How to plan your wedding day timeline!

I think one of the trickiest parts of wedding planning can be the timeline. How do you lay out your wedding day? Haha or how do you lay out your wedding day that makes everyone happy and you make sure you have a fun and stress free day? That’s the real question :) When there are so many factors and things to consider (traditions, logistics, opinions from others) it can be daunting to even know where to start. That’s where I come in! I always tell my couples how you can lay out your wedding day however you want, so lets ask the right questions to make sure that happens.

1 - What parts of the wedding day are most important to you? I know it sounds obvious, but have you thought about parts of the day you really want to experience? Are there certain things that will just make you stressed or anxious? For some of my couples they really want to be at cocktail hour to have that time with their family and friends. Awesome! We just need to do a first look so we can do all of the important portraits before the ceremony.

2 - What photographs or types of photographs are important to you? I’m going to dig a little more in to this one since there are so many options and part of the day to consider…

Do you want your details photographed before you get dressed? This is your dress, shoes, jewelry, stationary, rings, etc. You have spent a lot of time planning these details and some can have lots of sentimental meaning, of course you want those documented to tell a complete story of your day! To do this though I need 45-60 minutes. Yes, that sounds like a huge block of time, but to find the right spot with a nice background, good lighting, and then to style those items it just takes time.

How long will it take to get in to your dress? Some are a quick 2 minute zip but some dresses are 15-20 minutes of hooks and buttons. After you put on the dress (this is when things feel very real!) then you still need to put on jewelry, shoes, and have hugs and toasts with those helping you get ready :) Do you also want to do a first look with any parents or friends? Even with the quickest 2 minute zip up dress I still would allocate 20 minutes to get dressed with considering final touches and getting bags ready to leave.

What kind of portraits do you want? While we don’t always have a ton of flexibility with this, it’s still important to think about the time of day and where we will be doing portraits. Will we be doing portraits in the middle of the day with harsh bright light? Do you want that soft, warm, glowy light at sunset? Most of the time the bride and groom portraits get split up in to (2) 20-25 minute blocks. One before/after the ceremony and one around sunset.

Do you want all of the events of the reception photographed? I don’t need to be there all night, but if you would like those fun dancing/party pictures you should plan on having me photograph 30-60 minutes of the reception once the party begins! Do you want a sparkler exit? No worries! Lets do it right before I leave and then everyone goes right back to dancing and having a great time :)

3 - What other things do I need to factor in to my timeline? Travel! Driving times and even time to walk to/from locations. Also know that if anything is going to run late on your wedding day it is going to be from 3 sources: hair/make-up taking longer, your ceremony not starting on time because of guests arriving late, and the family and friends that just can’t seem to be on time for anything. Haha and we love them for for it! To solve this just schedule little time buffers and add on a little extra time. I even had a bride put in her invites that her ceremony was starting at 4:00pm when we knew it wasn’t starting until 4:15 because she knew her family was never on time. Genius!

I am very good at managing the day and keeping everything going and on time, however if we can plan ahead of time for all of these things then we can ensure you not only get all of the beautiful images that you want, but your wedding day will also be stress free for everyone because we won’t be rushed or worried about fitting everything in!

Do I need a second photographer for my wedding?

There are just so many decisions to make when it comes to planning your wedding day I know it can feel overwhelming. You have to hire all of these different vendors and each requires a different set of questions or details to think about, yikes! So I want to start answering some of the most common questions I get so you can hopefully feel better prepared and more confident that you are getting exactly what you need and want for your wedding day!

1 - Do you want getting ready photos for both the bride and groom?

I know, I know, guys you don’t really care about getting ready photos. But, most of the time those photos aren’t really about you! Getting ready for your wedding day usually involves the people you love the most! Your parents getting to help you get dressed for one of the biggest days of your life and I’m guessing they are just thinking about how they got you dressed for your first day of school or putting your first onesie. Your best friends are there to help you relax, laugh, and calm any nerves. These moments can be so full of emotion and happy tears, but also huge smiles and laughs as the excitement of what is to come builds.

2 - Do you want the detail photos for both of you?

Obviously the bride always has more details to photograph (her dress, shoes, jewelry) but grooms also have their shoes, cufflinks, tie, watch. Getting both of these perspectives help create and tell a full story of your wedding day. The most important part of a day that having a second photographer there for is the getting ready because there is so much going on, so much to capture, and really I can only be in one place at a time and you’re most likely not getting ready in the same room :)

3 - How tight is your timeline and is there enough time for your photographer to capture everything?

