When it comes to your wedding day, a great timeline can help make things run smoothly! As a Kansas City photographer and over 15 years of experience, I’ve learned a lot about timelines and what makes for a great wedding day! Here are my insights on how to create an ideal wedding day timeline!

Before you get started, there are a few things to consider. One thing to consider is the time of year in which you’ll be getting married due to the time the sunsets. Your photographer will most likely want to take your photos outdoor when there is beautiful light. If you’re getting married in the summer, you have plenty of daylight for your wedding day and may start your wedding later in the day. If you get married in the winter, the sunsets earlier so you’d most likely want to start your wedding day earlier in order to be able to get some natural light.

Another thing to consider is whether you choose to do a first look or not. From past experiences, I’ve seen that doing a first look puts everyone at ease and makes the wedding day run a lot more smoothly. The perks of doing a first-look is that you get to see your baby-boo first and get all of those emotions and jitters out. You’ll get to relax with your future spouse before all the wedding chaos takes place, and you’ll be able to take your portraits while your hair/makeup/dress is all fresh and clean! Below is a sample timeline of a wedding day with a first look included!

Wedding Day Timeline

Wedding Day Timeline Sample With a First Look

+ (1 – 2 Hours) Detail Shots of the Dress / Suit / Rings / Accessories and Getting Ready Portraits of Bride and Groom

+ (.5 Hours) Bride + Groom First Look

+ (1 – 2 Hours) Bride & Groom Portraits

+ (1 Hour) Bridal Party Portraits

+ (.5-1 Hour) Immediate Family Portraits

+ (.5-1 Hour) Ceremony

+ (.5 Hours) Detail of Decorations at Reception

+ (.5 Hours) Guests & Cocktail Hour / Sunset Photos

+ (1 Hour) Bride + Groom Grand Entrance / Cake Cutting / First Dances

+ (1 Hour) Dinner Served / Speeches

+ (1-3 Hours) Dancing / Portraits of Guests / Exit / Etc.

Ultimately, we’ll be able to make either timeline works out. What matters the most is that you’re happy on your wedding day!