Wondering what makes a good wedding timeline? There’s not much worse on a wedding day than running out of time or being rushed. I’m hoping that this will help you so that you have a stress free day!

     Plan backwards.

     The best way to decide on a timeline is to start at the time of your ceremony and work backwards. When you do this, make sure you figure in driving time. And it never hurts to plan more extra buffer time, just in case of traffic, someone running late or anything else unexpected.

     Plan enough time.

     No one likes to be rushed, especially on your wedding day. Having enough time will ensure that you aren’t stressed and that your photographer will have plenty of time to capture all of your photos with variety.

     So how much time do I need?

     That can vary a little bit. If you are doing most of your couple portraits in the afternoon, 20 or 30 minutes for bride and groom portraits should be fine in the morning. If you are doing a First Look however, I would plan at least 45 minutes.

     For bridal party portraits, planning 30 or 40 minutes should be good. That will be enough time to capture all the standard bridal party shots and also hopefully a few more creative ones. Most photographers will have a system that they go by to make sure you get all the normal bridal party shots, and if there is extra time, it’s always fun to do a few fun, creative ones. Making sure to give them the names of your friends in the bridal party will be a big help to the photographer.

     Who loves family formals at a wedding? If you do, that’s amazing! With a little planning, however, you won’t need to be taking these photos all morning. Giving your photographer the names of your families will help them to stay organized. Unless you have a really big family, 30 minutes is usually plenty for both families.

     Also, ask your photographer for help. I’m sure they would be delighted to help you plan your timeline and answer any questions. Some people work differently, so maybe they would have a different approach. And trust me, if you ask your photographer for their advice and give them enough time to get what they know you need, they will really appreciate it.