wedding day schedules we love
In my years shooting weddings, I’ve seen many varieties of schedules for wedding days. In this article, you’ll find 3 of my favorite wedding day schedules & why they may be good for you!
For each wedding, I included…
The length of photography coverage,
Their guest count,
The couple’s priorities for their day, &
Elements that made this day work well.
Rather than including specific times in these schedules, I specified exactly how much time was allotted for each part of the day. My hope is that seeing their schedules through this lens will help you to allot the right amount of time to each part of your wedding day!
table of contents
6 Hour Documentary Style Wedding
Morning Ceremony with a Brunch Reception & Pool Party
Classic 9 Hour Wedding Day with a Great Gatsby twist
WEDDING DAY SCHEDULE # 1:
Ben + Jacqueline
Documentary Style Wedding in Seattle, WA
PACKAGE: 6 HOURS
GUEST COUNT: 60
priorities
Spend time with their guests
Intimate dinner party vibe with their closest family & friends
ELEMENTS THAT MADE THIS WORK
Very minimal getting ready photography coverage
They didn’t have a bridal party (& therefore didn’t dedicate any time to bridal party photos)
They weren’t concerned about getting tons of Bride & Groom portraits (only 20 minutes were dedicated to this)
They only wanted ~10 formal family photos
There wasn’t a classic reception (Jackie was finished shooting by the time dinner was served). BUT in order to compensate for not having professional photography coverage, they passed around a Polaroid camera between their guests for the rest of the night!
No first dances or speeches at the reception
their wedding day schedule
Get mostly ready & eat breakfast w/o photography coverage - 3 hours
PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE START TIME: 12PM
Getting Ready Photo Coverage - Final getting ready moments, First look, & head to church - 45 min
Formal Family Photos - 1 hour (it didn’t take this long but it was a great buffer before the Mass. The B&G were able to go pray together after these were done.)
Ceremony - Catholic Wedding Mass, Photo with Clergy, & Sign marriage license - 1.5 hours
Bride & Groom Portraits - 20 min at reception venue
Cocktail Hour - 45 min
Seat guests, Quick speech from Bride & Groom & Meal blessing - 15 min
PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE END TIME: 6PM
Dinner & dessert - 2.5 hours
WEDDING DAY SCHEDULE # 2:
andrew + ellie
Morning Ceremony with a Brunch Reception & Pool Party in Grand Rapids, MI
PACKAGE: 9 HOURS
GUEST COUNT: 250
priorities
Have a brunch wedding & after-party BBQ/pool party with close family & friends
Catch the simple joys shared between myself and my husband as well as the guests
ELEMENTS THAT MADE THIS WORK
All Bridal Party and Bride & Groom portraits were taken in the morning, before the ceremony
Their ceremony started in the morning
No gap between ceremony & reception - all guests headed straight from the church to the reception venue (This was such a smooth transition!)
They couldn’t have a classic evening reception - instead it was an afternoon lunch
They had to be okay with only inviting a smaller number of guests to their after-party
their wedding day schedule
Get mostly ready & eat breakfast w/o photography coverage - 1 hours
PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE START TIME: 8AM
Ladies Getting Ready Photo Coverage - Final getting ready moments & detail shots - 1 hour
Travel to Church - 15 min
Guys Getting Ready Photo Coverage - Final getting ready moments & detail shots. These were taken at the church. - 15 min
First Looks, Bridal Party Photos, and Bride & Groom Portraits - First looks between bride & dad and bride & groom - 1.5 hours
Ceremony - Catholic Wedding Mass - 1 hour 15 min
Formal Wedding Photos & Travel to Reception - 1.5 hours
Additional Bride & Groom Portraits at Reception - 15 min
Grand Entrance, Cut Cake, & Meal Blessing - 10 min
Lunch, Dessert, & Speeches - Bride & Groom also greeted their guests at each table during this time. 55 min
First Dances - 15 min
Open Dance & Games - 1.5 hours
After Party Pool Party - 2 hours
PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE END TIME: 7PM
WEDDING DAY SCHEDULE # 3:
joe + kloe
Classic 9 Hour Wedding Day with a Great Gatsby twist in Kansas City, MO
PACKAGE: 11 HOURS
GUEST COUNT: 150
priorities
Art Deco / Great Gatsby vibe reception
ELEMENTS THAT MADE THIS WORK
The bride had a very clear vision for the visuals of their day
their wedding day schedule
Get mostly ready & eat breakfast w/o photography coverage - 3 hours
PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE START TIME: 10:30AM
Ladies Getting Ready Photo Coverage - Final getting ready moments & detail shots- 1.5 hours
Guys Getting Ready Photo Coverage - They were getting ready at the same hotel as the ladies, so travel time was pretty quick. - 35 min
Travel to Ceremony & Final Prep - 25 min
First Looks - Bride with Dad & Mom pinning boutonniere on Groom - 10 min
Ceremony - Catholic Wedding Mass - 1 hours
Receiving Line - 10 min
Formal Family Photos - 20 min
Bridal Party Photos and Bride & Groom Portraits - 2 hours
Grand Entrance & Photos with each table - 10 min
Meal Blessing, Dinner, & Additional Bride & Groom Portraits - 35 min
Toasts - 15 min
First Dances & Open Dance - 1 hour 45 min
PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE END TIME: 9PM
Open Dance - 2 hours
