As a wedding photographer, one of the most common questions I get is about the wedding day timeline. Obviously couples want to know how long to plan for their formal photos, as well as when the best lighting is, how long should I stay for the reception and when I should arrive for the getting-ready portion of the day. It’s a lot to consider! And of course it will depend on your unique wedding day and what you are looking for in your wedding photos. That being, said, I am here to give you a general guideline on what I recommend for your wedding day coverage.

(And in the meantime, enjoy these photos from Meghan and Tim’s wedding! :))

Full wedding day coverage (for me) starts at six hours minimum. Usually eight hours is the sweet spot to get all the important and fun moments of your wedding day. Ten to twelve hours are for extra long events with lots of locations (or sometimes there is a long gap between the ceremony and reception, which is perfect if you want to have lots of time/multiple locations for your formal photos).

Here is an idea of a general wedding photography timeline:

3:00 – 4:30 - Getting ready photos

4:30 – 5:00 - Travel to ceremony location/set up for ceremony/shots of location/guests

5:00 – 5:30 - Ceremony

5:30 – 7:00 - Travel/cocktail hour/formal photos/reception room photos

7:00 – 7:30 - Wedding party entrance/first dance/toasts

7:30 – 8:30 - More detail shots while dinner is served/visiting tables

8:30 – 9:00 - Cake cutting/parent dances

9:00 – 11:00 - Dancing!

If you are doing a First Look, the timeline would just be moved up about 1-1.5 hours:

2:00 – 3:30 Getting ready

3:30 – 4:30 First Look and most of formal photos done

4:30 – 5:00 - Travel to ceremony location/set up for ceremony/shots of location/guests

5:00 – 5:30 - Ceremony

5:30 – 7:00 - Travel/cocktail hour/formal photos/reception room photos

7:00 – 7:30 - Wedding party entrance/first dance/toasts

7:30 – 8:30 - More detail shots while dinner is served/visiting tables

8:30 – 9:00 - Cake cutting/parent dances

9:00 – 11:00 - Dancing!

I do still recommend doing a few formal photos after the ceremony even if you’ve done a first look. That is usually a great time for lighting (golden hour!), so if you are up for it, I will find a beautiful spot and get a few shots for about five minutes or so. And I usually do the larger group shots (like big extended family photos or bigger groups of friends) during the reception. For your formal photos I would need the two of you (of course!), your immediate family plus spouses and kids, and the wedding party. I like to get the family photos done first so they can go and have fun, then the wedding party.

I hope this helps! As I said above, this is just a general guideline so if you have any questions about your particular day and what I would recommend, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Have other wedding planning questions? Check out these blog posts!

Do we need a second photographer for our wedding?

What should we wear for an engagement session?