Today I wanted to share some wedding timeline planning tips that will hopefully be helpful for my Huntsville, Alabama couples (as well as anyone else trying to figure out when to do their wedding party photos!) More specifically, here are a few different ways that you can add wedding party photos into your timeline. This isn't meant to be an all inclusive list! But it has a few popular options, as well as a couple sample photos from some real weddings that have done that specific timeline set up.

After Family Photos

This is the traditional option! It is also usually the best option if you want to do everything at once and/or aren't doing a first look. While this can make for a longer photo session between your ceremony and getting to the party, it can be a fun break with your closest friends before you get back to the rest of your events! If you're having an afternoon ceremony, it also usually means you'll get pretty evening light for your wedding photos.

Pros:

• all your group photos will be in the same area and lighting
• spend time getting hyped with your wedding party before your wedding party
• don't need to worry about group photos before the ceremony
• opportunity for golden hour or well shaded group photos in the evening

Cons:

• can keep you away from your reception/cocktail hour longer
• can be harder to keep everyone's attention towards the end of the day
• not the best choice for weddings with earlier ceremonies (if there is no shade available in the middle of the day)
• risk of running out of light at the end of the day if the timeline runs extremely late!
• can require some endurance

Divide and Conquer

Another option for couples who aren't doing a first look — but want to break up their photos throughout the day — is to keep full wedding party photos planned for after family photos, but plan time before the ceremony to do bridesmaid and groomsmen photos separately. This can be a great time saver for post-ceremony photos, and still leaves the option open to keep things traditional and have the couple not see each other beforehand. Just keep in mind that your bridesmaid/groomsmen photos and your full wedding photos will probably have different lighting and backgrounds, since they will be at different times of day!

Pros:

• breaks group photos into more manageable chunks
• good time utilization for an otherwise slow wedding morning
• works well for afternoon ceremonies
• more time to get creative and have fun with each group (bridesmaids, groomsmen, full wedding party)
• gets everyone back to cocktail hour or the reception a bit faster

Cons:

• may not be the best option for temple weddings or morning ceremonies
• may have very different lighting/locations for each set of photos
• requires a well planned wedding morning — will cause stress if the couple and/or wedding party have set up responsibilities or a tendency to run late!

After Your First Look

If you're doing a first look on your wedding day — and many of my Alabama weddings do — planning your wedding party photos for after that (and before your ceremony) can be an awesome use of time on your wedding morning, and a great way to get excited as a group. This is also a great option for couples who don't want to keep guests waiting long after family photos or who are doing their ceremony later in the evening and may run out of light.

Pros:

• getting group photos done before the ceremony can take a lot of pressure off the latter part of the day!
• keeps group photos all in the same lighting/location
• can reduce stress pre-ceremony to spend time together as a group
• opportunity to use extra time to document a group adventure or get creative

Cons:

• may not be the best option for temple weddings/weddings without a same day first look
• can add extra stress and pressure to the wedding morning, especially if you or your wedding people have a tendency to run late or have wedding morning set up responsibilities
• may not be the best option for venues with little to no mid-day shade

These are the most common ways I've seen wedding party photos added into timelines! But keep in mind that you absolutely do not need to do it one of these ways. The important thing is that you plan your wedding to best fit what works for you and the people you love!