Planning your wedding photography timeline

Give yourself and your bridal party ample time for hair, makeup, and getting dressed. Aim to be ready 30mins before you need to leave for the ceremony. Or if you are getting ready at the ceremony venue aim to be ready at least 30mins before the ceremony. I will arrive around 2 hours before the ceremony, and will capture details such as: 

 

 

If you are both getting ready at the same location, I can alternate between you both. Remember registrars will need to see you both separately for about 10mins each before the ceremony, so remember to factor that into your timing, especially if you are getting ready elsewhere and travelling to the ceremony. 

Ceremonies vary in length depending on traditions and religious aspects. A civil ceremony can take 20 to 30 minutes, a church ceremony is generally longer and could be 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how many readings and hyms are chosen. Remember to check the expected duration time with ceremony officials. 

Photography Tip: Some venues, particularly churches, may restrict where the photographer can stand and when they can take photos. You should discuss this with the church before the wedding. 

 

After the ceremony, there will be some time for congratulations , hugs and kisses with your guests (Or the hugfest as I like to call it!). Where I'll be capturing those beautiful, joyful candid moments. 

This is also a great time for the confetti. Ask the groomsmen to help organise the guests into two lines facing each other and hand out the confetti. You will then walk through the line of guests as they throw the confetti, creating a joyful and celebratory moment. 

Photography Tip: If you stop for a kiss and / or dip in the middle of the confetti walk, this makes for an amazing photo. 

I always recommend limiting the group photos to no more than 10, this gives you more time with your guests, and more time for the couple portraits. Endless group photos will quickly get boring for you and your guests, and they aren't the most exciting photos in the album! And we can always grab some more casual group photos later in the day. 

 

Photography Tip: It helps to speed things up if you can assign a member of the wedding party who knows everyone, to help round people up for each photo. 

 

This is the perfect time for intimate, romantic photos of just the two of you. We will go for a nice, relaxed walk around the venue, keeping the portraits as natural as possible and making you feel at ease. This should lonely take 10 to 15 minutes. So I’m not taking you away from your guests for too long. We can do the couple portraits before your meal, after your meal or a bit of both! The weather on the day, and the time of year are also factors to consider. But will will discuss this before your wedding day.  

 

Photography Tip: Golden hour (just before sunset) provides the most flattering and dreamy light for couple portraits. When this happens will very much depend on the time of year, and sunset times for your wedding. 

 

Ideally it is best to allow 2 hours between the end of the ceremony and sitting down to dinner. (Not including any travel time) This will allow you do all of the above and have some time to relax with your guests. 

I will capture you entering the room and being seated, then take a break and return for the speeches. 

 

 

Speeches typically follow the wedding breakfast, given by the father of the bride, the groom, and the best man (and sometimes the bride or maid of honour). Some people just have one speech, as with all of this plan, it is entirely up to you! 

 

I recommend that you do these together, one straight after the other. get everyone together near the dance floor. We will cut the cake (with a countdown from the DJ), allow a few minutes for guests to take a few photos of you by the cake, and then move straight into your first dance. This should all take no more than 10minutes. I'll then stay for another half an hour to capture some dance floor antics. 

 

A well-structured wedding day timeline ensures you get the best possible wedding photos without feeling rushed. Communicate with your photographer ahead of time, build in buffer periods, and prioritise moments that matter most to you. With thoughtful planning, you’ll have a stunning collection of images to cherish forever!