Creating the Ideal Wedding Day Timeline

You have been planning and dreaming about your wedding day for some time now, but how will it all come together? Will you really get those effortlessly beautiful portraits you’ve seen while scrolling on social media? Will you really get to feel relaxed instead of stressed on your wedding day?

Actually, the answers to those questions are somewhat in your control. Your wedding day timeline (I’m speaking specifically for photography, here) can make or break the stress level and the amount of portraits you get.

Here are FIVE ways to guarantee great photos and less stress on the wedding day:

01. Do a First Look

By now, you have probably heard of the new tradition sweeping across modern day weddings: the First Look. A sweet, private moment shared between the bride and groom before the ceremony that enables portraits to be completed ahead of time.

Doing a first look is essential to creating an easy wedding day timeline. While it’s possible to still achieve great portraits without it, couples with a first look are noticeably calmer, more at peace and having more fun throughout the day!

If you’re on the fence, here are a couple additional of blog posts to help:

First Look: For the Groom

Best of First Looks

02. End Your Photography Coverage with a Signature Portrait

There is a reason this is becoming a widely popular choice among MH Couples! The Signature Portrait ending is not only epic, but it SAVES the wedding day timeline like nothing else!

A Signature Portrait is a unique Bride & Groom portrait that gives an end/close to the photography coverage. Depending on the time of year, it could be at night using flash or at sunset.

Read more about Signature Portraits here.

03. Book a Planner

While I love being organized with the photography portion of a wedding day, much of the timeline depends on you having an excellent planner or coordinator running the operations of the wedding day. Even if you’re super organized (honestly, ESPECIALLY if you’re super organized), you will need someone to take over on the wedding day to avoid stress.

My recommendation is at least a month of planner or beyond.

Side note: I share my top recommended local planners with anyone who inquires! Inquire here and receive your FREE Athens Wedding Vendor Guide!

04. All in One Location

Another major time-sucker is traveling from location to location on the wedding day! Best case scenario, you get ready, do portraits, have your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception all in one location. This is a HUGE win when it comes to keeping the timeline stress-free.

05. Remember the Weather

If you’re in Georgia like me, you know the weather is totally unpredictable. A major tip in planning for worst case scenario is choosing a venue that has at least one good sized room with white walls and lots of windows (or a large white porch!)

In this scenario, whether it’s raining, snowing or 100 degrees, you can find a location for photos without stressing over the weather!

White or clear tents can also be useful in a worst case scenario.

Want more like this?

Behind the Scenes on a Wedding Day

Sunset Portraits: Everything You Need to Know