I will admit that I am completely Type-A about wedding photography timelines and wedding day shot lists because I want to know how the day is going to run before I arrive. I work closely with my clients along with their wedding planners, to create a wedding photography timeline that will serve them best!⠀
I want to make sure I’m capturing all of the moments as they happen as well as be prepared for any special surprises that come up along the way. Over the last 10 years as a wedding photographer, I’ve learned a few things about creating an incredible wedding photography timeline that everyone loves and I wanted to share my top 3 tips with you.
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.
The Complete Photographers’ Guide - Real Wedding Day Checklist
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