Wedding Photography Timeline Examples for Your Dream Wedding Day

Feeling overwhelmed by planning your wedding day schedule? You’re definitely not alone! To help simplify the process, I’ve compiled some wedding photography timeline examples. These examples will give you a clear picture of what a typical wedding day entails and how much time is generally needed for each part of your celebration.

8-Hour Timeline Example

An 8-hour timeline is ideal if you want to capture the highlights of your wedding day without a full day commitment. This option works well if you prefer a more relaxed morning, catching the tail end of the “getting ready” moments, or if you’re more focused on documenting the fun during the reception and after-party.

A typical 8 hour wedding timeline will look like this:

12:00 PM: Arrive at Venue & detail photos (if you want some detail photo tips check out my reel here)
12:30 PM: Bride gets into dress & groom getting ready (this is where it’s nice to have a second photographer on your wedding day to knock out both these at once!)
1:00 PM: First Look(s)
1:30 PM: Bridal Party (Group & Individual Photos)
2:00 PM: Family Formals
2:30 PM: Bride & Groom hide away & relax before ceremony, detail of venue photos & candids of guests arriving
3:00 PM: Ceremony
3:30 PM: Ceremony Ends
3:45 PM: Cocktail Hour & Candids with Guests
5:00 PM: Grand Entrance into Cake Cutting
5:30 PM: Dinner
6:00 PM: Speeches
6:30 PM: First Dances
6:45 PM: Open Dance Floor & Candids
7:45 PM: Sunset Photos *depending on time of year
8:00 PM: Coverage Ends & YOU’RE MARRIED

10-Hour Timeline Example

If you’re looking to cover your wedding day from start to finish, a 10-hour timeline is perfect. This extended timeline allows you to capture everything from those intimate getting ready photos through to the lively dancing and late-night snacks.

A typical 10 hour wedding timeline will look like this:

11:00 AM: Arrive at Venue & getting ready & hang out photos (in robes/outfits)
11:45 AM: detail photos
12:30 PM: Bride gets into dress & groom getting ready (this is where it’s nice to have a second photographer on your wedding day to knock out both these at once!)
1:00 PM: First Look(s)
1:30 PM: Bridal Party (Group & Individual Photos)
2:00 PM: Family Formals
2:30 PM: Bride & Groom hide away & relax before ceremony, detail of venue photos & candids of guests arriving
3:00 PM: Ceremony
3:30 PM: Ceremony Ends
3:45 PM: Cocktail Hour & Candids with Guests
5:00 PM: Grand Entrance into Cake Cutting
5:30 PM: Dinner
6:00 PM: Speeches
6:30 PM: First Dances
6:45 PM: Open Dance Floor & Candids
7:45 PM: Sunset photos *depending on the time of year
8:30 PM: late night snacks on the dance floor
9:00 PM: Coverage ends & YOU’RE MARRIED

Here is a photo example of a wedding timeline as well.

Wondering if a First Look is right for you on your wedding day? Find out here.