Light
Set ceremony and portrait windows with season, orientation, weather, and sunset in mind.
Timeline studio
Build backward from what cannot move.
Start with the ceremony or session. Then make room for light, travel, people, sound, and the small pauses that keep a celebration from feeling managed.
Planning, from behind the camerasSuggested starting point
Wedding day
8 hoursA complete wedding-day arc with a first look and reception coverage.
- 01
Coverage begins
Photo + filmDetails, room tone, location, and people gathering.
45 minutes - 02
Getting ready
Photo + filmFinal hair and makeup, dressing, letters, and interactions.
65 minutes - 03
First look
Photo + filmA private beat with room to feel it.
20 minutes - 04
Portraits
Photo + filmCouple, wedding party, and immediate family.
60 minutes - 05
Ceremony
Photo + filmProcessional through the just-married exit.
35 minutes - 06
Cocktail hour
Photo + filmCandids, room details, and remaining groups.
60 minutes - 07
Reception
EveryoneEntrances, dinner, toasts, dances, and open floor.
180 minutes
This is a thoughtful estimate, not a final production schedule. Exact timing changes with season, venue rules, travel, accessibility, guest count, traditions, and your vendor team.
The logic behind the schedule
Five things every timeline needs.
Movement
Include parking, elevators, walking, traffic, trails, transfers, and the time it takes real people to gather.
Sound
Give film time to place microphones, capture room tone, and protect vows, letters, music, and toasts.
People
Family groups take longer when names, mobility, dynamics, or gathering plans are unclear.
Breath
A ten-minute buffer can change the feeling of the whole day. Protect it around glam, travel, and ceremony arrival.