8 Secrets to crafting the perfect wedding day timeline.
I know creating a timeline sounds scary but with the right vendors it can be a breeze to create. The timeline can affect your wedding day even more than you think. A lot of vendors will ask for a timeline because otherwise it is just a REALLY expensive free-for-all that just happens to be catered LOL. These secrets I am about to share are things I use every single time I help create a timeline.
What is most important to you?
This should be step number one in creating your wedding timeline. Why you ask, well this is YOUR wedding! This can often times be hard for some couples to remember but try and put yourselves first for just a moment and think about what do I want? Think about do you want photos of everyone getting ready or would you prefer more private time getting ready? Do I want a first look? How much time are we going to spend on family photos? The list goes on and on. Once you figure out what you prioritize most it can be so much easier to set in place how much time you need for each thing.
2. Start your wedding day timeline from scratch.
There are plenty of templates out there but every single wedding day is so unique and different they won’t be very helpful to you. You’re vendors should be able to give you estimates of how long each activity should take. Staring at hair and makeup they will tell you ahead of time each bridesmaid will need at least X amount of time so you can start building your day from there.
3. Start planning EARLY (but don’t over-plan)
Once one wedding vendor is asking for the timeline they will all be asking for it. For all the vendors it’s imperative that the timeline be finalized in advance. This is so all the vendors can coordinate and make the day go by smoothly without any hiccups. BUT sometimes over-planning down to the minute can be stressful and not nescesary. Having a good plan ahead of time can provide some much needed stress relief knowing that you have thought of the what-ifs.
4. CONSULT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER
This one might be the most important of them all but maybe I am a little biased. Your photographer will know exactly how long certain photo opportunities will take, the other vendors will not. I can’t stress this enough. At the very least if you would like to make your timeline yourself just ask your photographer for how long each photo opportunity will take.
5. Always add some buffer time
This one you will thank me for. Adding some buffer time throughout the day will make sure that you can live in the moment and not be worrying about staying on schedule. I also highly recommend to build in some time for you and your fiancé to really take it in and spend some alone time together. This could just be 10 minutes maybe during the first look or after the ceremony.
6. Account for travel time
If you are getting ready at one location and then getting married at another and then having your reception at another, that’s more travel time than most people would think. Travel to multiple different locations can really eat into the timeline. Sometimes there is no way around it but the key is to make sure to include more travel time than you would think.
7. Don’t plan on being the person in charge of everything, delegate, delegate, delegate!
One way to fully be present for the day is to make sure that you are not personally in charge of everything. Tell people around who you can trust about the things you will need help with, such as setting up tables and chairs, decorating the venue, decorating tables, steaming bridesmaids dresses and the list goes on. You won’t be able to be in charge of everything and also feel fully present and enjoy all the beautiful moments the day will bring. Delegating tasks is a must.
8. Be flexible and enjoy the day!
Don’t sweat the small stuff, be fully present and enjoy your day to the absolute fullest. Give someone else the timeline for the day of the wedding, it can be your planner, your photographer, your mom, or even a bridesmaid. Let them tell you where you need to be next and take that load off your shoulders so that you get to have the full wedding day experience without having to worry about the timeline. You will only get to experience these moments once. They can’t be recreated and they will go by so quick!
And there you have it! 8 of my best kept tricks to creating the perfect timeline. If you want even more tricks let’s chat!
Engagement Sessions: Are they really necessary?
You’re either newly engaged or have been for a little while and now the next question is to engagement session or not? Let’s talk about it!
I am pro-engagement session. I’ll go into more detail into each reason why I am pro-engagement session below. Before you click off because maybe that isn’t the answer you were looking for, I challenge you to really consider these reasons from a professional photographer like myself. And also there’s a SUPER cute surprise at the end!
Being in front of the camera can in fact increase your comfortability.
Yep! You heard it here first, the more you are in front of the camera the more comfortable you can feel. Now this isn’t the cure all for camera shyness BUT it sure does help. Some couples have never had photos taken professionally and it’s a way different experience than your mom taking photos with her iPhone. Honestly it’s WAY more fun!
2. You will be able to get to know your photographer.
Getting to know your photographer before your wedding day can be such an advantage that most people don’t think about. Think about this, on top of the craziness of a wedding day the photographer shows up and guess what they’re practically a stranger to you. An engagement session gives you the chance to really get to know each other and form a comfortability that cannot usually be built as fast on wedding day. Even though most engagement sessions are only an hour long I always think we’re best friends by the end, maybe that’s a me problem!
3. When is the next time you will have the excuse to get dressed up and have the best time taking photos with each other?
