We addressed planning for the perfect lighting conditions for your wedding in this post:
It seems that the next logical step would be to provide an example timeline based on the information we provided to make it easy to see our advice in action.
The timeline is based on an 8-hour booking. It is also based on the sun setting at approximately 6 pm in the evening. Different times of the year and sunsets would influence the way the timeline is structured.
We chose 8 hours as it is an average-sized booking and it is easy to pull things from this or add things to it.
Here it is:
Preparation: 12-1:30 pm (includes detail shots & individual portraits)
1 hour 30 minutes
First Look: 1:30-2:30 pm (tip: take your time to appreciate each other - and the lull before the buzz that will be the rest of the day - and allow that preparation might be running behind; enjoy a quick champagne together to help calm nerves)
1 hour
Ceremony: 2:30-4 pm (includes congratulations; we find that this part of the day can tend to be forgotten about but typically ends up going for longer than planned for and is ideal for capturing natural emotions from family and friend interactions)
1 hour 30 minutes
Group Portraits: 4-4:45 pm
45 minutes
Couple Portraits: 4:45-6 pm
1 hour 15 minutes (allowing for travel to at least one location); try to plan around Golden Hour
Reception: 6-8 pm (including detail shots/speeches/cake cutting/dance)
2 hours