KWP Wedding Photography Timeline Tips
We know one of the hardest parts of planning is deciding a perfect wedding timeline!! Especially when you are in the early stages of planning and you need to decide what photography package you need and you have no idea where to even start! Your photography timeline plays such an important role in how the flow of your day goes. Of course we ALWAYS recommend hiring a wedding planner to take care of all these details for you, and we work alongside them to create a perfect timeline for everyone. But to get you started, here are some of the most important parts and how much time we allow for things, and then included a sample 10 hour timeline for you to grab! Most of our KWP couples love a 9-10 hour timeline.
Bridal Details (1 hour) This is such an important time of day! It allows us to capture all of your little details, get warmed up for the day, and grab a few “getting ready” candids. These details create beautiful pages in your heirloom album. TIP–> Have these things ready and all together when we arrive: rings, earrings, necklace, multiple copies of invitation suite, loose florals, bouquet, shoes, perfume, etc.
Bridal Prep (30-45 minutes) After the details have been photographed, it is time for the bride to get in her dress! I usually ask the mother of the bride and bridesmaids already be dressed and ready for these photos. This is such a big moment! After the bride is in her gown, I will get photos of her putting her earrings in, friends helping with shoes, and all that!
First Look + private vows (30 minutes)
This is not required of course, but our couples LOVE doing a first look and/or private vows!! Such an intimate moment for you and gives you extra portraits and less stress, which is always our goal!!
Portraits (30 minutes) After the bride and groom have their moment, we will do posed portraits. Remember I will find the best locations depending on the light, so you don’t have to worry about that!!
Bridal Party Portraits (30-60 minutes) Now it’s time for the bridal party portraits!! Always make sure you have a buffer for unexpected things that come up. Inevitably you will run behind at some point, so with these buffers that won’t cause stress.
Bride in Hiding (30 minutes) This is your time to hide from guests arriving, and just take a few minutes to touch up, eat a snack, drink some water, and get ready for the ceremony.
Reception Details (30 minutes) During this time we will take a few reception detail photos if the reception is in the same place; if not we will get set up for the ceremony.
Ceremony (30-60 minutes) Most ceremonies last 30 minutes so this is usually what we recommend planning for unless you are having a catholic mass or some other type of extended ceremony.
Family Portraits (30 minutes) portraits can easily be chaos, but we have a system in place to make this run super efficiently and allow about 30 minutes total for this.
Just Married (30 minutes) Even if you do a first look, we love grabbing some extra “just married” portraits in the perfect glowy light!
Reception Begins! This is when introductions happen and my timeline isn’t as strict because the natural light is always gone. Depending on sunset time, most couples choose to sneak out for 10-15 minutes to get a break at the reception for some fun sunset portraits. These always end up being my very favorite images!!!
The Exit (15 minutes) We typically stay for an hour or two of dancing after the special dances/events! If you’re interested in having your exit photographed but didn’t get enough coverage, we can always do a “mock exit” with just your bridal party! And that’s it for your wedding photography timeline! 🙂
I hope these tips will help you in your wedding planning process and if you are not already a KWP bride, I would love to talk with you about your dream wedding!! Here is a sample wedding photography timeline to save:
Ready to be a KWP bride? Start here:
With love,
Katelyn Workman
