As a team of wedding photographers, we’ve been afforded the opportunity to attend hundreds of weddings. As such, we are very familiar with how days typically play out.
Our experience has provided us with an interesting vantage point – like knowing what kind of wedding timeline makes for a smooth day – for the bride and groom, guests and us as photographers.
The wedding timeline needs to be planned in a way that everything runs seamlessly.
We are often there to capture moments from the early stages of prep, right through to celebrations on the dance floor.
We will have a look at a wedding timeline that plots out the entire day, and indicate which pictures we capture in our photography packages across the wedding timeline.
Introduction to the Perfect Wedding Timeline
A flawless wedding timeline is the backbone of your special day. It ensures that every significant moment is documented, allowing you to relive the magic through your wedding photography.
A well-structured timeline also ensures that your photographer can seamlessly transition from one crucial event to the next.
Bride and Groom Details
As the bride suite is busy with make-up and hair, the groomsmen are often in a very candid set up, still quite a while away from needing to suit up. You might want to start the day by capturing the intricate details that you have carefully selected to be worn on your day.
These shots add a touch of elegance and personalisation to your wedding album. From the rings to the shoes and everything in between, these details deserve their moment in the spotlight. This can be particularly important if there are family heirlooms on the big day.
Bride and Groom Candids
Before the official preparations commence, capturing candid moments with the bride and groom is a special moment. These shots convey the raw, unscripted emotions, highlighting the genuine anticipation and affection prior to the ceremony.
These intimate, unguarded moments set the tone for the day. Including this in the wedding timeline and part of your wedding photography package is a nice prelude, and offers another completely different scene of your special day.
Bride and Groom Prep
Documenting the moments leading up to the ceremony is a treasure trove of emotions, and a joy to capture. The anticipation, excitement, and nervousness of the bride and groom are authentically captured during this time. It’s a candid look at their journey to “I do”… and things start getting a lot more real at this time of the day.
There’s a big transition of emotions at this stage of the wedding timeline. The last moments before making your way down the aisle.
Ceremony
The heart of your wedding day and obviously your wedding timeline. Every wedding package we have includes shooting and filming of the ceremony.
It’s essential to capture the sacred vows, heartfelt exchanges, and the moment you officially become partners for life. We have strategic setups to allow us to discreetly capture your intimate moments and candid glances and smiles.
Group & Family Portraits
Gather your nearest and dearest for family portraits. These shots are timeless treasures that you and your family will cherish for generations. Ensuring efficiency is key in this segment of your wedding timeline, so as not to take away time from couples portraits later in the day.
Canapés and Candids
After the ceremony, capturing candid moments and canapés as guests mingle enriches your wedding timeline and wedding photos.. These candid shots reveal the genuine joy, laughter, and connections among your guests, that make your day truly special.
You’ve invited the guests to your wedding for a reason. Make sure you set some time aside in your wedding package to capture the moments of them at canapés, and your interaction with them on the day.
Bridal Party & Couples Portraits
Couples portraits, often the heart of a wedding timeline, encapsulate the essence of your love story. These intimate moments, meticulously crafted by your photographer, offer a glimpse into your connection. It’s here that love unfolds in every stolen glance, gentle touch, and shared laughter.
Couples portraits freeze time, allowing you to revisit the emotions that defined your day. They are the artful expressions of your love. These shots are about you – your love, your journey, your unique story. They are an investment in your memories.
As the most important part of the wedding timeline, couples portraits capture the heart of your celebration, setting the tone for your entire album. With skilled direction and genuine emotion, they reflect the love that binds you and the promise you’ve made.
These portraits are your enduring connection to a day that’s over too soon, ensuring your love story lives on in the frames that grace your walls and the pages of your album.
Reception Entrance
The grand entrance sets the tone for your celebration. This is often where you get to relax, sit down, and just enjoy the evening festivities after a long day of preparation. You deserve a hero’s welcome.
This is a special part of your wedding timeline, and one we love to capture. Bring on the cheers!
Speeches
Like any good wedding timeline, after you’ve entered the reception, it’s time to allow those closest to you to speak into your lives.
Hearing heartfelt speeches from loved ones is one of the most emotionally charged segments of your wedding.
These candid shots showcase the love and support that surround you on your journey.
Cake Cutting
The cake cutting ceremony is a sweet and light-hearted interlude. It’s a moment of joy and unity that should be tastefully captured as the couple shares the first bite of their future together.
First Dance
The first dance is a magical time when you take centre stage in front of your loved ones. As part of a fuller wedding package, this part of the wedding timeline is a favourite to have captured.
It’s not just a dance, but a declaration of your journey ahead as your closest friends and family bear witness.
Father-Daughter Dance
A significant moment in any wedding timeline, and a shot not to be missed, is when the bride shares a dance with her father. People often see this as the “last dance”…
In our eyes, it just marks a transition in the relationship. It’s a cherished symbol of love, support, and a father’s enduring presence.
His way of saying “I’ll always be here”
Bouquet and Garter Toss
The bouquet and garter toss are fun and lively segments of the wedding timeline. They create entertaining photo opportunities, capturing the excitement and anticipation of the single guests as they vie for the lucky catch 🙂
It’s the part of the evening where the wedding formalities are out of the way, and it’s time to let go. Some dancefloors can get really rowdy… It’s amazing what kind of energy a bouquet and garter can stir amongst the guests.
Our fuller wedding packages ensure we are there to capture these events.
Dancefloor Shots
Your wedding timeline is brought to a perfect close with dynamic dancefloor shots. The dance floor is where the celebration of your Special Day reaches its peak.
Capturing the candid moments of uninhibited joy, movement, and love is a lot of fun. It brings your wedding day, and our wedding shoot to a perfect close.
