Wedding Day Coverage & Timelines From 5 Past Weddings

Heyoooo! Rachael here. You’ve probably never planned a wedding before! No worries my friend. In this blog, I’ve pulled real wedding timelines from past weddings to showcase what your wedding day coverage could be.

Why show different wedding timelines? Because each couple has different priorities, and different ideas. I want you to feel empowered to do what you want, based on what couples have done before you. You can decide how you want the day to flow.

From my experience, coverage is connected to budget. If you have a tighter budget and don’t feel the need to getting ready photos- nixing them does NOT take away from your gallery. Your day is what you make of it.

Outline of the wedding coverage in this blog:

• 3 hours // first look, ceremony, family photos
• 6 hours // getting ready, first look, no wedding party, no dance floor
• 7 hours // no getting ready, first look, hard core dance floor
• 8 hours // getting ready, first look, wanted to attend cocktail hour
• 9 hours // no first look, Chicago ceremony & Suburb reception

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Melany + Jacob // 3 hour wedding day coverage

Melany came to me with her budget, explaining her priority was intimate wedding portraits with Jacob and their intimate ceremony. Reception coverage wasn’t something she needed. I loved that she came to me with this information- I worked with her budget to create a three hour wedding coverage package!

Factors that build their wedding day coverage:

• one location (no traveling)
• first look & person vow reading
• small wedding party
• small guest list (~30 people)
• no reception coverage

M+J’s 3 hours of coverage

• 1:00pm portraits of Melany
• 1:30pm first look + couple photos
• 2:00pm wedding party photos
• 2:30pm rest before ceremony
• 3:00pm ceremony 
• 3:30pm ceremony done
• 3:35pm family photos
• 4:00pm coverage ends
• 5:00pm reception begins with additional guests and family members

Honestly was a tight timeline, but because it was all at one location, The Kampground, and it was an intimate wedding with less than 30 people, it worked out!

If you’re thinking, “well, we want some reception coverage,” then keep scrolling to see other days!

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Madison + Austin // 6 hour wedding day coverage

Next up is Madison + Austin’s day! When Madison inquired she explained there would be NO wedding party, guest list of 40 people, and no dancing after the parent dances. These details made the day very flexible.

Also to note: originally they booked a 5 hour package. But one week before the wedding, Madison emailed me asking if she could add an extra hour of coverage for getting ready photos. She loved the Airbnb (The Alice | Posh Mid Century Modern A Frame) she was getting ready in, and wanted photos of her there along with some detail shots. I replied, “Heck yeah!” updated the invoice to reflect the change.

Factors that build their wedding day coverage:

• three locations (getting ready, first look location, ceremony + reception)
• no wedding party
• small guest list (~40 people)
• board game night = no DJ, no dance floor

M+A’s 6 hours of coverage

• 2:00pm getting ready photos at Airbnb with Maddie
• 2:45pm drive to Mansion for first look with Austin
• 3:00pm first look & private vows @ Vrooman Manison
• 3:50pm drive to Reality on Monroe
• 4:00pm immediate family photos (short list)
• 4:15pm family photos done
• 4:30pm chill before ceremony
• 5:00pm ceremony
• 5:30pm ceremony over
• 5:40pm extended family photos
• 6:00pm causal reception start
  • first dance, dance with parents
• 6:15pm dinner/reception starts
  • board/card games // UNO matches
• 7:30pm photos during golden hour w/ softer lighting
• 8:00pm coverage ends

It was SUCH a good day. Their day is blogged here- check out how we fit all of this into 6 hours here!

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Manny + Carrie // 7 hour wedding day coverage

Carrie & Manny did a lot of things untraditionally from the days of weddings past. They read their vows to each other in front of their wedding party, had a their wedding party put items and mementos into a time capsule for their unity ceremony, took on a new last name entirely, and had two first dances. They didn’t need getting ready photos at the hotel- they wanted photos with their besties and loved ones later on in the day. It was fantastic!

Factors that build their wedding day coverage:

• two locations (photo location and venue)
• no getting ready photos
• first look, vows, and couple photos done BEFORE the ceremony
• family photos done after ceremony
• couple had some alone time after family photos
• dinner, dances, toasts, and dance floor footage

M+C’s 7 hours of coverage

• 1:00pm first look between couple on IL State Capitol Lawn
• 1:30pm  couple reads vows, wedding party photos, couple photos
• 2:15pm  bus takes wedding party to Artisan Building 
• 2:30pm  couple tucked away and chill 
• 3:00pm  ceremony 
• 3:30pm ceremony done 
• 3:35pm bubble exit / photo op with guests
• 3:30pm  cocktail hour starts
• 3:40pm  family photos
• 4:00pm couple chills by themselves (#introverts)
• 5:00pm cocktail hour ends 
• 5:00pm wedding party & couple entrance
• 5:10pm couple’s 1st first dance // Two by Sleeping at Last
• 5:15pm dismiss tables for food
• 6:00pm reception events
  • 4 speeches
  • 2 parent dances
  • couple’s 2nd first dance // Waltz for Sweatpants by Cody Fry 
• 7:00pm open dance floor
• 8:00pm coverage ends

It was SUCH a good day. Their day is blogged here- check out how we fit all of this into 7 hours here!

