Planning the perfect wedding day timeline is essential to ensuring your day flows smoothly, but it’s especially important when it comes to capturing the best wedding photos. As a Kelowna wedding photographer, I’ve worked with many couples to help them create a timeline that allows for beautiful family portraits, intimate couple shots, and those candid moments that make your wedding day unique.
You want to ensure there’s enough time to capture the emotions of the day without feeling rushed or missing out on special moments. In this post, I’ll walk you through a realistic wedding day timeline that ensures your photos will turn out gorgeous—and you’ll have time to enjoy every minute of your celebration.
Why a Well-Structured Wedding Day Timeline Matters
A well-thought-out wedding timeline is more than just a schedule—it’s a blueprint for ensuring everything runs smoothly and that you don’t feel rushed throughout the day. By building in time for your photographer to capture the important moments, you’ll have a gallery full of breathtaking memories that tell the story of your day.
If you try to squeeze everything in without giving your photographer enough time, your images may suffer. Rushed moments can look stiff, and crucial shots might be missed. Plus, you deserve to be present and enjoy your wedding day—so here’s how to structure your timeline in a way that works for both your photography and your experience.
1. Start with the Basics: The Ceremony and Reception
When you’re building your wedding day timeline, begin by factoring in the ceremony start time and the reception details. These fixed moments are the anchors of your day, and everything else will revolve around them.
Ceremony time: Typically, weddings start between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM, but be sure to discuss this with your venue or officiant.
Reception time: Consider when your reception will begin and whether you plan for a grand entrance, speeches, or a first dance immediately after the ceremony.
Once you have these details locked in, we can begin filling in the rest of the timeline, ensuring there’s ample time for photography before, during, and after these main events.
2. Getting Ready Photos (1.5-2 Hours)
Your wedding day typically starts with the getting-ready photos, and these are a great opportunity for your photographer to capture natural, candid moments of you and your bridal party as you prepare for the big day.
Bridal party shots: For brides, this is usually when you’ll get shots of your dress, shoes, jewelry, and final touches. For grooms, we’ll capture moments of you getting dressed and ready for the ceremony.
3. First Look and Bridal Portraits
(1-1.5 Hours)
If you’re opting for a first look, this is one of the most intimate moments of your day—and it’s perfect for photos! A first look allows you to enjoy a private moment together before the ceremony and can help reduce any nerves.
First Look: I recommend scheduling this 1-1.5 hours before the ceremony, so we have time for your portraits afterward. The first look photos allow for more relaxed couple shots and without the pressure of guests waiting for the ceremony to start.
Couple Portraits: After the first look, we’ll take time for portrait sessions with just the two of you. This is when we’ll capture those romantic and intimate shots that reflect your unique personalities and relationship.
Bridal Party: After couple’s portraits, it’s time to meet up with your bridal party. These can be a lot of fun and give you the chance to capture everyone’s personality and friendship. Bridal party photos are quick and take about 15 min.
4. The Ceremony (30 Minutes)
This is the heart of your day, and your photographer will be there to capture every precious moment, from the walk down the aisle to the first kiss. The ceremony itself typically lasts anywhere from 20-30 minutes.
5. Family Portraits (30 Minutes)
After your couple portraits, it’s time to gather your family and bridal party for formal photos. It’s essential to have a clear shot list for family groupings (e.g., bride with parents, groom with siblings) so your photographer can efficiently guide the process.
6. Post-Ceremony & Candid Moments (30 Minutes)
Once the ceremony is over, your photographer will take candid shots of you and your guests mingling and celebrating. These are often some of the most cherished photos of the day—capturing the joy and excitement of your first moments as a married couple.
Couples Time: Take a minute to soak in the fact that you are married, just the two of you!
Candid Moments: Take the time to enjoy your post-ceremony celebrations while your photographer captures the laughter, hugs, and emotions.
7. Reception (3-4 Hours)
The reception is the time for you and your guests to let loose and enjoy the party, and your photographer will be there to capture every dance, toast, and smile. Here’s a basic breakdown of how to ensure photos capture the essence of your reception without feeling rushed:
Grand Entrance: Capture your entrance as newlyweds, followed by your first dance.
Toasts and Speeches: Make sure your photographer is in place to capture the emotional toasts from your loved ones.
Dancing and Candid Shots: The dance floor is a great opportunity for fun, candid shots of you and your guests enjoying the night.
8. Sunset and Golden Hour Photos (15-20 Minutes)
If your wedding is during the evening, be sure to carve out 15-20 minutes during sunset for golden hour portraits. This brief session will yield stunning, romantic images that will be the highlight of your wedding album.
Golden Hour Portraits: If you haven’t already gotten enough couple portraits earlier in the day, this is a perfect time to steal away for a few more intimate, breathtaking shots as the sun sets.
Sample Wedding Day Timeline
Here’s an example of a wedding timeline that works for photos:
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Getting Ready Photos
(Bride and Groom, considered possible time to drive between locations)
2:15 PM – 3:30 PM: First Look and Bridal Portraits
(considered possible time to drive between locations)
4 PM – 4:30 PM: Ceremony
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Family Portraits
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Post-Ceremony Candid Shots/Cocktail Hour
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Reception, Grand Entrance, Dinner
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM: Cake Cutting & Toasts
7:30 PM – 7:45 PM: Sunset/Golden Hour Photos
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Dancing and Candid Reception Photos
Final Thoughts
The key to a successful wedding day is ensuring that your timeline allows for a mix of planned portraits, candid moments, and downtime. Working with your photographer to create a timeline that’s realistic for your needs will ensure you have beautiful, relaxed photos that tell the story of your day.
By building in time for your portraits, family shots, and candid moments, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy every aspect of your wedding day while also preserving those once-in-a-lifetime memories.
As a Kelowna wedding photographer, I love helping couples craft timelines that balance fun, relaxation, and the perfect shot. If you’re planning your wedding and want to make sure your photos reflect the magic of your day, let’s connect!
