Wedding Day Runsheet Guide With Timings
Need some help putting together your wedding day photography schedule or runsheet? Unless you go to wedding all the time (like your wedding vendors!) or are an events planner, planning a wedding is going to be a learn all the way experience! So here is a little help to get you started….
Here is the lowdown of what works for timing in Australia for your typical wedding day. Keep in mind you can switch all of this and make it your own, but it works for a reason to, so don’t write the ‘standard timings’ off straight away. Read away and see how it fits in with your wedding day plans.
First things first - what the heck is a wedding runsheet?
Runsheets layout all of the timings and events of your wedding day so vendors know what they are supposed to be doing and when.
When you put your runsheet together you’ll have a photography timeline that tells me where to be and when based on what you are doing and what you want photographed. All of your wedding venues will know where they need to be and what they should be doing based off your runsheet.
Generally ceremonies are scheduled between 3pm and 4.30pm most of the year to make use of the afternoon light and to give you time in the morning to get ready. Earlier for winter, later for summer. You can definitely have a 3pm summer ceremony too - this is just a guide to get you started!
Your ceremony start time, reception start and sunset are the three main points of your timeline. Here are some typical 10 hour photography package timelines to get you started for each season with different ceremony times.
To turn these into 6 hour or 8 hour photography packages subtract time from prep or reception depending on what is important to you. A 6 hour package will generally skip prep or reception entirely, and an 8 hour package will generally include both but with a shorter amount of time.
Make it yours! These are just guides. Add a first look, have a lunchtime wedding, photographs at dawn, family photos before the ceremony. A night time Hollywood style flash shoot for 5 minutes is really fun too! Your wedding your way x
Any questions let me know and I can help you look at your run sheet in detail. For sunset times on your exact date check out the button below.
Sample Wedding Photography Runsheets
Summer
10 hours / 4.30pm Ceremony / 8pm Sunset
1.30pm - photography starts
1.30 - 2.30pm groom/partner 1 prep (travel to partner 2)
2.45 - 4pm bride/partner 2 prep (travel to ceremony)
4.30 - 5pm ceremony
5.15 - 5.30pm group photo, family photos
5.30 - 6.30pm wedding party photos
6.30pm enter reception
7.40 - 8pm couple sneak out for sunset photos
(sunset is 8pm)
8pm onwards reception
11.30pm photography finishes
Autumn
10 hours / 3pm Ceremony / 7.30pm sunset
12pm - photography starts
12 - 1pm groom prep/partner 1 (travel to partner 2)
1.15 - 2.30 pm bride prep/partner 2 (travel to ceremony)
3 - 3.30pm ceremony
3.45 - 4pm group photo, family photos
4 - 5pm mingle with guests, canapes
5-6pm wedding party photos
6pm enter reception
7.10 - 7.30pm couple sneak out for sunset photos
(sunset is 7.30pm)
7.30pm onwards reception
10pm photography finishes
Winter
10 hours / 3pm Ceremony / 5pm Sunset
12pm - photography starts
12 - 1pm groom prep/partner 1 (travel to partner 2)
1.15 - 2.30 pm bride/partner 2 prep (travel to ceremony)
3 - 3.30 pm ceremony
3.45 - 4pm group photo, family photos
4 - 5pm wedding party photos
(sunset is 5pm)
5 - 6pm mingle with guests and canapes
6pm reception
6pm onwards reception
10pm photography finishes
Spring
10 hours / 3.30pm Ceremony / 7pm sunset
12.30pm photography starts
12.30 - 1.30pm groom/partner 1 prep (travel to partner 2)
1.45 - 3pm bride/partner 2 prep (travel to ceremony)
3.30 - 4pm ceremony
4.15 - 4.30pm group photo, family photos
4.30 - 5pm mingle with guests and canapes
5-6pm wedding party photos
6pm enter reception
6.40-7pm couple sneak out for sunset photos
(sunset is 7pm)
7pm onwards reception
10.30pm photography finishes
How much time do we need for wedding day photos?
Preparation / Getting Ready 30 - 1.5 hours
Time needed - min. 30 mins / max. 1.5 hours per person
Ideal - 1 hour for groom/partner 1 and just over an 1 hour for bride/partner 2
Getting ready - detail shots 20 mins - rings, outfits, people, bouquets, process of getting ready to story tell, candids of moments unfolding 20 mins + , and more formal style portraits when everyone is dressed ready to go 15 mins +
If you gather your details - rings, jewellery, perfume, flowers, shoes, invitations - in one spot for me I can photograph those while you finish getting ready without interrupting you to find them
First look? 10 mins - 1 hour
Time needed - min. 10 mins up to 1 hour with portraits
Ideal - 30 mins for first look and a small set of wedding party portraits
A first look is the wedding couple seeing each other for the first time before the ceremony - think tap on the shoulder and turn around
Add family or parents seeing couple for first time? A set of couple and/or wedding party portraits before the wedding? Or family portraits before the ceremony?
Sunset Portrait Session 10-30 mins
Time needed - min. 15 mins up to 30 mins
Ideal - 20 mins starting 20 mins before sunset
If you want to bring your wedding party add more time + 15-20 mins
Couples only need 15-30 mins + travel to location
Group Photo and Family Photos 10-20 mins
Time needed - min. 15 mins up to 30 mins
Ideal - 15 mins for family portraits, 5 mins for group photo if you want it
Sometimes it’s nice NOT to have a group photo and do smaller groups through the day.
We’ll do as group photo straight after the ceremony before everyone wanders off and family photos straight after that
Please send me a family photo list so we can go from the list and a person to help me call out names and wrangle! When we are organised it’s very smooth, when we aren’t it’s very stressful!
Portrait Session 45mins - 1.5 hours
Time needed - min. 45 mins up to 1.5 hour
Ideal - 1 hour + travel time
Bigger wedding parties need more time - 1 hour or more
Couples only need 30-45 mins + travel to location
Reception Highlights
Cake cut 5-10 minutes
First dance -duration of the songs
Sparkler exit - 15-20 mins to set up and photograph
Everything else is candid as it unfolds
Night time Hollywood style shoot 5-10 mins
Want to see some real wedding day runsheet including preparation and reception? Have a look here….
Author - Kirsten Cunningham, Orange Photographer