Hi! I’m Hailey and I am one of the lead photographers at Southern Palms Studios!
I am taking over the blog today to share a few tips I find helpful to planning out a timeline for the perfect wedding day!
Most people find this is their first time crafting a wedding timeline and it’s often difficult to think through the day with all of the magical moments and many transitions it takes to make a wedding day run smoothly for one cohesive day to remember!
First and foremost, we want to photograph your day based on your priorities. While we can give you every option, sometimes that will be more time than we have together. You can always add time or we can skip some of the things that aren’t as important to you. Our biggest priority is that we think about all of these things together before the day of the wedding so the day can run smoothly and so that you are THRILLED with the photos when you get your gallery delivered.
One of the most important things to consider is how much time you want for posed portraits including bridal party, couples, family, and individual portraits. If these are the photos you want most of, consider a bride and groom first look before the ceremony.
To make this as succinct as possible we’ve listed some DOs and DON’Ts below:
Details & Getting Ready
- DO plan to have hair & makeup finished/almost finished before we arrive (can do final touches as part of “getting ready” photos)
- DO have all details set aside that you’d like photos of (dress on nice hanger, invitation, jewelry, rings, shoes, and perfume ready for a flat lay)
- DO NOT include these in your shot list, simply plan time for “details” in your timeline and we’ll be speaking the same language
- DO have your mom or maid of honor ready first to help you into your dress
- DO NOT include each dress zipping photo on your shot list, in our language that’s just “getting ready photos” listed in your timeline
- DO let us know if robe photos/champagne pop is a priority for you
- DO plan on the groom being completely dressed and ready before his “getting ready photos”
- DO plan on about 45 minutes-1 hour of “details” and “getting ready” photos if you would like all of the above!
Pre-Ceremony Posed Portraits
- DO plan on 10-15 minutes for each: each first look (dad, groom), bridesmaids, groomsmen, full bridal party. We’ll do the math for ya, that’s about 1-1.5 hours if we do all of these before the ceremony!
*If we are not doing a B&G first look, we’ll still want to take bridesmaid, groomsmen, and individual photos before the ceremony to have more time after the ceremony for couples’ portraits*
- DO plan to take some family photos before the ceremony if you want time to join cocktail hour or you have a lot of family portraits you’d like to take.
- DO plan to complete pre-ceremony photos 30 minutes - 1 hour before the ceremony.
- DO NOT plan on using the hour prior to the ceremony for photos because guests ALWAYS arrive early. We also need time to capture all your thoughtful details and get ready for your ceremony.
- DO NOT expect the bridal party to always be on time; remember, they are most excited to party!
Ceremony/Post Ceremony Portraits
- DO prioritize a maximum of 10-15 family portraits after the ceremony in your family photo shot list. Plan for 2-3 minutes per photo.
- DO list each photo by everyone’s first names to make it easy for us to call out.
- DO NOT expect everyone to follow directions, we often have to retrieve people from the bar for their family photo!
- DO make time for all of the photos not done pre-ceremony to be completed 10 minutes before reception start. We need time to set up and you’ll need time to bustle that beautiful dress!
Reception/Exit
- DO let us know if you’d like a photo with every table and give the DJ or band a heads up so they can help us orchestrate this (beginning of dinner is the best time!)
- DO let us know about all of the plans for the reception from introductions through to final song and exit. We want to be ready to capture it all!
- DO NOT start any formality if you don’t see us set up, usually we try to be 5 steps ahead of you, but it’s important to make sure we’re ready to capture the memories!
- DO think about if you’d like us to start earlier and end before the exit or if capturing the exit is a priority. Some people find it’s more bang for their buck to get many more portraits than lots of dancing photos. Others have many important reception details and a fun exit planned they’d like the professionals to handle. Of course, we can also look to add more time if shifting time doesn’t meet all of your needs!
We can’t wait for your special day!
We hope this list gave you a starting point for finalizing all the special details with your fiancé, family, venue coordinator and/or wedding planner!
If you have any questions, always feel free to reach out to us at hello@southernpalmsstudio.com!