It’s the best excuse to dress up however you like and play fun games all while getting beautiful photos. If you want to wear that fancy dress and get photos in a field of flowers, why not? It’s the perfect time to get those photos you have always dreamed of having. It’s such a great way to express who you are as a couple.
4. These photos can be used for wedding related things, saves-the-dates, Invites, Decor, and more!
You can also check some things off that wedding to-do list by getting beautiful photos you can use for your wedding save-the-dates and invites. You can also use all these photos to decorate at your wedding, maybe even a customized Koozi which is always a favorite.
5. BONUS you can even bring your dog!
Have you always wanted to get photos with your pets because they are practically our children am I right? Well, an engagement session is the perfect time to do that. They may not be able to attend the wedding (if they can I am all for it!) but having them in the engagement photos is a great way to cherish their life which we all know is way too short.
Have I convinced you need an engagement session or did Rye Loaf the corgi convince you ^? Either way let’s chat!
What locations work best for a Photography shoot.
The title of this blog might be misleading in the fact that I whole-heartedly believe that almost anywhere can be a beautiful spot for a photography shoot. I have had many people reach out for a family, engagement, or senior shoot with a location already in mind. To some photographers this may be a little scary if they haven’t been to this location previously. To me I get SO excited when someone says they know exactly where they want their session. I think it’s so fun to see somewhere new and I like to think on my feet and find all the good spots and angles while I’m exploring. I also love this for my clients because sometimes it is a location that’s special to them. Keep reading if you’d like to see all the unique locations I have shot at over the years!
Hazewood Park Corydon Indiana
For this shoot Kenzie reached out to me for a family shoot as a present for her mom. I was so excited when she said they wanted the shoot to be at Hazewood Park. It’s such a beautiful park and her parents love to take long walks at the park most mornings. So stinkin’ sweet right?!
Southern Indiana Family Farm
This is only the first family farm on my list, but so stunningly beautiful nonetheless! When Chelsey reached out about doing their engagement session on her fiancés family farm I couldn't say yes fast enough. This is where her fiancé Ryan grew up and it’s now where they live and also where they plan to get married as well. What a dream right!
Lanesville Indiana
Let’s not ignore how increible these yellow flowers are first and foremost! Olivia reached out to me for her engagement photos and one thing she really wanted was flowers. So I was looking all over for the perfect place that has flowers. When I came across this big open field of yellow flowers near my parent’s house. This wasn’t a place my client showed me but it is still very much Olivia’s idea and I give her the credit for it!
Pine Springs Lake
Emily’s mom reached out to me about doing surprise maternity photos right before Emily’s baby shower. I was of course so into it! So not only is this a special place for her family but she also had her shower right after these photos. It was such a special and unique way to do maternity photos, they loved every second of it!
And that was just the tip of the iceberg as they say! There are so many unique ways to work your personality into a shoot. By doing that it can make the shoot so much more personal and special. So PLEASE from myself and all the other photographers out there tell us about yourself, tell us your favorite places, your hobbies, take us to your family home, whatever will make the shoot more about you! That’s all I really want to do as a photographer is to capture you as authentically as I can.
The Best Wedding Location in Southern Indiana
Southern Indiana is treasure trove of beautiful places to have a wedding. As a Wedding Photographer I often shoot in Louisville Kentucky but if I can make the convincing argument for my couples to cross that bridge into Southern Indiana I sure will give it my best shot. No hate to Kentucky, it is my second love next to Indiana. This may also be a bit biased but doesn’t everyone think their home is the best? I can’t be alone in this! Well bias or not let’s get straight into one of my favorite locations in Southern Indiana that I highly recommend for your wedding, Blueberry Hill Estate.
Blueberry Hill Estate, Paoli Indiana
Blueberry Hill Estate is an absolute gem in Southern Indiana. There is a beautiful photo-op from every angle of this place and it blows my mind every time I am there. The Estate itself is stunning and lends perfectly to being a unique backdrop for stunning portraits like the one above, even if it is cloudy.
At the backside of the Estate there is garden as well as an olympic size swimming pool. The garden is so meticulously taken care of and it makes you feel like you're at French Chalet, or at least it makes me feel like that!
Maybe it’s just me but doesn’t a big open field of grass make you wanna just frolic around in a big white dress like you're in a movie?
One of my absolute favorite features of this venue is the hill-top view. The rolling hills of Indiana are something of a dream. Can’t you just imagine saying “I do” with this as a backdrop?
Check out my other blog posts for other wedding photography inspiration and tips! I’ll leave you with even more stunning views of Blueberry Hill Estate below :)
https://blueberryhillestate.com
