Timeline help!!

I would definitely say get with your photographer and if you’re having a day of coordinator. They usually are pretty good with timelines and helping you get through it. What time does your ceremony start?

My day of coordinator, hair and makeup team, and photographer all helped put together my timeline with me.

View Quoted Comment It will be in the evening. I am trying to figure that out! I want the pictures to kinda be with the sun setting

View Quoted Comment I am still trying to pick my photographer and makeup team! Lol

View Quoted Comment Ohhhhh- okay. I’d look to see when the sunsets, like the time and kinda go from there. Idk what phone you have, but on the weather app it tells you the time the sun sets and the time it rises. I’d also let the photographer know that’s what you’re trying to do and usually they prob already know the times. Or at least around about.

It depends a lot on what you want. Are you doing pictures during cocktail hour or before the ceremony? Do you want sunset pictures?

My timeline is this:

Pictures 2:30-5pm

Ceremony 5:30-6pm

Sunset pictures 6-6:15pm

Reception entrance, first dance, and cake cutting 8pm

We're doing pictures before the ceremony then leaving for a bit for sunset pictures. We're doing the first dance and cake cutting at the beginning of the reception so our photographer gets those shots before she leaves.

I'll say get with you're DOC,if you're having one if not,like it's been mentioned before you're photographer will likely know how to schedule that.
Happy Planning

Timelines are my favorite!!! LOL! My best helpers were a very knowledgeable aunt, our DJ and photographer. I had no wedding planner, but aunt gave me tips on how the pros do it and went exactly as planned 👍

Tips: it takes approximately 15 minutes for a group of 100 guests to take their seats so be sure to factor this in, if your ceremony and reception are different locations, double the travel time on timeline. Love the sunset tips the previous girls posted. We scheduled 15 minutes prior to sunset to begin photos.
I made a timeline spreadsheet to distribute to all vendors including each vendors contact info. Day of wedding, they can contact each other if needed (not contact you). Hope this helps!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Sample of my timeline:9:00am - venue is open, linens pressed and on tables ready for florist arrival/setup2:00pm - Cake arrives, florist already onsite to place florals on cake3:00pm - DJ arrives/begins setup4:00pm - Ceremony begins5:00pm - Cocktail Hour begins/family photos at ceremony site6:00pm - DJ announces guests to take seats6:15pm - Announcements begin/Parents and Bridal Party introduced6:20pm - First Dance6:25pm - Blessing6:30pm - Dinner served/toasts begin7:30pm - Cake cut7:45pm - Father/daughter dance7:50pm - Mother/son dance8:15pm - Sunset photos 8:30 - Open dance10:00pm - Reception ends

Forgot one more thing! Professional wedding planners time the photographer backwards. For example we had purchased 10 hours. Our reception ended at 10pm, so counting backwards, our photographer arrived at noon.
I had to be in my dress no later than 2pm. 2-3pm photos with my bridesmaids and my parents. 3-3:30 relaxing in bridal suite and 3:30-4pm relaxing at ceremony site.
Hope this helps!!! ❤️❤️❤️

This is the Sample Timeline my photographer sent me. Everything can be included. The more detailed the better. Obviously for a sunset ceremony you'd have to figure out first what time sunset is and have the ceremony start at least 30-45min before actual sunset. And were are you getting married??

• 12pm-1pm - Photographers arrive and shoot getting ready pics

• 1pm - Guest arrival

• 1:25pm - Groom & best man go to altar

• 1:30pm - Bridesmaids walk down the aisle

• 1:35pm - Bride walks down the aisle

• 1:40pm - Ceremony starts

• 2pm - Ceremony ends

• 2pm-3pm - Family photographs

• 3pm-4pm - Bride/ groom portraits at Botanical Gardens, Cocktail hour

• 4pm - Bride & groom arrive back at venue

• 4:05pm - First dance

• 4:10pm - Officiants welcome & blessing

• 4:15pm - Dinner

• 4:45pm - Toasts

• 5:45pm - Cake cutting & bride/groom final thank you

• 6pm - Dance floor opens

• 8:30pm - Bouquet toss

• 9:50pm -Prepare for bride/groom exit

• 10pm - Bride/groom exit, Photographers depart

Priority Shots

• Family and friends shots at the venue, Bride & groom shots at Botanical Gardens

• Detail shots of bride & groom getting ready

• Guests signing in and taking pictures with giant photo frame

• Couple's dog "Shadow"

• Bouquet toss

• Guests dancing

• Sparkler exit

Hope this helps!

We met with our photographer to discuss photo timeline, from there we met with hair and makeup to determine their start time and our dj to discuss reception timeline. But really it all centered around when we were doing pics and the ceremony and working out from there.