Tips to create a wedding day timeline

Planning a robust wedding day timeline may be the most important thing you can do to minimize stress throughout the weekend. A clear wedding timeline will eliminate confusion and scheduling conflicts, and it’ll keep everyone on the same page, from your bridesmaids to your glam team to your caterers. Breaking down every moment will keep everything in check—from the start time for getting ready to the wedding party introduction at the reception—and will also be helpful when planning vendor deliveries, as well as setup and breakdown times. 

Finalize your wedding day timeline about a month before the date. This will give you enough time to share the details with your pros—then, confirm the timing again about a week out from your wedding day.

1. THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF TIME

Let’s start with the ultimate cheatsheet to smash out a perfect wedding day timeline. The following includes all of the key parts of your wedding day. Feel free to take away or add any moments to personalize it for you! This will give you a starting point – which is what we do with all of our couples. Keep in mind that the minimum time below is the shortest amount of time that we recommend. The upper limit you see below is the best amount of time to capture everything.

2. MAXIMIZE YOUR TIMELINE WITH A FIRST LOOK 

First look photos have become increasingly popular in recent years. First looks are some of our FAVORITE photos! These are deeply personal photos taken prior to the wedding ceremony, as the bride and groom see each other for the first time on their wedding day. This FIRST LOOK provides you with a quiet moment to connect as a couple, too, before you make your powerful vows to each other. You can maximize your timeline and give yourselves more breathing space between your ceremony and your reception. Plan on having 60 minutes for the first look which also includes time for your bride and groom portraits.

3. BE MINDFUL OF TRAVEL TIME

There are so many beautiful places for wedding photography in London, Ontario. Unless your ceremony, portrait location, and reception are all being held in the same location, you will have to consider how much time it will take to travel to and from each venue. While you are putting together your wedding day timeline, map out how much time you need for travel. This simple, yet often overlooked detail, will make a big difference on your actual wedding day. Don’t forget to use Google Maps to keep tabs on how much time you need, to get to and from all the places you need to go on your wedding day!    

4. CHOOSE A SEASONED WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

We love to help our couples create a personalized wedding day timeline because the last thing you should be doing on your wedding day is stressing about your schedule. On your wedding day, you want to be relaxed and enjoy all of the moments! When you do the planning work upfront, you will reap the benefits of feeling (and looking) peaceful and relaxed on your big day! Having a day-of wedding planner is also a wonderful way to ensure that your wedding day is stress-free!

5. BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR WEDDING DAY TIMELINE

The real point of your timeline is to keep your day on track as much as possible, understanding that there may be a little ebb and flow, and that’s okay! When you make enough space for every part of your day, you get peace of mind. You can focus on what your wedding day is really all about. This is the day you get married to the love of your life.

Everything after that is just part of the dream.

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