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Ally + Dylan // 8 hour wedding day coverage

Allie + Dylan wanted to spend time with their wedding guests, who were flying from all over. This meant they needed to get as much photos as possible done done BEFORE the ceremony. They had to have a first look to get that time with their guests.

Factors that build their wedding day coverage:

• two locations (getting ready location, and venue)
• first look + couple photos done BEFORE the ceremony
• also wedding party AND family photos done BEFORE the ceremony
• wanting to spend cocktail hour with their guests, not taking photos
• dinner, dances, toasts, and dance floor footage

A +D’s 8 hours of coverage

• 12:30pm Rachael meet with Allie at AirBnB
• 1:10pm wedding parties show up at Bloomington Country Club
• 1:30pm Dylan + Allie’s first look 
• 2:30pm all wedding party photos
• 3:00pm immediate family photos
• 3:30pm done with photos, buffer time to chill, drink water 
• 4:00pm ceremony starts
• 4:40pm ceremony ends
• 4:45pm extended family photos (short list)
• 5:00pm Allie + Dylan hang out with wedding guests
• 5:45pm garden cocktail hour ends- guests move into reception area
• 6:00pm dinner everyone in their seats 
• 6:15pm wedding party & couple announcement 
• 6:30pm tables are released for dinner 
• 7:15pm speeches
• 7:30pm Dylan & Allie cut cake and then flow into dances
• 8:00pm DJ Gets everyone on the dance floor for large group photo 
• 8:15pm a few sunset photos 
• 8:30pm coverage ends

It was SUCH a good day. Their day is blogged here- check out how we fit all of this into 8 hours here!

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Adam + Alysa // 9 hour wedding day coverage

This was a HUGE wedding day. We started at the Kinzie Hotel in Downtown Chicago. We were bussed over to The Wrigley Building for stunning Chicago views. Then to Assumption Catholic Church for the ceremony. Then bussed to The Lytle Auditorium in Downer’s Grove for couple photos, family photos, and wedding party photos. Last stop: the reception at The Crawford in Naperville.

It was a great day! But we had a lot to plan for. No first look, no “together” photos done before hand, and lots of travel.

Factors that build their wedding day coverage:

• five locations (hotel, photo location, church, photo location, venue)
• two photographers to cover multiple locations at once
• getting ready photos for both sides
• no first look between couple
• all wedding party photos sans group photo done before ceremony
• 1 hour of travel time from downtown Chi to suburbs
• all family photos done after ceremony
• couple missed cocktail hour with guests
• dinner, dances, toasts, and dance floor footage

A+A’s 9 hours of coverage

• 12:00pm coverage starts with flat lay detail photos at hotel
• 1:00pm Alysa getting ready photos
• 1:30pm Adam’s side // wedding party photos
  • Adam’s side walks .2 miles to the Wrigley Building
• 2:00pm Alysa’s side // wedding party photos
  • bus will drive us to Wrigley Building
• 2:30pm arrive at Assumption Catholic Church
• 3:00pm ceremony
• 4:00pm ceremony over
  • Couple, wedding party, and family leave for The Lytle Auditorium
• 5:00pm at The Crawford: cocktail hour begins for guests
• 5:00pm at The Lytle Auditorium: quick couple photos (videographer needs to head to venue)
• 5:15pm ALL family photos 
• 5:50pm big group wedding party photos 
• 6:00pm travel time from The Lytle Auditorium for The Crawford
• 6:00pm guests allowed in dinner room at The Crawford
• 6:30pm couple announced into the reception
  • immediate first dance & cake cutting
  • dinner
  • 2 speeches
  • 3 dances
• 8:15pm open dance floor with live band
• 9:00pm coverage ends

I couldn’t have done this without my gal & favorite second photographer, Marisa!

If you’re breaking up photo time in multiple different locations, a second photographer MUST be apart of your day.

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And there you have it!

5 real timelines from past couples.

Remember- you wedding day is about what you want, not what Instagram or Pinterest says it should be.

If you’re wanting to read more about the RMP experience, check out my weddings guide, as well as my elopements guide.

If you’re ready to make some magic- head on over to my contact form and word vomit your ideas to me.

No seriously, lay it all out. I got you boo!

✨hire ya girl here✨