Wedding Day Timelines - Planned vs. Real Life
Here is the TRUTH: Wedding days almost never go exactly according to the plan and timeline that is created. And that’s completely normal.
Have you ever wondered if your wedding is the only one that didn’t go according to plan? Or maybe you are still in the planning phase and wondering if wedding days really stick to the timeline or not. Here is my hot take:
As a wedding photographer, one of the things I always help my couples (and work with the planner on if there is one) with is building a solid timeline before the big day. Having a plan in place helps everyone feel more organized, calm and confident going into the wedding day. So YES, timelines are important to have. And YES, they 99% of the time veer off, some slightly by just 15 minutes or so, some by hours.
I wanted to share a visual side-by-side look at a timeline from a wedding day I photographed a few months ago with the timeline we created with the planner, versus what actually happened based on the real timestamps from the photos I took throughout the day. My hope is by sharing this is doesn’t stress future brides out more, but simply help you feel a little peace in showing you just how normal it is for things to shift a little (or a lot) and how beautifully everything still comes together!
The Original Timeline
Here is what we planned ahead of the wedding day. This version helps make sure we allot time for all the important things this bride wanted to do. First look with her bridesmaids, first look with dad, first look with groom, bride + groom portrait time, figuring out WHEN PUPPIES ARE ARRIVING! There were SO many moving parts to this wedding day!
What Actually Happened
Now here’s the real timeline, based on when the photos were taken. You will see a few things ran behind or got shuffled around, and yet the day still flowed, and the couple had the best time.
12:00: I arrive
1:17 + 1:23: These bridal details were photographed
1:23 + 2:08: The girls are still getting ready; the bride still doesn’t have her hair or makeup done. At this point she should be getting in her dress based on our timeline. Also at this point I start realizing we are getting pretty behind with the bride not even being next in line for hair + makeup. My next goal is to work with hair + makeup to see if we can rearrange some people to have her be next to try and stay on time.
2:58 + 3:02: The groomsmen arrive at the venue. We did some getting ready shots, and groomsmen bridal party photos. I’m SO happy I did these bridal party photos with the guys when I did here because you will see we were so crunched for time later. At this point the bride is still not in her dress. According to the timeline we should be doing family formals at this time!
3:12: The bride is finally getting her hair + makeup done!
3:54: Bride is getting in her dress. At this point Kat is standing outside telling people not to come inside yet, because the ceremony was supposed to start at 4 - and this spot right in front of the front door had the cleanest natural light for her to get in her dress.
4:07: Brides first look with her dad. The ceremony was supposed to start at 4. At this point we are about 2 hours behind. One thing I LOVE about Marisa (this bride) is she is so adamant about what she wants, and she doesn’t care who has to wait, or how long it takes. She still wanted all of the events we had planned to do before the ceremony to happen, so that’s exactly what we did. I AM SO HAPPY we made time to do this. It was the sweetest father/daughter first look I have probably ever witnessed.
4:13: The bride wanted to do a first look with her bridesmaids. Another tear-jerker :)
4:20: Bride + Groom first look!
4:33: SUPER quick portrait session right after the first look, and using our transition walking to do family formals to snag some extra portriats!
4:37: Family Formal Photos. At this point according to the original timeline, the ceremony should be over, and they should be at cocktail hour!
5:36: Ceremony! Now, is it always normal to have your ceremony and hour and a half late? No, not always. But it does/could happen- and this is proof that even if that happens, everything still comes together perfectly!
5:44: Full bridal party + bridesmaids photos….with PUPPIES instead of bouquets!
6:00: Extra Bride + Groom portraits so they have enough in their gallery!
7:05: The reception starts! The planner extended cocktail hour for about an hour so that the bride and groom could mix and mingle with their friends before the reception.
7:11: First dances. Bride + Groom - Mother + Son - Father + Daughter. I will forever be obsessed with this image below that my second shooter Kat captured!
While I was on the other side capturing these! :)
Right after these dances dinner was served!
8:07: Toasts!
8:29- around 10:30: Party Dancing!
9:45: We can never leave without getting our picture with the Bride + Groom!!
11:03: Private Last Dance - while everyone else is outside getting ready for the glow stick exit!
11:06: Glow Stick Exit
WHY DOES THIS STILL WORK? Whether your day ends up being 20 minutes behind, or almost 3 hours behind, wedding days are full of so many moving parts like arriving late, venue doing tours while your supposed to be getting ready (YES, this has actually happened), last-minute dress fixes, or just the natural pace of a day filled with emotion and excitement. What matters most isn’t sticking to the minute, it’s staying present and having a team that knows how to adjust and keep things stress-free.
If you’re planning a wedding. Give yourself grace. Timelines are TOOLS, not rules, and your day will still be full of joy, love and beautiful moments like above, even if things shift some.
Thanks for reading,
XOXO, Sam