Wedding Day Scheduling Guide

If you are planning on tackling the wedding day schedule yourself here are a few thing to keep in mind.

• I generally suggest starting my time one hour before the bride gets into her wedding dress, allowing time for me to get a shot of the dress, misc details & the relationships around you (although this is not a rule, as every wedding is unique).

• Keep the day relaxed by adding 10-15 minutes of buffer time on either side of the photoshoot or traveling between locations. Plan for travel time to take a little longer especially if there is a sporting event or rush hour and time to find parking. Traveling with a large group also takes extra time.

• I generally 2 hours for wedding party and couple photos.

• Try to set aside even just 15-30 minutes for a sunset session. I can almost guarantee these will be some of your favourite images from the day.

• If you’ve hired a video company, they may want some additional time on top of the photoshoot time. Please make sure you ask them if they need designated time.

Over the years I’ve seen many variations to schedules like these. Instead of a first look you could both meet blinded folded, or both backs against a door so you don’t see each other. I’ve photographed a few weddings with brunch ceremony, afternoon reception, then photos in the evening at a unique location. You could put the couples pictures after the ceremony, where your guests would only wait about an hour for you to return. At the end of the day, remember that this is your day. Plan it for what feels right for you.