A.Every wedding is unique! Some couples may ditch the "traditional events" of a wedding day and plan an adventure elopement! Others may plan ceremonies and receptions in different locations that require transportation.

The rule of thumb on your wedding day is that EVERYTHING will take longer than it would on a normal day.

Give your timeline plenty of "room to breathe" so you can relax and enjoy! Once you've handed off your timeline to your wedding party / planner / photographer / vendors...just GO WITH IT! Don't try to micromanage time because no matter what, everything will fall into place one way or another!

Here are some key times you may want to know before you can create your wedding timeline:

- Your preparation start time / location(s)
- Are you having a first look?
- Ceremony start time
- Cocktail hour
- Bride & Groom's arrival at the Reception
- First dances
- Dinner
- Speeches
- Cake cutting
- Sunset
- Send off

A.Who do you want to get traditional, posed photos with on your big day (aside from the wedding party)? Create this list for your photographer (me!) so that we can work it into your Timeline. Remember that more individuals = more time necessary for group photos!

Traditionally, group photos (A.K.A. "family photos") are taken right after the ceremony during cocktail hour.

Keep in mind that each grouping of individuals takes 2-3 minutes to complete.

Example of a group family photo list that would take approximately 30-40 minutes to complete:
- Bride and her mother
- Bride and her father
- Bride and both of her parents
- Bride and her maternal grandparents
- Bride and her sister
- Bride and her brother
- Bride, Groom and both siblings
- Bride, Groom and her parents
- Groom and his mother
- Groom and his father
- Groom and both of his parents
- Groom and his maternal grandparents
- Groom and his brother
- Groom, Bride and his parents
- Groom, Bride and his siblings
- Bride, Groom and both of their families together

A."First looks" are becoming more and more popular for a few very good reasons!

- You get a unique opportunity to see one another alone together in the final moments before you say "I do"! The first time you see one another on your wedding day will be emotional and memorable. Bask in the love you share!

- You'll get a head start on your portraits. My favorite photos are the ones that capture your emotions and a special moment like a "first look" will be the perfect opportunity to photograph you "in the feels"!

- You can knock out wedding party photos before the Reception! A.K.A after the Ceremony, you'll have time to focus on quality time with the close family and friends listed in your Group Photos. Trust me, you'll likely feel the most rushed during the Cocktail Hour when everyone wants to congratulate you, take photos with you and still snag some moments alone with your honey for couples portraits. Plus, if you have a dress to bustle- now is the time!

A.This example utilizes my "Intimate Wedding Day Package" with 6 hours of coverage. Perfect for small weddings where everyone is in the same location for their prep, ceremony and reception! I have included a First Look in this example.

(12pm) - Photographer arrives for preparation photos (hair, makeup, bubbly, etc!)
(12:30pm) - HARD STOP! Time for the Bride to put on her dress!
(12:55pm) - First Look / Couples portraits
(1:15pm) - Wedding party photos and celebrating
(2pm) - Ceremony (awww!)
(2:30pm) - Cocktail hour beings / Group Photos
(3:15pm) - Couples portraits, bustle the dress, etc!
(3:30pm) - Reception begins
(3:45pm) - First dances
(4pm) - Dinner is served
(4:30pm) - Speeches
(4:50pm) - Cake cutting
(5pm) - Dancing and "Photo Rush" Game
(6pm) - Golden hour couples portraits

A.This example utilizes my "Full Wedding Day Package" with 8+ hours of coverage. Perfect for larger weddings and/or those that occur in multiple locations. I have NOT included a first look in this example.

(11:30am) - Photographer arrives for preparation photos (hair, makeup, bubbly, etc!)
(12:30pm) - Groomsmen photos
(1pm) - HARD STOP! Time for the Bride to put on her dress!
(1:15pm) - Bridesmaids photos
(2pm) - Ceremony (awww!)
(2:30pm) - Cocktail hour begins / Wedding party photos / Group photos
(3:30pm) - Couples portraits, bustle the dress, etc
TIP: If you don't do a first look, consider making Cocktail Hour 90 minutes instead of 60 so that you have plenty of time for celebrating and taking photos!
(4pm) - Reception begins
(4:15pm) - First dances
(4:30pm) - Dinner is served
(5pm) - Speeches
(5:20pm) - Cake cutting
(5:45pm) - Dancing and "Photo Rush" Game
(7pm) - Golden hour couples portraits

A.A good rule of thumb is to remember how LONG your days are during the season you're getting married. In Michigan, summer days are LONG! If possible, avoid the midday heat (and overhead sunlight) by opting for an evening ceremony followed by the reception. Typically, during traditional American weddings, guests will expect to leave the reception after nightfall, depending on how long they want to dance for and how far away their accommodations are. That means you won't need to serve dinner until 6pm or 7pm during the long summer days. There's no rush to start the ceremony early in the day unless your venue or timeline is designed around ending earlier in the evening.

