*MY* Ideal Wedding Photography Timeline | With and Without a 1st Look

[@joelkuhn5704]

I would love to see the Excel document you reference that automatically creates times for the day when you plug in the ceremony!

[@justchillin239]

Me too

[@frog995]

This was honestly soooo helpful.

[@cavinelizabeth]

so glad!

[@MS-kn4tt]

This is so helpful. My family is notoriously difficult to wrangle, so I'm definitely going to have to give them some instruction before-hand to get them in line.

[@cavinelizabeth]

Definitely do, it will help so much on the wedding day!

[@lailaaryan4922]

Thank you so much Cavin! I requested this video a few weeks ago here in your comment section and it means a lot for me that you took the time to answer my question! It was a super useful video, I truly appreciate it!

[@cavinelizabeth]

Of course, so glad you liked it!!

[@bmcdonald7303]

Wow. Very helpful. This has helped me plan my ceremony and first look.

[@cavinelizabeth]

I'm so glad!

[@TheDovesNest]

That’s so funny! I created an Excel spreadsheet to create my wedding day timeline is too!

[@racheljansen7245]

When you watch this video and plan your whole timeline around it! lol

[@cavinelizabeth]

:)

[@jessann5581]

The reason why we don't want see each other before hand is because he wants everyone to see his first reaction to seeing me in a/my dress and all dolled up. I don't ever dress up or wear make up or anything, never have and never will after my wedding. We have 3 little boys so even if I wanted to get all dolled up by the time I was finished I would be messy cause my boys are true blue boys, nothing stays clean at all. Although I would like to have "first look" photos this was important, and kind of important to me as well.

[@annejia5382]

Woooah this is unexpected 😍😍😍 this will be sooo helpful to current brides and future brides to be 😍 and its from a professional photographer's perspective 😊 can u do more about time-related stuff about photography that the couples need to remember or should remember or should focus on both during engagement and the wedding day 😍 or simple but intimate or cute engagement photo ideas that can be used a material for stationery and other wedding day stuff

[@annejia5382]

or photography ideas when it comes to taking photos that can look professional with stuff like stationeries(invites) and other behind the scenes that are not on the wedding day but part of the details of the wedding or the wedding planning that u can share with those that are part of the wedding or the public when u post it online or ur own guestbook or videos im complicated 😂 thank u 😍

[@annejia5382]

or which essentials and plus things that couples tend to forget that needs to be included on the *_LIST_* they give to their photographers that contain the details or parts of the wedding day that are to be taking pictures of

[@annejia5382]

or a wedding photography timeline plus tips if u want breakfast reception and u want a ceremony that starts as soon as the sun rises 😍

[@cavinelizabeth]

Thanks Anne, I'll try to add some of these to the list :)

[@annejia5382]

@@cavinelizabeth my comments are a little bit messy thank you 😂😍

[@justchillin239]

My budget only allows for 6 hours of photography. My wedding starts at 5 pm and ends at 10 pm. What timeline would you recommend?

[@cavinelizabeth]

It depends on your priorities and if you're doing a first look. If you're doing a 1st look, you'll be starting your photos earlier and having less reception coverage - which means you'll want to schedule all reception events needing photo coverage before the photographer leaves. Do you want getting ready coverage or do you want more photos of people on the dance floor? Do you have a grand exit at the end of the night you want photographed? Lots to consider!

[@isaaabelthebest]

Do you have any recommendations for no bridal party timelines ? Is there a drastic difference?

[@cavinelizabeth]

You can start photos perhaps 20-40 minutes later since that's about how long a lot of photographers might budget for those photos if there is a first look. If there is no first look then it won't change the timeline (you'll simply have more time for couple's portraits during cocktail hour).

[@isaaabelthebest]

@@cavinelizabeth 😊👍 cool thank you for the advice :)

[@fashionforwardable]

Is it normal for people to have ceremonies at 6pm? I have never heard of this (canadian)

[@cavinelizabeth]

In the summer, yes. Some people, especially within certain cultures, do have actual nighttime ceremonies.

[@TheBubblyJoanna]

I’m having a 6pm ceremony since our wedding is in the summer and it’s on a Friday!

[@DeborahM116]

I'm also Canadian and have never heard of this either... Every ceremony I've ever gone to has been sometime between 1 pm and 3 pm. This might be an American thing.

[@mthomas5513]

Do you feel brides hair/makeup gets done last? Or somewhere in the middle of bridesmaid’s?

[@cavinelizabeth]

From a photo perspective, I think it's nice when the bride isn't finished 1st so she isn't sitting around waiting for everyone to be done but isn't done dead last in case things are running late.

[@NyxieGirl18]

Would you ever consider making a timeline for religious ceremonies? I’m Jewish and there are things that happen before the ceremony (like signing the ketubah) that take time and I’m struggling to make a timeline that fits in first looks, prep, the signing, the ceremony, and the reception

[@cavinelizabeth]

Here's one from one of my weddings (they got ready at a hotel and the ceremony/reception were at a venue separate from the hotel): 12:30pm Photography coverage begins 1:20pm Bride in gown 1:40pm Drive to Venue 2:15pm First look and portraits 2:45pm Wedding party photos 3:00pm Family photos (10 minutes, if we don’t finish, we will complete after ceremony) 3:15pm Ketubah signing 4:00pm Ceremony 4:30pm Cocktail hour 5:45pm Reception begins: Grand Entrance, Hora and 1-2 songs, Welcome Toast 6:45pm Sunset photos 7:20pm Toasts, First Dance, Parent Dances 8:15pm Cake cutting 8:30pm Photographer Done

[@alexisrose4221]

what about brides that don’t want first looks? they want the groom to see them down the aisle for the first time and then the reception is usually an hour later.. they don’t think. it barely gives us time ahhhh

[@momplaygroupfouz4946]

Omg this was exhausting (first look).. so many hours of taking pictures. In our culture we don’t have a “bridal party” so that’s the family pictures.