While there are a million ways to lay out your timeline and how your wedding day flows, sometimes you just have to schedule doing family, bridal party, and some bride and groom portraits during cocktail hour. If this happens then there is no time for me to get detail photos of the gorgeous reception space that you have planned and created! There are many different scenarios that could happen, but again, depending on the size of your wedding, locations, or how detailed it is, having that additional photographer there to be able to multitask and photograph two things at once can be a must!

4 - How important are your wedding day photos to you?

Haha this may seem like a basic or silly question, but if you want to have a full and detailed story of your day captured then you really need to invest in the time and resources that it takes to make that happen. You have spent months and months planning for this very important day, you have created an experience for your family and friends to all share in, so really sit down and think what you want from that 10 or 20 years from now.

Over the last few years I have actually gotten the opportunity to be a second photographer for some of my friends and fellow wedding photographers! It really is fun for me to kinda take a step back and have fun, but it’s also great to see how other photographers approach and manage wedding days. I thought it would be fun to share the diversity of these weddings as well as they may spark some inspiration as you answer the questions above for yourself!

Images photographed while working for Laurelyn of Laurelyn Savannah Photography - www.laurelynsavannahphotography.com

Images photographed while working for April of Third West Studio - www.thirdweststudio.com

Images photographed while working for Jenna of Jenna LeRoy - www.jennaleroy.com

Annie + Michael | A Nantucket Inspired Wedding at The Edgewater in Madison, Wisconsin

Here we are many months later, but I can still recall this wedding day like it was yesterday! First, it was one if the windiest wedding days I’ve ever had! Second, as you’ll see Annie, Michael, and Allison from Et Voila Events designed a beautiful space. And last but not least, even though I didn’t get to spend a full day with them, Annie and Michael we one of the sweetest and most genuine couples to work with! I always encourage my couples to be authentic and plan the day that they want and that’s exactly what they did.

VENDORS: Wedding Planner: Et Voila Events // Venue: The Edgewater // Wedding Dress: Pronovias from Nordstrom // Bridesmaids Dresses: Alexia from BHLDN // Groom’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse // Make-up and Hair Stylist: The Edgewater Spa // Florist: Pollen House // DJ: Sound By Design

Maggie + Peter | A Classy and Fun Filled Orpheum Wedding in Madison, WI

What do you do when you met at UW but don’t live here anymore? You have all of your family and friends travel to Madison for the perfect downtown wedding experience and treat them to some uniquely Badger fun at the reception with the UW marching band! I absolutely love how unique their wedding day was with their ceremony in the balcony of the Orpheum! This was also a great spot for me to capture the packed dance floor :)

VENDORS: Getting Ready: Mansion Hill // Venue: The Orpheum // Second Photographer: Laurelyn Savannah // Wedding Dress: SF Bridal Galleria // Groom’s Attire: Theory // Florist: Felly’s // DJ: Celebrations Entertainment // Day-Of Coordinator: Danielle Oler

Annie + Steve | A Mix of Modern and Boho Wedding at The Abbey Resort | Fontana, WI

One thing I always tell couples when I meet with them for the first time is that they need to stay true to who they are and to plan the wedding they want and that there are just SO many options and ways to plan your wedding day. That is exactly what Annie and Steve did :) These two love brunch so they planned a brunch wedding! I don’t know anyone that doesn’t love a good brunch so having all of your family and friends get together for your favorite kind of day is just how you should spend your wedding day!

If that wasn’t enough, Annie and Steve have the best style! I just love the combination of modern and boho elements for their wedding day. And to make it even more special, the gorgeous and unique stationary was designed by Annie herself! Wow!! Needless to say I just love this couple and love everything about their wedding day and I’m sure you will too after looking through all of these images!

VENDORS: Wedding Dress: BHLDN // Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal // Second Photographer: Kassie Ana // Church: Immanuel United Church of Christ // Reception: The Abbey Resort // Groom’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse // Hair + MUA: Cecley Wilson // Florist: Pesche’s Greenhouse // Sationary: the bride, Annie Andrews // Band: Gabriel’s Horns // Desserts: Gooseberries // Transportation: Area Lakes Limousine