Tips: Adding photography into your wedding timeline.
 Tips: Adding photography into your wedding timeline.
I highly suggest hiring a wedding planner and having them write your timeline, whether it’s a full wedding planner or just a day of planner. They seriously are a gift from the wedding god’s and make everyone’s lives much easier. If you need any recommendations I have worked with amazing coordinators and would be happy to refer them.
If you don’t have one, here is some food for thought:
Formality: Who, What, When and Where
The couple, important people (such as a day of contact other then a professional coordinator) and every single vendor and their contact information needs to be listed at the top of  the timeline.
Every vendor needs to be specified by name or company next to the time they are scheduled to arrive (and leave) at a certain destination with the destination address (not just the venue name, the address as well) . Every single time there is a change in location during the day. (We need to know where we are going and when to be there)
Sometimes a venue, D.J or caterer will write your timeline for you, they only start the timeline when you are set to get to the venue and all of the above information is not include. It will be a very vague timeline. If other vendors are scheduled to start earlier in the day, this does not help us. If this is the case, before you send out your timeline please update it with all the above information of who, what, when and where.
Please think about the vendors that will not be with you. If there is a lighting crew that needs to be on site in the morning and you wont even interact with them, please still include them on the timeline.
If you have things happening the day before your wedding, such as cleaning crews, decorators and more, this is also part of your timeline and should be written on the page ahead of your wedding day timeline with all the above information.
It is also courteous to deliver timelines to your vendors 3-4 weeks before your wedding, so if there is any concerns they have appropriate time to contact you and have things adjusted.
Timelines are meant to help vendors just as much as the couple, family and friends. Â A well written out timeline will avoid confusion and miss communication and help with making a wedding go as smoothly as possible.
Below are some tips of allotted time I need regrading photography and certain parts of the day for the timeline.
*all times are the suggested minimum amount of time needed. All weddings are different based on how many hours you will have your photographer for. Some weddings will only have us for 6 hours while others will have us for 10 and up giving us much more allotted time in each category.
Preps
We need at least 60-90 minutes for prep photos. During this time we get shots of you getting your hair and makeup done, all the details that go with your attire and you getting dressed. Schedule us to be there an hour in a half if possible. Have us arrive when you are almost done with hair and makeup. I use the first 30 minute to stylize details.
 First Look
10-15 minutes. Even if you have a first look, Sunset shots are a must! remember to add another 15 minutes in your timeline in the late afternoon 1-2 hours before sunset so we can get some shots with beautiful light in them! See more about first looks HERE!
Family FormalsÂ
20Â minutes . We really like to get through the family formals as fast as possible. To ensure that you get the maximum time to enjoy your wedding day, we suggest talking to your relatives before hand to be prepared to start formals within ten minutes after the ceremony or when they arrive for formals. We encourage our couples to keep the formals to immediate family members. If you would like to have formals done with aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, other extend family and friends we can gladly accommodate those during the reception.
Please make a list of the groups you would like to have in each shot for formals. And have a designated person available besides yourself to gather the groups for the shots.
For a traditional formal list with immediate family only, it would look like this:
- Bride with her mom and dad.
- Bride with her mom.
- Bride with her dad.
- Bride with her parents and siblings
- Bride with her siblings
- Bride and groom with her mom and dad.
- Bride and groom with her parents, siblings and grandparents.
- Bride and groom with each set of her grandparents.
- Groom with his mom and dad.
- Groom with his mom.
- Groom with his dad.
- Groom with his parents and siblings
- Groom with his siblings
- Groom and bride with his mom and dad.
- Groom and bride with his parent, siblings and grandparents.
- Groom and bride with each set of his grandparents.
