Wedding Timeline Guide
welcome to our
We are Jes & Chris Romans! The Wife & Husband team
and owners behind Hand and Arrow Photography. We’re happy to have you here and to share some of our awesome content to help you plan for an unforgettable wedding day!
In this guide, you'll some sample timelines we put together that showcase what a "regular" wedding looks like. We’ll also be giving some advice and a timeline template that you can work off of for your very own wedding.
If you are are working with us or our team to capture your incredible wedding day, this is one less thing that you will have to worry about on your own!
Now, let’s dive into the good stuff. On the next pages we will walk you through our Sample Timelines and how they work to add structure so you can have a stress-free wedding day!
Welcome!!
What's the Benefit of Wedding Timelines?
We find that they help to keep the day running smoothly and reduce nerves and stress that many couples may feel on their big day. Many of our couples have expressed feeling relieved when they saw their days coming together on paper. It makes the day feel a lot more real, and helps with knowing that everything will run smoothly!
How do we create wedding timelines?
Hand & Arrow couples receive a Wedding Questionnaire that we typically send out 1 month before the big day (at request – we can work on this sooner!). We collect information we need based on your current event schedule (you may have locked in your ceremony start time as an example!), and we work out timings that make sense for capturing the images you want while also providing you ample space to be able to enjoy your day and be present in-the-moment. While we do a lot of the heavy lifting in putting together the timelines for our couples, we consider this to be a collaborative process. Once we finish, we send it over and have you review. If everything looks good to you, then great! If you feel we need to adjust something, we’re happy to work on it together until we having timings down that you feel comfortable with.
Is there anything special about your timelines?
We create our timelines based on how we approach photography on the wedding day. We also reference our past experiences at weddings as we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. Every wedding timeline we create, we strive to include “buffer time” in case any prior events take a little
longer than expected. For example, we regularly schedule 30 minutes for family formals – not because it takes this long to take these pictures, but because if one family member goes missing (it happens…), we have time to find them, get them in photos, and still stay on track!
Is there anything else we should know before checking out your sample timelines?
Yes – the sample timeline can give you a good idea of how your wedding might flow, but every wedding schedule is a little different. Some weddings have a lot of extra events, while others may forgo a lot of traditions in exchange for keeping things super simple. In addition, timing of things like Golden Hour portraits will change with the time of year to align with the sun setting.
- Alyssa + Jorge
They are a dream team, the nicest, most down to earth people, and stellar photographers! I cannot say enough wonderful things about them! We found Jes + Chris online, and from day one of talking to them, we knew we had found our photographers. We trust them completely! Every single email was detailed and professional, EXTREMELY helpful and super friendly! Working with them was like working with friends! They sent so much useful information about planning a wedding + elopement and they had so many wonderful tips and tricks that they’ve picked up over the years. Also, planning anything during a global pandemic is stressful- they handled it like pros!! And on wedding day, they were a DREAM to work with! They have a vision and they know how to execute it flawlessly! And of course, their pictures are gorgeous! Seriously, you need to hire them, you will not regret it!!!!
"You NEED to hire Jes + Chris for your special event!"
Sample Wedding Timeline
One of the key things we help couples with before their wedding day is their timeline. While these always take shape based on the specific logistics of your day, we've put together 2 timeline examples to give you an idea of how a wedding day could unfold.
Wedding Timeline Sample #1: No First Look
1pm - Photographers arrive at Bride & Groom's Getting Ready Location(s)
2:30pm - Bride gets into her dress and portraits (Groom also fully dressed and portraits)
3:00pm - Father & Daughter First Look
3:30pm - Everyone leaves for Ceremony Location
4:00pm - Arrival at Ceremony Location (Photographers set up and get details!)
