Indian Wedding Photography Timeline: Made by an Editor
With so many rituals in an Indian wedding, finding time for your portrait shots can be challenging. To help ensure you have dreamy wedding photos to look back on, we have created the ultimate Indian wedding photography timeline.
A wedding photography timeline is an itinerary where you can schedule and plan each portion of your event so there’s enough time to take your dream wedding photos. Many couples believe they can squeeze all their wedding functions and rituals together, often leading to chaos and regrets. This is why planning a schedule and following it is pretty essential. This ensures timeliness and organisation during your functions and keeps the wedding day chaos at bay!
Follow this wedding photography timeline to ensure you have enough time to shoot before and after your wedding events.
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Expert Tips to Plan the Timeline
Before working on your wedding event photography timeline, check out these expert tips to make your planning journey easier.
1. Plan Backwards Once You Know the Mahurats
If you are planning your rituals at mahurats (auspicious timings), discuss the final timings with your pandit or astrologer first, and then work backwards to assign dedicated time slots for each event.
For example, if you are planning your pheras, exchange of vows, the acceptance ceremony or laavan at around 4:30 pm, ask your priest or officiant at what time your arrival or entrance should be planned, keeping in mind the time needed for the ceremonies in between like varmala ceremony, kanyadaan/shankhyadaan in case of a Hindu marriage, the presentation, homily or prayer in case of a Christian wedding, the sermon ceremony in case of Nikah, and the Akhand path in case of Anandkaraj or Sikh wedding.
If we follow the Hindu wedding example, we now know that your bridal and groom's entry needs to be planned at least an hour before your pheras so there’s enough time for the varmala ceremony and the gotra exchange rituals. So, if your entry is scheduled at 3 p.m., consult your photographer to understand how long your pre-wedding shots will take.
2. Plan the Bride and Groom Getting-Ready Shots
The photographer could either assign two teams to take the bride and groom’s getting-ready portraits separately in different parts of the wedding venue or complete the groom's portraits first while the bride gets ready. The team can cover the bridal shots once the draping and makeup are complete. (This is applicable for all pre-and post-wedding events.) You should assign at least 30 minutes before the couple enters for portrait photography and close-up shots for your pre-wedding events.
3. Consider Including a First Look
I recommend following this trend because it makes wedding photography planning so much easier. All you have to do is check with your photographer and assign time before the bridal entry. This would be around 30 minutes with the groom before the bride enters the venue and reveals the look to the guests. If you want separate time for first looks with close friends or parents, add 30 minutes to your first-look timeline.
P.S: If, as a couple, you decide not to opt for the first-look trend and reveal the bride and groom’s wedding day look to each other during the entry, then you must remember to assign time for couple photos after the entry. This could be planned after the varmala before you sit in the mandap for your rituals.
4. Keep a Buffer Time
Even if you meticulously plan your wedding photography timeline, mishaps and delays are common during weddings. Keep some buffer time, especially on the wedding day, to ensure you don’t miss the ceremony timings. Add 15-30 minute buffers to ensure things happen seamlessly on your wedding day.
Wedding Day and Reception Photography Timeline Sample
Photography: FourFold Pictures, Outfit: Anita Dongre
If you plan a beautiful sun-downer wedding followed by a wedding reception in the same venue, print out this sample and use it as your ultimate timeline. You can’t go wrong with this because you will avoid the hassle of rushing people to reach different venue locations, and the bride and groom will have ample time to share with their loved ones.
10 am: The photography team arrives
10:30 - 12:00 pm: Getting ready photos
- Hair-stylist doing the bride’s hair
- Make-up artist doing the bride’s final touch-up
- Bride’s final getting-ready shots
- Groom getting ready with groomsmen
- Bride and Mother of the bride and sister moments
- Bride/groom with pets (if applicable)
12:15 - 12:45 pm: Bride and Groom Portraits (separate teams)
- Bride’s Portraits
- Groom’s Portraits
1:00 - 1:30 pm: First Look and Couple Portraits
(In case you opt for First Look)
- Couple seeing each other in their wedding look for the first time
- Couple Portraits
1:45 - 2:45 pm: Couple Entry and Varmala
(start from 2:30 pm if you don’t opt for the first look)
- Bridal Entry
- Varmala
- Couple with family
- Couple with brides tribe
- Couple with groomsmen
2:30 - 5:30 pm: Ceremony
- Guests arriving
- Family members with relatives/friends
- Detailed shots of the rituals
- Moments in the mandap
- Saat Phere
6:30 - 7:30 pm: Guests at Reception
- Reception Decor (bar decor, table set-up etc
- Guests together
7:30 - 8 pm: Couple’s Entry for Reception
- Couple’s entry for reception
- Couple’s portrait in reception look
8 - 8:45 pm: Family Portraits/Candid during Cocktail
- Groom with family
- Bride with family
- Couple with bride’s family
- Couple with groom’s family
- Couple with both families
- Couple with bride’s grandparents
- Couple with groom’s grandparents
- Couple with both set of grandparents
- Couple with bride’s siblings
- Couple with groom’s siblings
- Couple with both set of siblings
- Couple with kids at the wedding
8:45 pm: Wedding Reception Moments
- Candid photos at the dance floor
- Bride mingling with guests
- Groom mingling with guests
- Parent’s dance
- Cake cutting (if applicable)