We understand that not all families are traditional and need different set ups to accommodate family relationships. Please add in all set ups that are required
Bridal Party Photos
Allotting at least 15 minutes for full bridal party is ideal. If I am with you during preps, after you are done getting dressed I like to get the photos of the bride and the bridesmaids and Adam will get the groom and the groomsmen (we need 15 minutes for this ). So that way once the whole bridal party is together all I have to do is get photos of the whole bridal party and the two of you with the whole bridal party  (another 15 minutes). Because the separate groups are already done we are able to finish faster. Your bridal party will be very thankful to you =). They aren’t called the party for nothing!!
Ceremony and Reception Details-Â It’s important that I am able to get into the ceremony site reception hall at some point during the day after it is set up and before guests enter into the area for the best outcome of detail shots.
10 minutes ceremony decor
15-20Â minutes reception decor
Couples session
15-20 minutes. 1-2 hours before sunset. It is important to have some time without anyone else there while we take portraits of the two of you.  You will be more relaxed and able to just concentrate on each other for some fabulously romantic pictures. Most of our couples tell us how much of a relief it is to get away from everything for that time and just spend it with each other (and us) while having a few calm moments from a day that is filled with anxiousness and emotion. It really gives you a break from everything.
Travel Time
If your wedding events are happening in different locations, it is important to schedule travel time in your timeline.  Please remember that traffic happens, especially in urban areas! So add in wiggle room.
Adding in location addresses with the time of where the photographer or any other vendor needs to be for every location is very necessary. We need to know where to go and when to be there.
Here’s a sample wedding day Timeline (without all the other formalities)– This is merely a suggestion for times and if you’d like to move things around to fit your day, please feel free to do so!
2:00pm Photographer arrival // Photographer photographs details like dress, shoes, jewelry, invitation,
2:30pm Bridesmaids get dressed // Photographer photographs last-minute hair and makeup touchups
2:45pm Bride gets dressed
2:55pm Groom departs for First Look
3:00pm Bride departs for First Look
3:10pm First Look
3:30pm Bridal party photos
3:50pm Immediate family photos
4:20pm Bride gets tucked away from early arriving guests and touchups before Ceremony
4:30pm Photographers photograph Ceremony decor
4:55pm Bridal party lines up for Ceremony
5:00pm Ceremony
5:30pm End of Ceremony // Guests head to cocktail hour
5:40pm Extended family photos
5:55pm Sunset photos of bride and groom
6:10pm Photos commence
6:15pm Photographers photograph Reception decor and cocktail hour
6:30pm Guests invited to enter Reception and find their seats
6:40pm Grand Entrance
6:50pm First Dance
7:00pm Welcome Toast/Prayer
7:10pm Dinner
7:45pm Toasts
8:00pm Father // Daughter & Mother // Son dances
8:10pm Open dancing
9:15pm Cake cutting
9:20pm Bouquet/garter toss
9:30pm Open dancing
10:00pm Photographers leave
AND there’s more!! What a professional contact sheet should look like:Â
Wedding name and date
Contact sheet-
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Bride
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
Groom
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
Ceremony/Reception– Location/addresses- (any notes)
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Ceremony Music:
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Â
Officiant:
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Â
Caterer
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Â
Entertainment/Band-DJ
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Photographer
Contact: Nicole
Name: Nicole Blumberg Photography
Email: blumberg.nicole@gmail.com
Phone Number: 510-499-0638
Website: www.blog.nicoleblumberg.com
Notes: Photography and Photo-booth
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Florist:
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
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Wedding cake/desserts
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Â
Other: Groom cake
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Â
Transportation- shuttling/limoÂ
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Â
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Â
Other: Rentals
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Â
Other: Videographer
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Â
Other: Rehearsal Dinner & Rehearsal location
Contact:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Notes:
Â
Maid of Honor- X
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
Â
Best Man- X
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
Â
Bridesmaids/Groomsman
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
Â
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
Â
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
Â
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
Â
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
Â
Name: Christian Daciuk- VM
Email: christian@loupedigital.com
Phone number: 516 220 9939
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com
FLOWER GIRLS:-VM
Name: (first ,last)
Phone number (cell): xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: youremail@gmail.com