4:30pm to 5:15pm - Ceremony and Receiving Line
5:30pm - Cocktail Hour begins
5:30pm - Family Formals and Bridal Party Portraits
6:00pm to 6:15pm - Bride & Groom Portraits
6:30pm - Reception begins
--Includes events:
--- Introductions
--- First Dances
--- Toasts
--- Dinner
7:30pm to 8:00pm - Bride & Groom Golden Hour Portraits
8:00pm - Open Dancing
9:00pm - Cake Cutting
9:15 - Bouquet Toss
10:00pm - Last Dance
10:15pm - Sparkler Exit
10:30pm - End of Reception
Wedding Timeline Sample #2: First Look
1pm - Photographers arrive at Bride & Groom's Getting Ready Location(s)
2:30pm - Bride gets into her dress and portraits (Groom also fully dressed and portraits)
3:00pm - Father & Daughter First Look
3:30pm to 4pm - Bride & Groom First Look and Portraits
4:00pm - Bridal Party Portraits
4:30pm - Everyone leaves for Ceremony Location
5:00pm - Arrival at Ceremony Location (Photographers set up and get details!)
5:30pm to 6:15pm - Ceremony and Receiving Line
6:30pm - Cocktail Hour begins
6:30pm - Family Formals and Bridal Party Portraits
7:00pm to 7:15pm - Bride & Groom Portraits
7:30pm - Reception begins
--Includes events:
--- Introductions
--- First Dances
--- Toasts
--- Dinner
8:00pm to 8:30pm - Bride & Groom Golden Hour Portraits
8:30pm - Open Dancing
9:00pm - Cake Cutting
9:15 - Bouquet Toss
10:00pm - Last Dance
10:15pm - Sparkler Exit
10:30pm - End of Reception
> When do we work on our wedding timeline? We normally send out our Wedding Questionnaire 1 month before your wedding day, and create the timeline based on the information you've provided us. Some couples like to work on their timelines earlier, and we can do this at any time at your request.
> When should hair & makeup be done? This is determined by what time you will need to get into your dress by to be ready for your First Look and/or arrival at your ceremony site. In order to help you answer this question more clearly, we need to put together your full timeline.
> How much time do I need for family photos? We always budget in 30 minutes for family photos. It typically takes less time, but this is dependent on how many photos are needed, as well as no one going missing during this time.
> What time is "Golden Hour" (and what is this anyways?)? Golden Hour is the hour before sunset. This is when the sun is low on the horizon, and creates naturally beautiful light that is soft and flattering for portraits, as well as often warm and dreamy. It's an amazing time for wedding portraits and a great time to sneak out for a little fresh air together!
> What happens if anything runs late? In our timelines, we like to include "buffer room" for the most critical parts of the day. This gives us some extra room to work with if things earlier in the day would run late. For example, if you're ceremony ends up running a little later than expected, we'll have extra time during family photos already budgeted in.
> Can we provide input on the timeline? Yes!! It's important to us that you are able to enjoy your day first-and-foremost. While we take care of most of the work upfront, it is a collaborative process and if things need to be adjusted so you're happier with the flow of your wedding day, then we adjust accordingly :)
Frequently asked questions about wedding timelines:
Important notes to take away from these timelines!
Every wedding day is different!
It’s great to have timelines to help as a base to start planning for your day, but remember – things will most likely differ here and there for you! These timelines are based off of weddings during Spring/Summer season with longer days and everything being held at a single venue location that allows getting ready prep to happen on the premises, ceremony & reception.
Every Photographer works differently too!
Like we mentioned ealier, Hand & Arrow couples receive a Wedding Questionnaire that we typically send out as your wedding day approaches and things are more solidified with your planning. No matter what photographer you choose for your day, have an open conversation to see how they go about working with you to put together your timeline. This will allow you to rest assured that everything will run smoothly and everyone is on the same page during the day!
We can’t stress enough the importance of a great timeline (we’re also extra nerdy like that lol), but it’s really important to know these are made to help your days flow and have a sense of structure for everyone. So if anything was to be adjusted, even on the big day (it’s normal and it’s nothing to stress over!), know that your photographer & vendors are there to help keep things in order and a knowledagable photographer will add buffer room into your timeline so that delays won’t make a huge impact! And at the end of the day, no matter what happens, just remember everything is going to fall into place and you will be married to the love of your life!!
Need help or want to chat more about how we can make capturing your big day a reality?
Send us an e-mail at hellojes@handandarrow.com!
Let’s start with having open conversation together and go from there. We are here to answer any questions for you!
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