The Ultimate Guide: Creating a Perfect Wedding Day Timeline
Creating a Perfect Wedding Day Timeline
Every wedding, no matter how small, can benefit from a thoughtfully crafted timeline. The perfect wedding day timeline combines your priorities and expectations with logistics provided by your vendors, and a bit of buffer time, to create a stress-free experience that allows you to truly enjoy every moment with your partner.

Creating a timeline for a stress-free wedding day
Planning the perfect wedding day timeline is the key to creating a stress-free, memorable celebration. Whether you’re hosting a casual outdoor event, a formal indoor wedding, or everything in between – having a clear plan ensures every moment is as magical as you’ve imagined. As professional wedding photographers based in Seattle, Washington, we’ve seen how a thoughtful timeline not only keeps the day on track but also makes space for heartfelt, unscripted moments that our couples love.
Timelines for indoor and outdoor weddings
When building your timeline, consider the unique details of your day: the number of guests, logistics of your venue, travel time between locations, and the lighting conditions for your photos. Your vendors will be great resources to help you plan the appropriate amount of time for each part of your timeline. Couples should ask their hair and make-up artist how much time to allot for each service, day-of coordinator how long your ceremony will be, and caterer how long they will need to feed your guests, for example.

How much buffer time should I add to my wedding day timeline?
No matter the setting, we always recommend including buffer time to account for the unexpected. Hair and makeup delays? Last-minute wardrobe adjustments? These things happen! Adding 10-15 extra minutes during transition times can help you feel on-track, even if something goes awry.
What should a wedding day timeline include?
Every wedding day timeline will look different, but there are a few common similarities.
- Getting ready
- Ceremony
- Cocktail hour
- Couples portraits
- Wedding party and/or family portraits
- Dinner
- Dancing (or other activity)


Should I have a first look on my wedding day?
Another key consideration is deciding whether or not to do a first look. This intimate moment can give you extra time together before the ceremony and help ease pre-wedding nerves. It also opens up your timeline, allowing us to capture more portraits earlier in the day, focusing on candids during the event while you celebrate with family and friends. However, if you’d rather wait for that dramatic “walking down the aisle” reveal, we’ll design a timeline that ensures you still have plenty of time for portraits after the ceremony.
How much time should I save for photos on my wedding day?
As Seattle wedding photographers with a documentary photography style, we plan for just enough posed portrait time to capture the formal images our couples expect, leaving plenty of unstructured time for experiencing candid moments with loved ones. A few private moments together on your wedding day is important, and slipping away at Golden Hour – the time just before sunset – is the perfect time to soak in some moments together and get some creative photos with beautiful light.

Questions to ask before creating a wedding day timeline:
- How many hours do I have my venue, planner, and/or photographer for?
- When do we need to start getting ready?
- Am I having a first look with my partner?
- What time is sunset on my wedding day?
- Will I need to travel between locations?
- How many people will be at the wedding party and family photos?
- What time is dinner, and how long will it take to feed my guests?
- How long do I need to plan for my ceremony?

How do I create the perfect wedding day timeline?
Your wedding day timeline should reflect what matters most to you. From savoring your first married moments to capturing epic portraits in the heart of nature, we’re here to help you create a timeline that focuses on your priorities and expectations. While we always work personally with each couple to create their perfect wedding day timeline, below are a couple general examples to help you get started.
Sample wedding day timelines
Timeline with a First Look:
9:00 AM Hair and makeup begins
12:30 PM Photographer arrives for getting-ready photos
1:00 PM Final dressing begins
1:45 PM Couple first look and portraits
2:30 PM Wedding party and family portraits
3:30 PM Photos wrap – guests begin arriving
4:00 PM Ceremony
4:30 PM Cocktail hour (candids and mingling!)
5:30 PM Reception begins (dinner, toasts, and dancing)
7:30 PM Golden hour couples photos – for 8pm sunset
9:30 PM Last song or exit
Timeline without a First Look:
10:00 AM Hair and makeup begins
1:30 PM Photographer arrives for getting-ready photos
2:00 PM Final dressing begins
2:30 PM Wedding party portraits (each partner separately)
3:00 PM Photos wrap – guests begin arriving
3:30 PM Ceremony
4:00 PM Cocktail hour begins – Full wedding party and family portraits
4:45 PM Couples portraits
5:30 PM Reception beings (dinner, toasts, and dancing)
7:30 PM Golden hour couples photos – for 8pm sunset
9:30 PM Last song or exit
Ready to start planning? Let’s connect and design a wedding day that flows effortlessly from beginning to end!
