Your wedding will be a day full of excitement and nervousness. We know you want nothing but a fun and stress-free wedding. The same applies with wedding photography. A comfortable and relaxed photoshoot that runs on schedule. You wouldn’t want to miss any photo must-haves. One way to ensure this is to create a wedding photography timeline.
A couple of considerations before making a wedding photography timeline:
Portraits
Without a doubt, the main focus will be on you and your spouse. You may want additional photos of your families and friends. How many portraits do you want? Remember that the more portraits you take, the longer time it will take. Decide beforehand if you’re going with the first-look photos as well. Most photographers provide a “suggested portrait list” which you can modify based on your preference.
Locations
The wedding venue and reception hall are already a given. The getting-ready location is also important. There might also be some specific locations you want your wedding photos to be taken from. You’ll have to consider the travel time.
Now that you’ve settled on what photographs you want and where you want them to be taken from, it’s time to create your timeline.
Creating A Wedding Photography Timeline
Planning is the number one way to have a trouble-free wedding photoshoot. Here is a guide to create your timeline. We’ve broken down your wedding day into key photo sessions and provide an estimated time frame for each photoshoot. Please take note this is only an estimate and is subjected to any change according to your preferred schedule, portraits and locations.
Getting Ready
It is safe to allot 1 hour to 2 hours for the first part of the wedding photoshoot. The groom and bride usually take a lot of time to glam up. It is also during this time we can capture moments between the couple and their bridesmaids and groomsmen and the photoshoot of the wedding details— wedding gown, men’s suit, flowers, shoes, engagement ring, hair pieces, jewellery & perfume. Individual portraits of the bride and groom are also taken during these hours.
First Look
If you decide in favor of first look photos, you can allot 30 minutes to 1 hour for the shoot. It is during the first time the couple see each other that we capture genuine reactions in a very intimate setting. Time frame for first look photoshoot depends on how many portraits you want taken.
Pre-Ceremony
Photos of the bridesmaids and groomsmen with the bride and groom, as a whole group and separately are taken during this time. You can allot 20-30 minutes for this photoshoot.
Wedding Ceremony
Most outdoor ceremonies last for 30 minutes while church services are around 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check with your officiant for a more accurate time frame.
Post-Ceremony
After the ceremony, allot at least 2 hours for the photoshoot. This is a great time for capturing candids of the newlyweds with their families and guests. Post-wedding ceremony photos will include family portraits, formal portraits with sponsors and guests, more romantic couple photos and location shoots.
Reception
For the after-party photoshoot, coverage time depends on your chosen package. If you want the photographers to capture the reception from start to finish, the photoshoot will be as long as your party.
Most wedding photography packages vary depending on the photoshoot coverage time. The longer the photoshoot takes the higher the package will cost. Hiring two or more photographers, depending on your photography requirements will help in having the work done more efficiently. The photographers can work separately, capturing more photos in different locations at the same time.
With a wedding photography timeline and checklist, you will be able to keep track of your photography requirements and be assured you won’t miss any photo album must-haves. In years to come, you will be looking back at your wedding photos and be reminded of how everything was just perfect.
