Sample Wedding Day Timeline:
Creating a wedding day schedule from scratch can be super tricky, especially when coordinating with multiple vendors! This is a huge perk of hiring a full or month-of wedding planner, they help manage the logistics and communicate with your amazing vendor team!
I help each of my wedding couples create their wedding timelines. Sometimes this means I create them from scratch, and other times I connect with the specific wedding planner and we map it out together! The end goal is to have a detailed, clear, and realistic schedule of events for the couple, wedding party, family, and all vendors involved!
I’ve seen firsthand how a clear and realistic timeline benefits everyone. It answers questions before they’re asked, provides a baseline for the day, and takes major stress off of the couple. Taking stress away from my couples and giving them peace of mind is a favorite part for me!
I’m stoked to share a sample wedding day timeline with you! Whether you’re a couple planning your wedding, a wedding planner, or a fellow photographer, this is for you! The timeline below is broken down into the 3 different photo collections. Of course, each timeline is adjusted based on the needs of my couple, but this is a great starting point! My biggest tip is to work backwards from sunset time. 🙂
If you want insight into how I create a timeline specifically, read 5 Tips for Creating a Wedding Day Timeline.
SAMPLE WEDDING DAY TIMELINE
Detail Photos ~ 45 Minutes
Getting Ready Photos ~ 30 Minutes
Couple Gets Dressed ~ 30 Minutes
First Look and Portraits ~ 30 Minutes
Separate Wedding Party Photos ~ 30 Minutes
Wedding Party Relaxes / Ceremony & Reception Photos ~ 30 Minutes
Ceremony ~ 30 – 45 Minutes
Family Photos ~ 20 – 30 Minutes
Entire Wedding Party Photos ~ 15 Minutes
Sunset Photos ~ 30 Minutes
(Ends at Scheduled Sunset Time)
Couple Relaxes Alone ~ 10 Minutes
Grand Entrance and First Dance ~ 15 Minutes
Dinner ~ 60 Minutes
Toasts ~ 30 Minutes
Parents Dances ~ 30 Minutes
Cake Cutting ~ 5 Minutes
Open Dancing ~ 60 Minutes
Final Dance and Grand Exit ~ 15 Minutes
If you’re on the lookout for a rad wedding planner, here are a few of my faves! I’ve personally worked with each of them and couldn’t love them more!
J Starr Wedding Planning
Pop The Cork Pro
Your Jubilee
Andrea Leslie Weddings
Crain + Co