Micro-wedding Planning Guide 3 | Timeline!

If you’re somewhere between riding your wedding high and falling from the crippling stress of all the work left to do, we have the perfect tonic! Let’s start thinking about the wedding timeline. (And if you have – or will have – a wedding coordinator, there’s nothing wrong with getting a jump on this now!) It really will help to guide where key elements go and know what is – and what isn’t – possible to do. We think of the schedule as working around three milestones: your ceremony time, the time dinner is served, and when the sun sets.

Here are some of the most common micro-wedding day timelines. Notice that it’s the sunset that has the greatest impact to the evening schedule.

Sample Timeline without first look

3:00 – 4:00 Getting Ready and Details

4:30 Ceremony

4:45 Family Pictures

5:00 – 6:00 Couple’s Pictures

6:00 Sunset

Sample Timeline with first look

3:00 – 4:00 Getting Ready and Details

4:15 First Look

4:30 – 5:30 Family and Couple’s Pictures

5:30 Ceremony

6:00 Sunset

Certainly, there are other things that will affect your timeline – longer gaps or travel times between the ceremony and reception being one and whether or not you’ll have a First Look. Let’s discuss that now.

What is a First Look and why should you consider doing one? To put it simply, a First Look is a fancy term for “seeing each other before the ceremony because we want to and we can.” Deciding to have this private moment together on your wedding day has some advantages. Knowing your options and how it will impact the timeline can have a dramatic effect on your wedding photography.

Typically the First Look takes place after you get ready. We’ll choose a spot that will enhance the experience for you. Doing a First Look privately allows you to share a very intimate moment with each other without throngs of people staring. The majority of our past couples say that they have felt immediate relief upon being together. On top of those wedding day jitters disappearing, you will be able to spend more of your wedding day together. We can spread out some of the photography of you, the wedding party, and even the family to before the ceremony. This will also help us create for you a wedding narrative with more variety and locations.

You might also consider a First Look should your ceremony be close to, or at, sunset. This is because the best light of the day for photography happens the hour before the sun goes down.

Certainly, the other option is to wait until the ceremony to see each other for the first time, and there nothing wrong with this tradition! Deciding to do a First Look is a personal choice. No matter what your decision, we will work together to create a timeline unique to you and your wedding!

One more thing to think about for timelines that has a huge impact are the photos with your family. There are two groups of families gathered together on your wedding day – immediate family and extended family. Micro-weddings can include a small group of 5 of your closest family or friends or over 50 guests!

Here are a couple things to keep in mind:

Don’t worry about putting this list together now. As we get closer to the wedding, we have a very easy and perfect way to get this setup. In the meantime, let us know if you have any questions!