Figure out the most important details of your wedding day and start your timeline there. For example, once you know when your ceremony is everything else can be planned around that. Quick Tip: If your ceremony and reception are at the same location is saves you soooooo much hassle! 

GETTING READY 

As a wedding photographer, I personally recommend having the bride be the second to last person to get hair and make up done. The reason behind this is that you want to have fresh hair and makeup but still have enough time to be done before you need to get dressed. I also recommend having a trial of your hair and make up done for your bridal shower. This way you get a preview of what you will look like on your wedding day but also will give you the opportunity to tweak anything so you look EXACTLY how you imagined on your big day!

Skip the bra the morning of your wedding day. This helps a lot for photos! Your bra can cause pressure marks on your back which is unflattering in photographs. We want your skin as flawless as you! Plan who you want helping you into your gown! This is such a memorable moment of your wedding day! Stepping into your dress really sets in stone your big day! 

Your photographer will typically need 1-2 hours of getting ready photos. He/She will need enough time to capture detail photos (the dress, jewelry, shoes,etc) as well as some candid moments, and you getting into your gown and the groom getting into his suit or tux. 

FIRST LOOK

If you find yourself in the non-traditional category a first look is a great idea! It really takes the pressure off during the ceremony and can really put you at peace! A lot of couples like to read personal vows to each other at this time. It also give you another great opportunity for even more photos! I love first looks because the moment is so raw and real. Its definitely a favorite! A first look with dad is also a super cute and memorable opportunity! As a daddy's girl myself, this moment is one of my favorites!

CEREMONY

It is important to arrive at your ceremony location at a minimum of 30 minutes prior to your ceremony start. This way you avoid seeing guests before showtime! Make sure to talk to your officiant to get the run down of how long your ceremony will last and how much time you will have after the ceremony for photos. If you are having a church wedding a lot of the time you are given an allotted time to get family photos after the ceremony. I typically like to have about 30 minutes. If you create a little list of who is needed for photos this helps tremendously. Its also nice to find out of there are any restrictions for your photographer and videographer during the service. Sometimes church weddings require the photographer to stay in certain areas only. 

Receiving line or not? Having a receiving line after your ceremony allows you to say hi to everyone and also alleviates the need to go table to table at the reception. This way you can connect with all of your guests at your wedding and still enjoy your reception.  Unlike going table to table a receiving line is usually a faster way to interact with your guests. 

BRIDAL PARTY

Depending on how your day pans out you can knock out all of your photos with your bridal party before the ceremony. This eases up the stress of your day but if you have to do them after the ceremony thats ok too! The main thing is allowing your self enough time. Make sure to factor in drive time if you are getting photos at a different location than your ceremony and reception. Depending on the size of your party I recommend about 1 hour to get all of the photos done. It is better to have too much time than not enough. 

BRIDE + GROOM

If we are being honest, these photos are the MOST IMPORTANT ONES OF THE DAY! I like to get about an hour of photos. After all, you two are the most important people on your big day. It's hard with the hustle and bustle of the day to get a lot of time just the two of you but honestly, your portraits together gives you time to really enjoy the fact that you are married! Also, if time and weather permits sneaking out for sunset photos is soooo much fun too! 

RECEPTION

A grand entrance is a given when you walk in. Whether it be super silly or super silly, it's a fun tradition. After this, I personally recommend cutting cake and going straight into speeches, toasts, and dinner prayers. Make sure your vendors get to eat right after you and your bridal party. That way they can get back to doing what they do best! (and make sure they eat good, they are working hard for you!)

As soon as dinner finishes up I recommend going straight into the first dances even if some of your guests are still eating. This way they can witness from their seats. Either right before this or right after I recommend sneaking out for the sunset photos if you want them.This usually only lasts about 15-20 minutes. If guests are still eating they might not even notice you sneak off for sunset photos! A grand exit is fun too! (Sparkers, bubbles, whatever you like!)