
I thought it might be helpful to share my ideal timeline with photography being highlighted. This timeline is for you if you are a bride who wants a focus on photography, so you can relive your wedding day for years and years to come.
This sample timeline (a roadmap for what’s happening when on a wedding day) is super photography friendly. It also helps when things go a bit off on the wedding day as it allows for someone arriving late or a wedding vendor who doesn’t finish on time.
What’s my process and Bridal Experience?
My process for working with my brides is that about 2-3 months out, I send a questionnaire to them asking for details of the day. These are questions that help me to create their timeline. Just think; what time is the ceremony, what time do you need to be at the reception venue, who your wedding vendors are their info, as well as how you two met, got engaged, etc.
All of these little details help me to learn more about you two and know what’s special or unique mometns that will happen on your wedding day to ensure I capture those images. Special moments can be giving flowers to your moms during the ceremony or including your grandma and mom in a special mom dad with the bride.
1 week Turnaround of Blog Post
The questionnaire also helps me to write your blog post within 1 week after the wedding.
THAT’S RIGHT!!!
I post a blog with 35+ images about a week after my bride and groom’s wedding. My couples always find that to be so exciting. Having professional images a week after the wedding to share on social media and with family members is just one of the things they love about my JVP bridal experience.
In addition, each wedding is followed the next day or so with 3 sneak peeks of the wedding so the couple have professional images to share with friends and family!
OK, here’s the timeline sample:

How much time is ideal for all parts of the day:
- Bride Getting Ready – 1.5Hrs (This allows me to capture details, you getting ready, bathrobe images, and bridal portraits as wells as the bridal party and mom and daughter images) TIP: Have floral arrive during getting ready so I can use them in detail shots and portraits.
- Groom Getting Ready – 30 mins (Reminder to all travel time if he is getting ready somewhere else – time to drive, park and get into where he is getting ready.) This can happen during bridal getting ready if two photographers).
- First Look Images – 30 mins (Don’t forget to allow travel time to and from if you aren’t doing first look at the same place you are getting ready.) *If no first look, then all this time will be after the ceremony*
- Family Portraits – 20 mins (allow 3 minutes per groupings. If you finish all immediate family then after the ceremony, we only need to get extended family and bride and groom portraits at the altar and you are off to the reception to enjoy cocktail hour with family).
- Bridal Party Portraits – 20 mins (Include ring bearer and flower girl, if you want).
- Ceremony untouched – 15 mins (I love to capture the ceremony area untouched with no people. It’s helpful to include this in the timeline to ensure that it’s decorated when I go to photograph. I typically do this after first look).
- Reception untouched – 15 mins (I love to capture the reception without people also so I can get cake and decor details without people and clutter. Usually only possible if reception in the same place as the ceremony or if I have a second shooter that can capture it while I’m photographing portraits after ceremony).
- Toasts – 20 mins(if 3-4 people speak, if more, then it’s typically longer. Additionally, including this at the end of dinner ensures everyone is sitting down and listening and provides more time for other things).
- Cake – typically 20 Mins
- First Dance, Father/daughter, Son/mom – 15 mins
- Bouquet toss and garter toss – 20 mins (typically bouquet first, then bride sits on a chair while grove removes the garter and then tosses garter. It takes a bit to get single women and men on the dance floor and DJ to cue music. Then I photograph whoever catches bouquet and garter with bride and groom)
It’s YOUR wedding:
REMEMBER: No matter what photographer you hire, it’s really important that you have the wedding that you want. If that means you do things in a different order or leave things off (some brides don’t do bouquet toss as example), then YOU DO YOU!! I would encourage you to work with your photographer in making those decisions so that they ensure you get all the wonderful images you want!
Are you looking for a Photographer for your Wedding?
Located in San Jose, California but love to travel and capture love!! Click HERE to email us.
