Creating enough time for portraits on your wedding day is one of the most crucial aspects when planning your photography and wedding timeline. Capturing your ceremony and reception are pretty easy – as those are set and specific times throughout the wedding day. But, portraits can take place in a variety of times over a wedding day depending on a few important factors. That’s why I’m sharing my top tips for planning your wedding timeline for portraits. We’re talking about those newlyweds photos, family portraits, and bridal party portraits. That’s a lot of people – and a lot of photos – to account for. So, here’s what I recommend as a seasoned New Jersey wedding photographer for your wedding timeline for portraits! 

Why Wedding Portraits Matter

First and foremost, let’s discuss why portrait times matter. It’s tempting to say we’ll get to something when we get to it – but I highly recommend planning for portrait time for you as newlyweds, your families, and your bridal party. If you’re rushing through photos, then we’re going to have way more stress and frankly, less natural final images. Instead, building a timeline that prioritizes the photos you want to capture allows us to be creative together. Plus, we wind up with a buffer if there’s delay and plenty of time to relax – and enjoy the candid, real moments that come on a wedding day. 

Wedding Portraits with a First Look

Ultimately whether or not you do a first look is your choice (read my thoughts here!). There is definitely an impact on your timeline depending on which option you choose, but as your wedding photographer, we can make either work. If you do choose to have a first look, here’s a few things you’ll want to consider for your timeline. You’re looking at the following: 45 minutes for bride and groom portraits, 30 minutes for family formals, and 15 minutes for bridal party portraits.

Plan for a buffer of 30-40 minutes so that if things go wrong or get delayed, we’re all relaxed and still enjoying the day! With a first look, couples can often make it to cocktail hour and see their guests, because we’ve already captured most of these portraits (if not all of them) before the wedding ceremony even happens. If the venue and reception schedule allows, I’ll often pull my clients out of the reception quickly around sunset for some final images for the night! 

Wedding Portraits If You’re NOT Doing a First Look

If you don’t plan to have a first look, you’ll want to plan for 2-3 hours for portraits after your ceremony and before the reception. Most couples miss out on the cocktail hour because you have to place all photos before the reception. Depending on the exact schedule and venue, you may make it to some of the cocktail hours but if it’s important to you to be there, definitely ensure that you plan a first look. Without a first look, the 2-3 hours will cover 45 minutes for bride and groom portraits, 30 minutes for family formals, and 15 minutes for bridal party portraits as well as any travel time between the church and your reception venue. Church ceremonies often run over, and this extra buffer will ensure that we’re not rushing! 

Other Things to Remember about Wedding Portraits

Forgetting Travel Time and Buffers 

One of the biggest mistakes I see couples (and sometimes other professionals!) make is forgetting about the travel time. It’s one of the hidden time eaters in a wedding day. If you’re going between venues (like a church and country club), make sure you account for that travel time. I always add an extra 10-15 minutes to that travel time in case of traffic or slower moving family/friends. 

Speaking of buffers, it’s important to plan for buffers throughout your day. Hair and makeup almost always go longer than anyone plans or expects them to. Not to mention, family members run late – or members of the bridal party forget something. Human moments happen, so planning a little extra time in your wedding timeline for the “unexpected” to happen is key. 

Not Planning Enough Portrait Time

I know that when you look at a wedding timeline, 45 minutes for newlywed portraits can feel like a lot, but I promise you – it’s not! That time will go so quickly. But it’s important to carve out enough time for these special photos. These are the portraits that you’ll cherish the most. They’re the ones that will wind up displayed in your home and we want you to wind up with the images you love. As a photographer, I want to have time to explore both posed and natural moments — a fast session won’t feel authentic.

When it comes to family photos, 30 minutes generally works for most families but if you have a larger group of people, consider a little extra time. Large family groups take time to pose and gather, so it’s important to account for people moving slow or time to track them down. Read more tips on family formals here!

Planning a wedding day timeline that supports your vision is the most important part of wedding planning. As a NJ wedding photographer, I’ve created hundreds of timelines and have the knowledge to anticipate what could happen so that you can enjoy a relaxed and well-thought out celebration.

Learn more about Myra Roman:

Myra is a Modern & Fashion-Forward Wedding & Portrait Photographer based on the East Coast. Ready to plan your wedding day or portraits for your growing family? Complete the contact form here!