During the winter, you can easily get away with an early ceremony and still have your reception last until dark.

Not opting for a "traditional" American wedding? Do what makes you happy! Maybe you're more interested in an afternoon high tea than dinner and dancing. Or, maybe you're having a small elopement with your closest people so you'd prefer to end the night bowling!

Don't let outside expectations guide your day if you don't agree with them. Do what makes YOU happy as a couple. The most important thing is that you're celebrating your union!

A.Coordination between the caterer, photographer and DJ is KEY! Everyone should have the same timeline sent to them ahead of time. If you don't have a planner, your photographer is likely going to be the one letting the DJ know when it's time to announce the couple's arrival or start the first dances. You'll want a photographer and a DJ who know how to communicate and are willing to take on the challenge of the wedding day.

Additionally, I highly recommend choosing what songs you'd like to play during your reception traditions (such as grand entrance, cake cutting, games, etc) because it'll give you an overall V I B E to your day.

For your "grand entrance", consider having your entire bridal party announced at once and they walk in together as a group. This is a modern tradition that is taking hold. This would be followed by the groomsmen and then finally, the newlyweds! This quickens the process for large wedding parties and keeps the reception guests clapping! Some parties walk in waving glowsticks, tinsel sticks or with a bubble gun to hype up the crowd for the couple's arrival! Or, take the more traditional route where each grouping of the wedding party is announced and they come in and walk to their seats.

An easy way to "knock out" the main traditions and allow the ceremony to flow, use the following scenario:
-DJ announces arrival of wedding party
-DJ announces arrival of couple
-DJ immediately follows with the song chosen for cake cutting
-DJ goes directly into first dances
-Dinner is served
-Speeches take place once dinner is almost complete
-DJ begins your playlist and reminds guests of your photo booth / guest book / dessert being served / etc.
-Sunset newlywed photos
-Any reception games or traditions (bouquet toss, photo game, etc).
-DJ plays a song to get people on the dance floor. If you're out there, your guests will be too

TIP: have props set up by the dance floor for guests to use! Examples include glow sticks, tinsel sticks, bubble wands, etc! This will help people feel comfortable dancing.

A.- Ask your officiant to request guests put away their cell phones and other devices for an "unplugged" ceremony to focus on the couple and share in your joy. This will also help eliminate ceremony photos that include guests on their phones!

- Consider a 90 minute Cocktail Hour to give yourselves plenty of time (especially if you are NOT doing a "First Look") for wedding party photos, group photos, couples portraits and any transportation that you may need. Plus, you might want a minute to use the bathroom to refresh!!

- Let every individual on your Group Photo List know before the wedding day that they are invited for group family photos. This will help make the process quick and easy for everyone!

- Ask your officiant to remind guests after the ceremony that invited family members should head to (insert your desired location here) for group photos.

- Have your "details" gathered in one area ahead of time! These are the photos I'll take during your preparation time of things like your wedding invitations, the rings, jewelry, flowers, memorials, perfume, shoes, etc!

- I love to do a Reception sneak away for a 10 minute golden hour portrait session around sunset!

- Nervous that you'll miss a photo with your coworkers, college friends, etc? Play a photo game at the reception! This is a quick and fun way to entertain guests, make memories and snap photos along the way.

- Don't forget to plan travel time into your timeline. If it takes 20 minutes to get from your ceremony location to the reception location, make sure to account for that!

- Not sure what to do? Ask! Your team of vendors are here to make your day as fun, special and stress-free as possible.

- Send your most up-to-date wedding timeline to your key people the week before your wedding! This includes your wedding party, parents, wedding planner, photographer and other vendors. For example, your DJ will want to know when(ish) you'll be arriving at the Reception so that they can be ready to announce you.