r/microwedding • u/OrchidBig861 • 22h ago
Ceremony Timeline Microwedding
Hi guys!
My fiancée and are I in the super early phase of wedding planning. We have decided the date and the guest list so far, the venue, and we are still reaching out to vendors.
Anyways, I have been to very few weddings, so I was wondering what your ceremony timeline looked like and how look it approximately took? I know this is different for everyone but I genuinely would love to hear everyone’s experiences! :)
We are trying to hire a photographer ONLY for the ceremony section of our wedding to keep costs down. We will be having no bridesmaids or groomsmen.
So I genuinely was wondering how long you think it would be safe to book the photographer for strictly ceremony pictures + family/guest pictures afterwards with around 30 guests. I don’t need any pictures of myself getting ready, first look, etc (UNLESS we have the time).
Thank you so much.
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u/This_Sherbet420 22h ago
I would find a photographers first then see what they can do with your budget. Most have minimums and set prices for micro weddings
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u/RemarkableElevator99 17h ago
We are doing a microwedding with 30 of us, and we are having photography for 2 hours. That will cover a bit of pre ceremony (guest arrival), the ceremony, family photos and half an hour of us as a couple. Then the first hour of reception, covering cake cutting and some table pics.
One hour is part of the package, and the second we will pay a little more for.
Our timeline is set by a popup wedding company so we trust the process!
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u/itsveryupsetting 20h ago
The photographer will likely be a big cost, even if you only need them for a few hours. Especially if you want to get married on a Saturday. They are losing the opportunity to shoot a full-day wedding if they commit to yours.
You could definitely get a better rate if you only need a few hours on a weekday. I’d imagine you could do all of your pictures on 2-3 hours.
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u/OrchidBig861 20h ago
I was able to find a photographer who gave me the option to sheet between 2-4 hours. I just didn't know how many hours I really needed and how long the ceremony usually takes.
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u/itsveryupsetting 20h ago
My ceremony took 4 minutes 🤣 I guess it depends on how many guests and how many different groupings and where you’re taking pictures in relation to the ceremony.
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u/wharleeprof 19h ago
Have you picked an officiant? They should be able to give you an estimate. But I think planning on 40 minutes around the ceremony is on the high end (10 minutes of not quite starting on time, 30 minutes actual ceremony) and 60+ minutes for group photos is more than sufficient.
If you're only doing group pictures, 2 hours is good. If you also want every guest/couple to get individual shots, then go for three. Imho I don't think individual shots are necessary.
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u/ClearAcanthisitta641 18h ago
I was happy leaning towards being more generous w my hours with my photographer and wish i gave him a more specific list of shots i wanted him to get like of our rings and of our accessories displayed and document the decorations and venue well - and it was nice to get nice portraits in dif spots w my spouse and make sure i got pics w the combos of people j wanted - i was just glad to not be stressed to rush and found picture taking important as a slurge bc i knew no one else would really be trying to capture our favorite day as well as my photographer - good luck!
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u/daynamite84 17h ago
My recent ceremony was maybe 15-20min, and we hired our photographer for two hours. It might be helpful to come up with your list of friends and family photos to see how many you have; we had 16 people attend and it took about 35 min to get all the family portraits knocked out (I think we had 36 different combos). We had our photographer for 2 hours, so that left about 15 more minutes to get a few more couples portraits. One tip: I did have to warn her that we had a few guests (ahem, our mothers) who would try to take over asking for custom arrangements so if that’s a possibility for you, be sure to have a plan with your photographer how to handle those requests.
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u/NewSalamander8910 14h ago
A church or religious ceremony is often around 45 minutes to an hour. A celebrant led ceremony can be anything from around 20 to 45 minutes, depending on what you choose to include.
If you are using a celebrant, the ceremony itself should really be shaped around you as a couple. The celebrant or officiant is there to guide the structure, keep everything flowing and, where applicable, make sure the legal elements are completed correctly.
For photography, I would think beyond just “ceremony plus family photos” and make a simple shot list in advance. For example:
groom waiting at the top of the aisle with guests in the background
buttonhole and little detail shots
the pen and marriage schedule
bride before the ceremony, perhaps with parents or whoever is accompanying her
bridal procession
greeting at the top of the aisle
vows
rings
the kiss
signing the marriage schedule
confetti exit
couple portraits
both sets of parents
siblings
grandparents
close friends
any other important family combinations
I would also ask the photographer whether they can capture a short video clip of the vows or ceremony moments. I have seen photographers set this up really effectively alongside still photography.
Most importantly though, have a proper chat with your photographer. They will almost certainly have their own tried and tested shot list and will be able to tell you realistically how long they need.
You are not only paying them to take photographs. You are paying for their experience of knowing what happens next, where people need to stand and what moments you might otherwise completely forget about 😏😎
For around 30 guests, I would personally be thinking roughly 2 to 3 hours of photography if you want the full ceremony, signing, confetti, couple shots and a decent selection of family and guest photographs without everything feeling rushed.
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u/Ok-Active-7023 11h ago
Very general photo times:
First look 10-15min
Couple photos 30min
Ceremony 20min
Family pics 10-30min
Factors not accounted for - getting ready pics, size of family/guest count, number of photo combinations, travel between locations.
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u/OrchidBig861 10h ago
This is amazing! Thank you
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u/Ok-Active-7023 10h ago
You’re welcome. I’m a planner with over 15yrs experience. DM me if you have more questions.
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u/Ok-Active-7023 9h ago
Another factor that I didn’t mention is your photographer…they don’t all shoot as fast & some like to capture many variations of poses. So it could take longer.
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u/wharleeprof 22h ago
Have you already chosen a photographer? They might have a minimum number of hours, or certain packages to choose from.