Wedding Day Timelines: How Season, Sunset & Flow Shape Your Experience
- laurenmakennaphoto
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
One of the most common questions I get is:
“Do you recommend a first look?”
My answer is always the same:
There is no right or wrong choice, only what works best for your priorities, your season, and your locations. I'm never going to pressure you one way or another.
What I do encourage every couple to keep in mind is sunset time, because natural light plays a huge role in how your day flows especially in the winter. Another major factor is how many locations you’re working with. Travel time between venues directly affects how much usable daylight we have for photos.
And just as important as light and logistics is this:
I don’t want your entire wedding day to feel like a photoshoot and I’m guessing you don’t either
Your wedding day is a celebration. It’s meant to be experienced, not rushed through. That’s why I intentionally build timelines with more breathing room than you might expect. When your day isn’t stacked back-to-back with photo blocks, you have space to be present with your friends and family and that’s when the most authentic, memorable photos are captured.
Why Breathing Room in Your Timeline Matters
When timelines are too tight, the day can feel like:
• moving immediately from one photo moment to the next
• watching the clock instead of soaking it all in
• feeling rushed or behind
When timelines have buffer time built in:
• transitions feel calm instead of stressful
• you can linger in moments naturally
• you’re not pulled away from the celebration constantly
From a photography perspective, the images couples treasure most are rarely the posed ones. They’re the in-between moments, spontaneous hugs, quiet breaths, laughter while waiting, unplanned interactions during cocktail hour. Leaving extra room allows those moments to happen organically.
"The goal isn't to maximize photo time. It’s to protect your experience so your photos reflect how the day truly felt."
The Biggest Factor in Your Wedding Timeline: Sunset Time
Sunset determines more than most couples realize:
• Late spring and summer sunsets allow more flexibility
• Fall and winter sunsets require earlier ceremony times
• Multiple locations reduce usable daylight and often require longer coverage
If you’re planning a winter wedding without a first look, an earlier ceremony is essential to allow enough natural light for portraits.Below are real timeline examples to show how season, first looks, and locations shape the flow of the day.
My role is to guide you, educate you, and help you make choices that support the experience you want rather than push you toward doing a first look or to have a specific timeline structure.
When your timeline:
• acknowledges sunset time
• accounts for travel between locations
• leaves room to breathe
your day feels relaxed, meaningful, and fully lived and your photos naturally reflect that.
Every wedding day is unique, and no two timelines look exactly the same. This timeline shows how a wedding day may flow based on my experience photographing similar celebrations. This example is meant to serve as a helpful starting point for planning and visualizing the day, not a strict schedule.
We can always adjust timing to better fit your priorities, traditions, and overall vision.
I’m happy to walk through this with you and make any changes needed so it feels just right for your day.
Happy Planning!
EXAMPLE TIMELINES by season
SPRING/Summer
Based on a 7 pm Sunset time
With a First Look
8 Hour Coverage | One Location
1:00 PM – Photography Coverage Begins
1:45 PM – Bride gets into her dress
2:45 PM – First Look & Couple Portraits
3:30 PM – Wedding Party Photos
4:00 PM – Family Photos
4:30 PM – Wedding Party Tucked Away
5:30 PM – Ceremony Begins
6:15 PM – Cocktail Hour
6:40 PM – Sunset Couple Portraits
7:15 PM – Reception Begins
7:30 PM – Couple Entrance & First Dance
7:45 PM – Dinner Served
8:15 PM – Cake Cutting
8:20 PM – Parent Dances
8:30 PM - Open Dance Floor
9:00 PM – Photography Coverage Ends
9:55 PM – Last Dance
10:00 PM – Reception Ends
No First Look
8 Hour Coverage | One Location
1:30 PM – Photography Coverage Begins
2:30 PM – Bride gets into her dress
2:45 PM – Bride & Bridesmaids Photos
3:15 PM – Groom & Groomsmen Photos
3:45 PM – Wedding Party Tucked Away
4:30 PM – Ceremony Begins
5:15 PM – Family Photos
5:15 PM – Cocktail Hour Begins
5:40 PM – Full Wedding Party Photos
6:00 PM – Bride & Groom Portraits
6:15 PM – Reception Begins
6:30 PM – Couple Entrance & First Dance
6:40 PM – Dinner Service Begins
7:15 PM – Cake Cutting
7:45 PM – Toasts
8:00 PM – Parent Dances
8:10 PM – Open Dance Floor
9:20 PM – Last Dance
9:25 PM – Reception Ends & Exit Photos
9:30 PM – Photography Coverage Ends
Fall/WINTER
Based on a 4:30 pm Sunset time
With a First Look
8 Hour Coverage | One Location
11:00 AM – Photography Coverage Begins
11:15 AM – Bride gets into her dress
12:15 PM – First Look & Couple Portraits
1:00 PM – Wedding Party Photos
1:30 PM – Family Photos
2:00 PM – Wedding Party Tucked Away
3:00 PM – Ceremony Begins
3:45 PM – Cocktail Hour
4:10 PM – Sunset Couple Portraits
4:45 PM – Reception Begins
5:00 PM – Couple Entrance & First Dance
5:15 PM – Dinner Served
6:00 PM – Cake Cutting
6:15 PM – Parent Dances
6:30 PM – Open Dance Floor
7:00 PM – Photography Coverage Ends
7:55 PM – Last Dance
8:00 PM – Reception Ends
No First Look
8 Hour Coverage | One Location
11:30 AM – Photography Coverage Begins
12:00 PM – Bride gets into her dress
12:30 PM – Bride & Bridesmaids Photos
1:00 PM – Groom & Groomsmen Photos
1:30 PM – Wedding Party Tucked Away
2:30 PM – Ceremony Begins
3:15 PM – Family Photos
3:15 PM – Cocktail Hour Begins
3:40 PM – Full Wedding Party Photos
4:00 PM – Bride & Groom Portraits
4:15 PM – Reception Begins
4:30 PM – Couple Entrance & First Dance
4:40 PM – Dinner Service Begins
5:15 PM – Cake Cutting
5:45 PM – Toasts
6:00 PM – Parent Dances
6:10 PM – Open Dance Floor
7:20 PM – Last Dance
7:25 PM – Reception Ends & Exit Photos
7:30 PM – Photography Coverage Ends
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