Thank you so much to Michelle and Jeff Maeck from A Dream to Call Your Own Wedding Planning Services for giving me their advice while I wrote on Dear Bride and Groom today! They make absolute magic together and will help you plan your dream wedding!

Oh your wedding day, how it comes and goes way too quickly! It’s so important to be able to sit back and relax as the day unfolds rather than be frantic and rushing to make sure you’re on schedule!

It is important to keep in mind a few things as you are creating a timeline. The most important for myself, quite obviously as the photographer, is your wedding photographs. Planning out your timeline accordingly can most definitely help give you the best quality of light for when we are doing your formal photos. Depending on what time of year it is, the sun sets at different times, making it hard to photograph “golden hour” at every single wedding.

People often ask when is the best time for myself to come on the wedding day, this is the answer I always give.

It is best that I come about 15-30 minutes before the bride’s makeup and hair are completed, and stay for about 30 minutes after the dancing has begun. This is the perfect amount of time for me to capture your moments! The average amount of time a couple books me for is typically about 8 to 10 hours. I require a minimum of 1 and 1/2 hours to capture the family, bridal party and formal photos. This has to be set aside in your timeline.

Example Summer Timeline:

9am Bride Getting Ready/ Groom Getting Ready (Leave yourself PLENTY of time to get ready. It is 100% ok to be finished getting ready early,you can all just relax and have a mimosa.. or two hehe)

3pm Ceremony Begins (The ceremony normally is not one hour, but 99% of the time it will run late. If you are running late, I don’t want that time taken out of the time allotted for photographs)

4pm Cocktail Hour Begins (Family and Bridal Party stay with Photographer until photographs are complete). Family Formal Photos, Bridal Party Formal Photos, Bride and Groom Formal Photos (1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. 2 hours is extremely ideal to set aside, it’s better to have more time than be constricted with less time.)

6pm to 9pm Reception (Speeches should take place in between the serving of meals. I will take the bride and groom outside one final time as everyone is finishing up their dinner to do some more formals quickly with the sunset)

9pm Dancing Begins (First dances, cake cutting. Then approximately half an hour later, garter toss and bouquet toss. Depending on when you have scheduled your photographer, these events can be done within the first half hour, or you can spread these out to coordinate best with your photographer)

1am Party wraps up

Example Summer Timeline WITH FIRST LOOK:

9am Bride Getting Ready/ Groom Getting Ready (Leave yourself PLENTY of time to get ready. It is 100% ok to be finished getting ready early, you can all just relax and have a mimosa.. or two hehe)

2pm First Look Between Bride and Groom, right into Family Formal Photos, Bridal Party Photos, Bride and Groom Formal Photos

4pm Ceremony Begins (The ceremony normally is not one hour, but 99% of the time it will run late. If you are running late, I don’t want that time taken out of the time allotted for photographs)

5pm Cocktail Hour Begins (If I feel as though we need more time to do Formal photos, I will steal you for 15 minutes or so to finish up what I need to get!)

6pm to 9pm Reception (I will take the bride and groom outside one final time as everyone is finishing up their dinner to do some more formals quickly with the sunset)

9pm Dancing Begins (First dances, cake cutting. Then approximately half an hour later, garter toss and bouquet toss. Depending on when you have scheduled your photographer, these events can be done within the first half hour, or you can spread these out to coordinate best with your photographer)

1am Party wraps up

Example Winter Timeline:

9am Bride Getting Ready/ Groom Getting Ready (Leave yourself PLENTY of time to get ready. It is 100% ok to be finished getting ready early,you can all just relax and have a mimosa.. or two hehe)

2pm Ceremony Begins (The ceremony normally is not one hour, but 99% of the time it will run late. If you are running late, I don’t want that time taken out of the time allotted for photographs. The ceremony time is 2pm because we have to make sure the photos are taken from 3pm to 5pm while their is still daylight!)

3pm Cocktail Hour Begins (Family and Bridal Party stay with Photographer until photographs are complete) Family Formal Photos, Bridal Party Formal Photos, Bride and Groom Formal Photos (1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. 2 hours is extremely ideal to set aside, it’s better to have more time than be constricted with less time.)

5pm to 9pm Reception (I will take the bride and groom outside one final time as everyone is finishing up their dinner to do some more formals quickly with the sunset. Have speeches between the serving of meals. First dances and cake cutting before party)

9pm Dancing Begins (Then approximately half an hour later, garter toss and bouquet toss. Depending on when you have scheduled your photographer, these events can be done within the first half hour, or you can spread these out to coordinate best with your photographer)

1am Party wraps up

Example Winter Timeline WITH FIRST LOOK:

9am Bride Getting Ready/ Groom Getting Ready (Leave yourself PLENTY of time to get ready. It is 100% ok to be finished getting ready early, you can all just relax and have a mimosa.. or two hehe)

2pm First Look Between Bride and Groom. Family Formal Photos, Bridal Party Photos, Bride and Groom Formal Photos

4pm Ceremony Begins (The ceremony normally is not one hour, but 99% of the time it will run late. If you are running late, I don’t want that time taken out of the time allotted for photographs)

5pm Cocktail Hour Begins (If I feel as though we need more time to do Formal photos, I will steal you for 15 minutes or so to finish up what I need to get!)

6pm to 9pm Reception (Have speeches between the serving of meals. First dances and cake cutting before dancing.)

9pm Dancing Begins (Then approximately half an hour later, garter toss and bouquet toss. Depending on when you have scheduled your photographer, these events can be done within the first half hour, or you can spread these out to coordinate best with your photographer)

1am Party wraps up

Please let myself or Michelle of A Dream to Call Your Own if you have any questions regarding your timeline!

Hope you all have a lovely rest of your day!

xo

Emily Jean Photography & A Dream to Call Your Own