Tips from local photographer Bryce Noone…
START WITH A ROUGH PLAN
To get started, determine when you want your ceremony to start. From this, it’s super easy to figure out when you’ll need to start prep to arrive on time for the ceremony.
ALLOW FOR EXTRA TIME
As you build out your schedule, be sure to allow more time than you think you’ll need for each timeline item. While your goal is to have everything planned perfectly, many factors (such as the weather and travel times) are beyond your control. Because of this, it’s important that your wedding timeline isn’t too tightly scheduled. Be sure to allow a buffer between those key moments in case something unexpected occurs.
GETTING READY
How long it takes for the bride and groom to get dressed and prepared for the ceremony can vary, but often an hour per partner is ideal, even if you are getting prep photos. Aim to be dressed 20 to 30 mins before you plan on leaving so you have time to get a few portraits with your bridal party and the family who may be getting ready also.
TRAVELLING TO THE CEREMONY
Bryce’s biggest tip for this is to always allow extra time to travel on the wedding day. You never know when you’ll get caught in road work or need to make an unexpected detour.
YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY
Most wedding ceremonies last about 30 minutes, but some that incorporate certain religious or cultural practices may go longer. Always ask your celebrant to give you an idea on the duration of the ceremony so the right amount of time can be allocated within the timeline.
POST-CEREMONY HUGS AND KISSES
Once you walk down the aisle with your partner, take time to embrace those who you love. Guests will want to hug you and offer you congratulations. These are easily the best photos of the day—they’re genuine and candid.
GROUP AND FAMILY PHOTOS
Once you’ve gotten through the ceremony and had a chance to get around and hug it out, save time to get everyone together for one huge group shot. It is much easier to get everyone all together at this point of the day rather than trying to chase people down later. From here, you can roll on into the family photos.
BRIDAL PARTY PHOTOS
This is where you get to hang out with your friends, eat and drink, create some great photos, and just have fun. Bridal party shots aren’t what they used to be, at least not for us. We like to keep things moving and ensure everyone’s enjoying themselves.
YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION
The reception is when you get to party and just have fun with your friends and family. Many wedding reception venues will give you a timeline layout to plan off and tailor to suit your needs. When planning the timeline, the main thing is just working with the wedding coordinator to ensure the catering and everything else works in seamlessly.
For more info, check out Bryce’s full blog post here.
