Menu
Everyone wants your special day to run smoothly, and that’s where planning out a detailed timeline is key! With over 16 years of experience and lots of weddings under our belt, let us share with you some of our favorite tips to make sure your wedding day is a dream-come-true!
When it comes to crafting your photography timeline, it’s crucial to first identify your priorities for your day. Is it your priority to keep things laidback and be present as much as possible or is it your hope to squeeze in as many portraits as you can? Once you have a vision for how you’d like your day to go, we’ll work together to create a timeline that prioritizes your vision every step of the way, without rushing from one moment to the next.
Not everything is going to go exactly as planned, and that’s okay as long as you make time for the unexpected. Your hair may take longer than anticipated or traffic may cause a slight delay. We recommend adding a buffer of at least 15 minutes to each section of the day for those “just-incase” moments.
This is the time when your photographer will arrive wherever you are getting ready on the morning of your wedding— whether it’s a hotel room, at your venue, or even at home! Typically your photographers will arrive to capture at a minimum 60-90 minutes of wedding party prep in total.
For bridal prep, our team will arrive near the end of your hair and makeup process in order to capture those final touches. During this time, we also take photos of details like your dress or suit, shoes, flowers, jewelry, and other unique items. It’s important to note that the bride should be scheduled to have her hair and makeup done first, that way if it runs late it won’t affect the schedule as much. If need be, you can stage touch ups to photograph when the photographer arrives.
If you book two photographers, they will split up and get photos of both you and your partner getting ready at the same time. During this time, emotions are at an all-time high and these shots show the anticipation and excitement that you are both feeling at that moment.
The recommended 90 minutes for bride prep is used to capture candids, details, getting into the dress and bridal portraits. If you’re envisioning additional special request photos during this part of your day (PJ shots, champagne spray, first look with bridesmaids) plan an additional 15+ minutes per request.
If you want a first look with your wedding party or family members during bride prep, choose a hotel suite that has more than one room to prevent delays. This ensures everyone can get ready simultaneously without seeing the bride until she’s ready for those first looks.
We believe scheduling a first look makes the day more relaxed, and it’s a great opportunity to have a romantic, intimate moment before your wedding day formalities begin. By having a first look with your partner, you can plan to tackle your formal shot list before your wedding ceremony. This approach allows more time for those important photos earlier in the day and then you’re free to enjoy your cocktail hour.
Setting up and having the first look will take about 15-30 minutes, followed by a few moments for you to take it all in while we capture some candid portraits.
If you plan to go off-site for your first look or portraits, a photography permit may be required. Our team is happy to walk you through the photo permit process. You should purchase any permits required at least 2 months before your big day!
Are you torn between wanting that traditional first look moment and making sure you have time for all the photos you want too? Not every couple wants a planned first look before their ceremony and that’s okay! The good news is, you don’t have to choose. It really all just comes down to a little extra planning – that’s what we’re here for!
Without a first look, you may discuss the following options during your timeline planning process:
Firstly – Scheduling a larger break of time (1-2 hours) between the end of your ceremony and the start of cocktail hour. This will allow you to complete all photos and attend your own cocktail hour (most popular option).
Second – Extending cocktail hour by 30 minutes to allow time for all remaining photos to be captured.
Lastly – Reducing your family and wedding party photo list to allow for everything to be captured during cocktail hour.
Don’t forget about daylight savings time. Without a first look, you’ll likely take most of your wedding photos immediately after your ceremony. Be sure to connect with your New Pace team before finalizing your ceremony time to ensure you will have sufficient daylight after your ceremony to capture the photos you want.
Couples portraits are one of the most important parts of your day. These are the photos that you’ve likely spent the most time envisioning and they will be the ones you share for years to come. We recommend scheduling a minimum of 30-60 minutes for your portraits to ensure a variety of poses and backdrops are captured.
If you plan to stop at multiple locations for your portraits, additional time may be needed to account for travel.
Scheduling an engagement session is a great way to get to know your photographer, communicate your preferences and practice your posing before your wedding day.
Your wedding party is made up of some of your closest friends and relatives. You chose them to be there on your wedding day for a reason! Depending on the size of your wedding party, this can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes. On your timeline questionnaire, you’ll be able to list all of the must-have groupings you want captured on your wedding day!
