Wedding Photography and Videography Forum

Photography 'Day of' Schedule

I'm getting married in 11 days and have not received a day of timeline from my photographer. I'm having a small wedding with 75 guests and no bridal party but 3 flower girls.  I haven't been able to communicate with any of the vendors (hair/makeup, videographer) that depend on the photography timeline or with family to let them know what time they need to arrive for portraits, help them arrange transportation since they need to arrive at venue early and aren't driving, etc. I have been requesting this info for the past 3 weeks, I know they have a new employee and are a busy studio covering large wedding across the world but am I being unreasonable in expecting this info by now?

Re: Photography 'Day of' Schedule

  • I would think that your contract states the times that they will be there (i.e. 10-8) depending on when your wedding starts. You should know when the hair/makeup will start. The photog doesn't have to be there the entire time for makeup. The rest of it, I would call the studio until you get an answer.
  • The contract just states ten hours, ceremony is at 4pm. I haven't confirmed hair and makeup because I actually don't know when it should start. I don't expect the photographer to be there the whole time but have no idea how much time they'd like to allocate to family portraits before ceremony (I gave them a shot list, first look, couple's shots, etc)
  • How many people are getting hair and makeup done? Are they coming to you or are you going to the salon? For DD's wedding that started at 3:00 with 5 attendants plus me and DD, MU and Hair started around 8:00. I would check with your MU and Hair people to see how long they need. DD's photog showed up at 10 to start getting pictures of the dress, rings etc. She got pictures of girls getting MU and just hanging out. First look was like at 12:45 or 1:00. Like I said, keep contacting them until they give you an answer, but I wouldn't wait on them to get the MU and Hair people set up. I think the planner gave the photog time frames (MU, first look, photos with wedding party, arriving at church etc).
  • I'm getting married in 11 days and have not received a day of timeline from my photographer. I'm having a small wedding with 75 guests and no bridal party but 3 flower girls.  I haven't been able to communicate with any of the vendors (hair/makeup, videographer) that depend on the photography timeline or with family to let them know what time they need to arrive for portraits, help them arrange transportation since they need to arrive at venue early and aren't driving, etc. I have been requesting this info for the past 3 weeks, I know they have a new employee and are a busy studio covering large wedding across the world but am I being unreasonable in expecting this info by now?


    The contract just states ten hours, ceremony is at 4pm. I haven't confirmed hair and makeup because I actually don't know when it should start. I don't expect the photographer to be there the whole time but have no idea how much time they'd like to allocate to family portraits before ceremony (I gave them a shot list, first look, couple's shots, etc)
    What information are you waiting on them for besides the bolded? I think the only day-of time that our photographer "set" was when we needed to be ready by. Since your ceremony is at 4, work back from there. What time do you need to be at the ceremony location? How long does it take to get there from where you will be doing the first look? How long does it take to get from where you are getting ready to where you are doing the first look?

    From there ask your hair stylist and MUA how long the services will take? Will they be on location or are you going to them?

    I had a 4:30pm ceremony and our scheduled looked like this:
    9:30-12:00 Hair and Make-up (at salon, 20 minutes from hotel)
    12:30- Lunch, meet up at hotel, champagne
    1:30- Get in dress, retouch make-up, have flowers delivered. Photographer arrived between 1:30-2pm
    2:15ish First look.
    2:30pm Group shots and hotel/meet up with GM
    3:00-4:00 Wedding Party Shots
    4:15 Be at Ceremony location.
    4:30 Get married.

    Ceremony+ Receiving Line was just about 45 min. Then we took family shots, which lasted roughly 20 minutes then we went to cocktail hour.

    All of this information was provided by me to the photographer. They changed a few details, but really they relied on us to tell them what we wanted pictures of.

  • I'm basically just looking for them to tell me what time I need to be ready by and what time family portraits begin. I sent in their questionnaire in early August that outlined all information of shots we want, family shot combinations, etc and have heard nothing from them since then. I want to make sure that I'm not being unreasonable or pushy by having asked for this information beginning three weeks ago. I followed up 5 days ago and now want to follow up with another contact at the studio.


  • I'm basically just looking for them to tell me what time I need to be ready by and what time family portraits begin. I sent in their questionnaire in early August that outlined all information of shots we want, family shot combinations, etc and have heard nothing from them since then. I want to make sure that I'm not being unreasonable or pushy by having asked for this information beginning three weeks ago. I followed up 5 days ago and now want to follow up with another contact at the studio.


    You're less than two weeks out from your wedding, right? I would give it until the middle of the day/afternoon tomorrow. I was thinking you were farther out then that. 
  • I would come up with an approximate timeline myself and then confirm that that works for the photographer. I don't understand why you need them to come up with this for you. Figure out what you need, send it to them and they will make any adjustments necessary. And no, following up when you are this close to your wedding is not too pushy. 
  • Not all photographers work the same way, but my guess is that they're waiting for you to tell them when you want them to arrive and begin your 10 hours (this is how I've typically seen it done, though there are a couple of exceptions). If I were you, this is what I would do at this point:

    - Call the photographer on the phone to confirm how long family portraits will take
    - Call your hair and makeup people and confirm how long each appointment will take, and set up that schedule
    - Sit down and write out your own morning of schedule, and figure out when you would like the photographer to be there based on the information you gathered and the appointments you set up
    - Call your photographer back and tell him/her what time you'd like them to arrive and begin your 10 hours

    As PPs have said, there's nothing wrong with you being proactive at this point and initiating these conversations. The photographer will be there whenever you want them there, so gather the information you need and let them know when you'd like them to arrive!


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