Your wedding day timeline holds utmost importance in planning and optimizing your big day. Having a clear schedule on hand saves you from the stress of the last-minute rush and enables you to enjoy everything calmly. I am a big fan of organizing and I feel so happy when I see brides scheduling the course of events for their special day.

Your wedding might be just a one-day event but your photographs live on forever. It’s one way to preserve the memories for years to come. One of the best ways to making sure that your day is capture  I always suggest couples communicate their style, theme, and expectations clearly with me as their photographer. This allows both of us to be in sync and comfortable with each other on the day of. As a Virginia wedding photographer, I usually create the wedding day timeline with my clients based upon the number of their events, locations, and how many hours I need to spend with them to cover their day. 
Here are my tried and tested tips for the best wedding day photography timeline:

Plan Ahead

Constructing a proper schedule of events gives you and your guests a solid nuptial plan. This lifts off any stress from your shoulders and enables you to enjoy your big day wholeheartedly. Also planning ahead and organizing time for events makes it easier to capture all the exceptional occasions.

The general list of events is as follows; getting ready, individual photo sessions, First Look, couple portraits, cocktail hour, a photo session with guests, first dance, glimpses of wedding party, cake cutting ceremony followed by bouquet or garter toss, and the overall reception.

Have Your Photographer to Come Early

The general rule of thumb is to plan your photographer to arrive approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours before your wedding ceremony. This gives you ample time to capture all the intricate details (floral decor, attire details, boutonnieres, vow book, and stationery, etc) and getting ready portraits. 60 to 120 minutes is more than enough time capturing getting ready moments and it gives a great cushion to making sure you get all of your photos for the day.

For couples deciding on a First Look should have your photographer arrive 3 hours before the ceremony. This is also a good time to capture your family and bridal party portraits too!

I recommend allocating 30 minutes for family portraits, 30 minutes to capture impressive glimpses of the bridal party, and 30 minutes for bride and groom portraits. This can be accomplished either before your ceremony or during cocktail hour.
Having a detailed wedding day timeline helps you stay organized and stress-free throughout your big day. I highly recommend it! I hope the above shows to be helpful! If you need my help please feel free to contact me and let’s talk!