The time required to capture wedding party portraits can vary based on the size of your wedding party. We recommend a minimum of 30 minutes. For wedding parties larger than 14 individuals, allot 45 minutes. This will allow time for a variety of group and individual photos to be taken without rushing.
Weddings are where everyone gets to come together and celebrate as two families become one. There are specific family portraits that each couple wants to make sure they capture on their big day. The average grouping takes 2-3 minutes to organize and capture. For large group photos, plan for about 5 minutes per photo.
When it comes to family photos, it’s all about creating a thorough shot list to ensure no key groupings are overlooked. You will receive our go-to family photo shot list for you to review. You can add and remove groupings to fit your family dynamics.
For pre-ceremony family portraits: make sure everyone arrives 15-20 minutes before the scheduled start time to allow for them to get situated and to avoid delays.
For post-ceremony family portraits: notify extended family to stay for photos after the ceremony. Ask your officiant to remind everyone immediately after the ceremony.
This part of your photography timeline is relative to how long your ceremony will take. Usually, ceremonies last anywhere between 30-60 minutes, depending on various factors. We will take a non-intrusive approach and make sure we highlight important parts of the ceremony such as the entrance/walk down the aisle, exchange of vows, and first kiss.
Before finalizing your ceremony time:
1. Confirm the length of your ceremony with your officiant.
2. Add 10-15 minutes of buffer time to the estimated ceremony length.
3. For church ceremonies, be sure you’ll have use of the church for 30-60 minutes after your ceremony for any formal photos you may want there.
4. Plan additional time for any special photos, such as a bubble exit, that you’d like to have immediately after the ceremony. Coordinating 100-200 people for a special exit typically takes an average of 15 minutes.
During cocktail hour, your New Pace team with focus on photographing your guests, reception space and document all those special details you spent months planning, such as florals, table settings, custom signs, and other decorations.
If you decided not to do a first look, this is when you will take the time to get those couples portraits, as well as photos with your wedding party and family members.
Don’t forget to leave time to bustle your dress before entering your reception. Practice bustling your dress to know how much time you’ll need.
Once the reception begins, it’s time to party! We photograph all of the significant moments such as the first dance, parent dances, wedding party toasts, and cake cutting. We also like to get some shots of your packed dance floor and everyone celebrating!
If you’d like photos with specific groups of guests that weren’t able to be captured earlier in the day, we’ll plan for those during the reception! It’s recommended that you limit any large group requests to 5 photos or less to ensure you have time to eat and ensure the flow of your reception formalities aren’t negatively affected.
Confirm that all of your reception formalities are scheduled to take place before your photo & video team will depart.
Additional coverage may be needed if you have special request photos such as:
– Night portraits
– Cigar shots
– Photo with each table of guests
– Flambe photo
– Sparkler or bubble exit
We encourage our couples to “sneak out” from their reception and take some creative nighttime portraits. We know that it’s hard to leave your guests for too long, so this will only take about 15 minutes. Depending on your venue, we will choose a unique spot for you and your partner to reflect on the day and grab some more portraits.
Multiple Locations
Sometimes couples will plan on getting ready at a different location and commuting to the venue space, or they may have their ceremony at a different location than the reception. If this is what you are planning on, make sure you account for travel time. Not only is it important to consider the travel time, it’s also important to prepare for possible traffic, or additional time gathering members of the wedding party into your transportation.
Cultural Weddings
We celebrate all religions and cultures! If there are certain elements to your wedding day that are traditional to your culture, please let us know so we can adapt your timeline. Additional time may be necessary if a certain aspect of your wedding takes a bit longer.
Daylight Savings Time
Don’t forget to keep daylight savings in mind when planning portraits. It can get dark as early as 4:30 pm during the fall and winter months so you may want to consider a first look so portraits can be done during the daylight hours.
Golden Hour
The last hour before sunset is considered the “golden hour.” Depending on the time of year, you may want to add a time to step away from the festivities and grab some shots during this magic time where the lighting is perfect outdoors.
With our boutique approach, you’ll enjoy the journey as much as the photos and videos.
So, let’s get started!
