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Wedding Timetables in SEQ: A Photography Teams Guide

Southeast Queensland offers stunning backdrops for weddings, from coastal beauty to hinterland charm and city vibes. With experience behind the camera, we’ve learnt that to have a smooth stress-free day a well-structured timeline is a must. 

Here’s a guide, along with some insider tips and tricks, to help you plan the perfect wedding timetable.

Prioritize Natural Light:

Lighting is everything. The natural beauty of the region is best showcased during the golden hour — that magical time just after sunrise or before sunset when the light is soft and warm.

Plan your couple portraits or outdoor shots during golden hour. Depending on the season, golden hour/ sunset occurs roughly around:

• Summer: 6:20 PM – 6:50 PM
• Autumn: 5:45 PM – 6:15 PM
• Winter: 4:50 PM – 5:20 PM
• Spring: 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM

You’ll want to structure the timeline so that you have this time free for shooting.

Tip: Based on estimates of seasonal sunsets here are some rough timeframes on when to start your ceremony:

• Summer: 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
• Autumn: 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
• Winter: 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
• Spring: 3:00 PM- 3:30 PM

Work Backward from the Ceremony:

Your ceremony time will determine much of the day’s flow, so always start by locking that in first. Once you know the ceremony time, you can build the rest of the schedule backward and forward.

Example timeline for a 3:00 PM ceremony:

• 11:30 AM: Groom getting ready shots

(Yes, you can always take the suit off after your initial photos)

• 12:30 PM: Bride getting ready shots

Typically the 1.5 hours can be quite jam-packed, so it’s always better to include a little buffer time here than potentially run late for setup at the ceremony.

• 2:00 PM: Travelling to the venue/ final pre-ceremony preparations/ camera and video equipment set up 

– This allows up to 30 minutes of travel time to the ceremony location, and 30 minutes to set up all camera, video, and audio equipment.

• 3:00 PM: Ceremony begins

Tip: Include buffer time between events.
Gather all of your details together before our arrival.
Schedule final hair and makeup to finish just after the Aesthete team arrives, this leaves plenty of time for getting dressed and traveling to the ceremony site.
Buffer time is your best friend for avoiding stress and last-minute delays.

Plan Group Photos Efficiently:

Group photos are often one of the most chaotic parts of the day. Planning ahead is key. Right after the ceremony is a great time to get these shots done since everyone is gathered (having a detailed shot list will streamline the process).

We recommend starting with the largest group photo first, then working your way down to the smallest group. Eg: Starting with all wedding guests and eliminating people from the photo until you’re left with parents, siblings, grandparents etc.

Tip: Assign someone (usually a bridesmaid or groomsman) who knows both sides of the family to help organize group shots. This person can help call out names, gather people, and ensure no one is missed.

Time Allocation: Plan about 30 minutes for family and group photos, depending on the size of the families.

Post-Ceremony Portraits:

After the ceremony, group and bridal party photos, the bride and groom are usually whisked away for couple portraits. In Southeast Queensland, wedding venues often boast a variety of backdrops (beaches, mountains, gardens), so maximizing this time ensures you can explore different areas and get diverse shots.

Tip: Please factor in travel time if you would like any photos at “off-premise” locations.

We’ll come armed with an array of poses for your couple’s photos, but sending “inspiration” photos/ mood boards in advance will help your photographer/ videographer ensure they’re making your aesthetic dreams come true.

Time Allocation: Plan 30 minutes for group photos, 30 minutes for bridal party photos, and 60 minutes for your couple portraits.

Dinner & Speeches:

Speeches can be run before, during, or after dinner service, typically this comes down to preference and the type of dinner service (formal/ informal). We recommend checking in with your venue/ caterer to see when they prefer dinner and speeches to commence.

Tip: Sending through a speech list (a list of people who will be making speeches) will allow your caterers, photographers, and videographers to plan correctly for the occasion.

* Don’t forget, vendors need food too. Especially videographers and photographers.*

Allocate time for Candid moments:

Some of the best moments to capture are the ones you can’t plan. 

To give your photography and videography team the best chance at capturing these moments try to avoid back-to-back scheduling, this can create a stressful environment and leave little room for the organic moments.

Remember, a relaxed bride and groom always photograph and film better.

Tip: When in doubt about how long something may take always schedule in a little extra time; it’s better to be relaxed and have extra time, then be rushing from one thing to the next.

End with a Bang: Capturing the Exit

Don’t forget the grand exit! Whether it’s a sparkler send-off, a classic car getaway, or something unique, plan for this moment to ensure it’s captured beautifully. Eg, if its a sparkler send-off think about who will have sparklers? is the whole wedding party involved? Will it be a mock exit?

Tip: If your photographer is leaving before the end of reception, fake your exit! This is known as a “mock” exit. You can always run through and stage your exit before the end of the reception, then return to party into the night.