By the time you get married you will have no doubt been planning your wedding day for a while, pondering over what will happen and when. Every wedding is different and so every day will follow a slightly different timeline. I get asked a lot though about timings on the day, so I thought I would show you an example of how your time could be spent.
It is important to stress though that it is YOUR day and you should, where possible, do things as and when you would like them to happen. Your venue will also give you some timings, most of your day will be planned around the time of your ceremony and the time of your meal - everything else is flexible!
This timeline is based on an getting ready in one location and then travelling a short distance to the venue, having your ceremony at 1pm and then the rest of the day spent in the same location, but can of course be adjusted accordingly! It is also based on an all day wedding photography package:
11.00am I will arrive at the bride’s getting ready venue to capture the finishing touches as well as all the important details
11.30am Bridesmaids put on their dresses so they are ready to help the bride
11.45am Time for the bride to put on that all important dress
12.00pm Bridal portraits and some quick group shots before leaving
12.15pm I will leave to make sure I am at the venue in plenty of time to catch the bride's arrival
12.30pm Bride and Bridal party leave for ceremony
1.00pm Ceremony
1.30pm Drinks reception and mingling
1.45pm Group shots (please feel free to provide me with a list)
2.15pm Mingling with guests
2.30pm Couple Portraits - part 1*
2.45pm Guests seated
3.00pm Grand Entrance as Newlyweds (You will usually be announced into the room by the wedding planner, best man or mater of ceremonies)
In the UK, it is traditional to eat before the speeches. However, many couples like to change the order of things so that the speech givers are able to enjoy their food. A nice compromise is to have them in between mains and desert to allow everyone else a chance for their food to go down.
5.00pm Speeches (There are usually 3 - Father of the Bride, Groom, Best Man)
5.45pm Mingling with guests
6.00pm Couple Portraits - part 2*
6.15pm Couple to spend time alone/with guests
7.00pm Evening guests arrive
7.25pm Cut the cake
7.30pm First Dance
8.00pm Laura to leave after capturing some all important dancing fun
* You will notice that I tend to do the couple portrait sessions in two parts. This is for a few reasons:
- You won't want to be away from your guests for very long, so I try and keep the sessions short and sweet
- Different timings allow for different types of light in your photos (in winter it will almost certainly be dark after your speeches)
- Many couples are more relaxed after their meal (and a glass or two of fizz!) which results in more natural images