client one prep photos

1:15 Client two prep photos

1:30 Client one attendant photos

2:15 Client two attendant photogs

2:45 Pictures end: Couple relax, freshen up and grab a snack

3:30 Ceremony

4:00 Ceremony ends

4- 4:30Family Formals

4:30, wedding party photogs, and couple Portraits

5:15 Couple introduced to reception - First dance, Cake cutting ,

5:20 blessing

5:30 Dinner is served

6:30 Toasts followed by other special dances

7:00 Garter & bouquet toss - or other reception events

7:30 Open Dancing

8:00 Photographer departs

Photography coverage would be from 12-8pm with this timeline

*Want to do a petal toss, or confetti toss with the wedding party?? We love these! Just order (Light colored confetti or petals (Ivory & blush photograph best)