3 Tips for Creating a Wedding Photography Timeline

No. 1 - ASK Your Clients - What photos are important to them especially for family photos? Do you know if they have any sensitive family issues you should be aware of? My best piece of advice is to ask them well before their wedding day. I prefer to get this information 60 days prior to their wedding day to create a timeline to accommodate their requests. I send a detailed questionnaire that the couple or planner can fill out which gives me all of the information I need to put their photography timeline together.
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No. 2 - ADD Time for Travel - Don't forget to add time into your day to travel to each location. Whether it's between getting ready locations, the ceremony venue to the reception venue, if it isn't all at one location, be sure to add in EXTRA travel time.

bonus tip: I always use Google Maps to give me the estimated travel time and then I tack on 10-15 minutes more as a buffer. It's better to be early than late!⁠⠀
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No. 3 - COORDINATE with the Planner - If you or your client is working with a wedding planner, be sure to coordinate timelines so that everyone is on the same page. This is VITAL to serving your client at the highest level. You don't want to show up with one timeline, only to be given another timeline that takes away from all the incredible photography moments you had planned to capture such as bridal portraits and timely sunset photos during golden hour. Communication is key here to have a spectacular day for you and your couples. ⁠⠀
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Last, don’t forget to be the GUIDE for your clients and communicate with everyone involved to ensure you have an incredible day!

Need a little more help? Do you want to know all of the must-have photos that I capture on a wedding day?
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I created The Complete Photographers Guide - Real Wedding Day Checklist especially for wedding photographers to help you get a headstart at capturing all the must-have shots for your clients, yourself, and editors!

Visit our shop to find out more about the guide.

As a wedding photographer, one of the best things you can do to ensure your couples get the most photos out of their wedding day is help plan their wedding photography timeline. Your experience and thoughtful insight are invaluable assets to your couples. Mostly likely, this isn't your first wedding and for your couple, it probably is, so they are looking to you for guidance and advice. I wanted to share with you how I help each and every one of my couples plan their wedding photography timeline with or without a planner.

No. 1 - Educate Your Couples - Approximately 90 days before each wedding, I send all of my couples my "Tips for Your Wedding Day" email and a link to fill out my Wedding Prep Questionnaire online via 17 Hats. I include a list of my recommended timing for their wedding day and request detailed information about their wedding inside my questionnaire. Giving them this information 90 days in advance gives us enough time to plan accordingly and make any timeline modifications and overall photography coverage. Below is what I usually suggest for each part of the wedding day.

// 1.5 hour for details & getting ready photos *not always possible, but I request it
// 30 mins for final prep & getting into the dress
// 1 hour for First Look (15 mins), Bride & Groom (45 mins)
// 30 minutes for Bridal Party photos *depending on size
// 30 minutes for Family photos *depending on size

No 2 - Create the Photography Timeline - Once my couple completes their wedding prep questionnaire, I create their wedding photography timeline first draft. This is a complete breakdown of their wedding day from start to finish including their locations and photography requests for the day. With a well organized document, my couple can visually see how the day is scheduled and make timeline adjustments if necessary. For instance, if they have a lot of family photos requests, some couples might opt to move some pairings to cocktail hour or their even their reception to save some time during the beginning of the day.

Quick Tip: Be sure to include the travel time to each location. From the hotel, to the First Look, to Ceremony to Reception Venue. It all adds up and can eat up a lot of their wedding photography coverage which sometimes get lost when wedding planning.

No 3 - Work with the Planner (*if they have one) - If your couple has hired a wedding planner, I highly recommend introducing yourself and saying how excited you are to work with them. Next, I would send them your wedding photography timeline draft and coordinate with their master timeline. Wedding planners are scheduling the wedding day from start to finish and know all the little details that maybe your couple hasn't shared with you just yet. Having great communication with the wedding planner is so helpful for you, the photographer, and the couple to ensure get they get the best photos on their wedding day.

No. 4 - Plan for the Season and Sunsets - Another great tip is to plan for the season and sunset on your couples wedding day. With a quick google search you can find out when the sun is scheduled to set on their wedding day. Winter weddings usually means less light and Summer weddings have longer days with lots of sunlight. Letting your couple know when the sunset will occur is helpful in planning their ceremony start time and taking photos outside before it gets dark, especially if you prefer to photograph your couple in as much natural light as possible.

Everyone wants great wedding photos on their special day and being organized is the first step in ensuring a happy outcome for each and every one of your couples!

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3 Tips for Creating a Wedding Photography Timeline

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