01

First—There’s No One “Right” Timeline

Before anything else, it’s important to say this: there is no perfect or universal wedding day timeline.

Your timeline depends on your priorities.

• Do you want a first look or to see each other down the aisle? 
• How important are family photos to you? And how big is your family?
• Do you want to spend more time on couple portraits, exploring a few different spots and having a quiet moment together, or keep it simple with a few quick photos and then get back to your people?
• Are you getting married on the coast, in the hills, in a venue with limited light?
• What time of year is it, and when does the sun actually set at your venue?

All of these things questions matter when figuring out your timeline. So instead of trying to make your day fit into a timeline you found online, the goal is to build one around how you want your day to feel.

02

The Most Important Tip I Give Every Couple: Build in Margin

If you take one thing from this, let it be this:

Build margin into your timeline.

Not just a little. Enough that your day has space to breathe.

Because without it, your wedding day can very quickly turn into a checklist. Move here. Do this. Take these photos. Go there next. And that’s probably not how you want it to feel.

You want time to hug people you haven’t seen in years, laugh without being pulled away, kiss each other and realize, “we just got freaking married.”

There’s also a very real chance that something will take longer than expected. Someone can’t find their shoes. A boutonnière goes missing. A groomsman is learning how to tie a tie from YouTube five minutes before the ceremony.

None of that is a big deal—but it might feel like a bigger deal if your timeline is packed back-to-back.

Margin turns those moments into no big deal.

What this looks like in real life:

• 10–15 minute buffers between major parts of the day
• More time than you think you need for getting ready
• Some time to be hidden away before the ceremony
• Space built in to just be together

03

Decide Early: First Look or No First Look

This is one of the biggest decisions that affects your timeline.

Are you seeing each other before the ceremony, or waiting for that moment walking down the aisle? (Read my blog about the pros & cons of each here.)

There’s no right answer. I’ve photographed beautiful, smooth wedding days both ways. It’s less about what’s “better” and more about what feels right for you.

That said, deciding ahead of time does help everything else fall into place a little more smoothly.

If you do a first look:

• You’ll have the option to get some portraits done before the ceremony
• The timeline tends to feel a bit more flexible
• You may get to enjoy more of cocktail hour together

If you don’t:

• The getting ready portion of the day can feel a little slower and more relaxed
• Most photos will happen after the ceremony
• Cocktail hour may look a little different for you

There are also options like a first touch, reading letters, or sharing a private moment without seeing each other. However you choose to do it, it’s a starting point to creating a flow that feels natural for your day.

04

Let Light Take The Lead (It Matters More Than You Think)

Your timeline shouldn’t just follow the clock. It should follow the light.

Golden hour, that soft, glowy light everyone loves, usually happens about an hour to 15 minutes before sunset. That’s typically when your most romantic portraits will happen.

But here’s what people don’t always think about:

• If your venue is tucked into hills, the sun may disappear earlier
• Trees, buildings, and cliffs can block light sooner than expected
• The time of year changes everything

This affects when you:

• step away for couple portraits
• plan your ceremony time
• decide between cocktail hour or dinner portraits (most common times to sneak away)

When you get the light right, everything else falls into place more easily.

05

Decide What Matters Most to You

This is where your timeline becomes yours.

Ask yourself:

• Do we want time alone together after the ceremony?
• Do we care about multiple photo locations or keeping it simple?
• Do we want to fully attend cocktail hour or step away for portraits?
• Do we want fast, efficient family photos or a more relaxed, connective time?

If spending time with family matters to you, build that in. One of my favorite things to recommend is adding a little extra space after family photos—not just for photos, but for actual connection. Hugs, conversations, a few minutes to be present before the reception starts. It’s also one of the best times for really genuine, candid moments.

Also think about:

• getting ready time with your people
• how much you care about dance floor coverage
• whether you want a send-off, private last dance, or quiet ending

Your timeline should reflect what you care about, not just what’s “typical.”

06

Don’t Forget the Setup Side of Things

This one is easy to overlook.

Ask your planner or venue when your ceremony and reception spaces will be fully set up.

As a photographer, I need time to capture those spaces before guests enter. The details, the atmosphere, the way everything looked before the day fully unfolded. You spent months planning those little details and you're going to want to remember them.

If that time isn’t built in, it’s something you can miss without realizing it.

07

Your Timeline Isn’t for You to Manage on the Day

This is a big mindset shift.

Your timeline isn’t something you should be checking or worrying about once your wedding day starts.

It’s how you communicate your ideal day to your vendor team. It’s where you get to be thoughtful ahead of time and say, this is what matters to us, this is how we want the day to feel, this is what we want to prioritize. And then our job is to take that and carry it out for you.

The more intention you put into your timeline beforehand, the more you get to let go of it later.

So when the day comes, you’re not managing anything. You’re not watching the clock. You’re not thinking about what’s next.

You’re just in it.

08

Communication Is What Makes It Work

Even the best timeline falls apart if no one knows about it. Especially when it comes to family photos.

Make sure the people involved know:

• where they need to be
• when they need to be there

A quick heads up ahead of time, a text reminder from your Maid of Honor, or even a simple announcement after the ceremony can make a huge difference.

Because this part of the day is one of the easiest places for things to fall behind. If we’re trying to track people down, waiting for family who hasn’t arrived yet, or pulling the wedding party back from cocktail hour, it slows everything down really quickly. And honestly, I get it. People are excited, they want to celebrate, grab a drink and see old friends. Zero blame here.

But a little communication ahead of time keeps things smooth, keeps it efficient, and makes sure you’re not spending precious time in your day waiting for people instead of enjoying their company.

09

A Few Practical Tips

• Travel time always takes longer than you think.
• You will want a few minutes alone together—plan for it.
• Getting ready almost always runs a little behind and that's okay.
• The day will move quickly, even if your timeline doesn’t.
• Build in time to eat.
• Let go of the idea that everything has to go exactly as planned. Sometimes the unplanned stuff is even better.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Goal Isn’t a Perfect Timeline

The goal is a day that feels like you.

A day where you’re not rushing, not performing, not checking the time every ten minutes. A day where you can actually be there for it.

Because at the end of all of this, what you’ll remember isn’t whether everything ran exactly on schedule.

You’ll remember how it felt.

And honestly, that’s a core value of my approach and a huge driver of the way I photograph wedding days. I don’t structure my coverage around strict hourly limits. I’m there to document the full story, not just a portion of it squeezed into a set window of time.

When coverage is tight, it can start to feel like everything has to be rushed or prioritized around what needs to get photographed. And that’s when the day starts to feel more like a checklist than an experience.

I want you to have space. To breathe, to be present, to let things unfold naturally without feeling like you’re on the clock.

Because that’s where the real moments live.

And those are always the ones that matter most.