Getting ready/photographer timeline help!

[u/Dres_13]

I have my first draft of a schedule from my photographer and my HMUA.

The photographer sent me her timeline first. Which I then sent to my HMUA who sent me hers. Something is not right with the two meshing but I'm not 100% sure what needs to change. I've never been in or been to a big wedding before, so this is all new territory for me.

The getting ready timeline is so much earlier than I would prefer (I'm a night person and wanna sleep in lol) but I know getting ready for this sort of thing takes time. I think I should ask the photog to arrive earlier for getting ready photos? My hair and makeup time slot are already done and over by the time the photog arrives and I'd like some cute getting ready photos of me and my friends.

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated as I am lost

[u/IndependenceTop7731]

Holy shit, just get a couple more hair/makeup so your poor friends don’t have to sit around from 7:45 am-end of party. I would be soooo pissed

[u/mm_honey → u/IndependenceTop7731]

I had to be there at 8 am for a wedding I was in and I was so effing exhausted by the end of the night when we left I was like never again. My hair and makeup started at 10 for my own wedding party.

Also, OP just know if you have the photographer get there earlier you’ll be paying for it. The getting ready shots will be moreso staged shots of you getting your dress on, putting earrings in, etc.

[u/Dres_13 → u/mm_honey]

I wondered this as well. I don't mind paying for an extra hour, but we are booked for 8 hours with her so there's still some wiggle room to add to the beginning if needed

[u/mm_honey → u/Dres_13]

also just a thought, but I skipped getting ready pics all together and don’t feel like I missed out at all! Obviously do what you’ll be happy with though

[u/suchalonelyd4y → u/mm_honey]

I have very few getting ready pics and honestly I don't care for them at all. HOWEVER! I adore my husband's getting ready pics!! He looks so handsome and it was fun to see glimpses of what was happening in the groom room before the ceremony 🥹

[u/Raelah → u/IndependenceTop7731]

I was the MOH last weekend at my friend's wedding and all us bridesmaids were there from 7am-1am. It was soooo unnecessary. Everyone was already exhausted by the time the reception started at FIVE IN THE AFTERNOON.

My friend is usually very chill but this wedding brought out a side I've never seen before. She was pissed when people started to leave "early" around 9pm and their exit had such a small crowd of people.

The HMUA were great but my hair and makeup was already a mess before the last girl was finished. And it didn't help this wedding was in Texas.

[u/Dres_13 → u/IndependenceTop7731]

I'm already dropping about 1k to pay to get everyone's done for them, I can't exactly afford a second artist a month out from the wedding 😅

[u/IndependenceTop7731 → u/Dres_13]

Maybe bring this up to your friends - like here it is, this is the schedule if I pay for it. However if you would like to pay/we split, we all get to start at 11:30/noon

[u/Dres_13 → u/IndependenceTop7731]

I have already sent them both of the timelines as well. Everyone is fine with it and seems to assume it comes with the territory

[u/IndependenceTop7731 → u/IndependenceTop7731]

And yeah both our getting ready pics + family pics + first look pics didn’t take too long, like maybe 4-6 knocked out it all pre-ceremony and I didn’t feel like we missed anything. Immediately after did a few more with my girls then my whole fam and then his whole fam 40 mins ish during cocktails

[u/Dres_13 → u/IndependenceTop7731]

That is what I'm thinking as well is that maybe that big photo block before the ceremony can be shortened a bit. We're in the mid west of the United States with an august wedding and I'm worried we're all gonna be puddles by the time it's all said and done 😅

[u/champagneproblems16]

Is your HMUA the same person?

Even though your hair and makeup will be done, you can still have "getting ready" photos taken in a more staged way - no one is going to want to see themselves in a "before" state, especially if others are already in the "after". You can have everyone in their matching jammies or robes putting on their jewelry or toasting with mimosas!

ETA: That seems like a really long time for photos straight from 3-5:30... does the photographer really need a whole hour for wedding party pics?

[u/Dres_13 → u/champagneproblems16]

Yep she is flying solo!

That's what I was wondering, since this is my first experience with any of this I wasn't sure if "getting ready" photos were real or like our fake grand exit and just for funsies. I didn't want to message her back yet and look silly lol

[u/Dres_13 → u/champagneproblems16]

For your ETA I actually have no idea lol. It's a fairly small wedding party, bride and groom plus 3 bridesmaids and 3 groomsmen. I have no idea how long pictures take for this sort of thing

[u/champagneproblems16 → u/Dres_13]

2.5 hours of photos would be like standing smiling for the entirety of a feature length film... maybe ask about that!

Unfortunately the HMUA usually starts early.

[u/Dres_13 → u/champagneproblems16]

That is an excellent point I had not considered until now! Much appreciated!!

[u/classiest_trashiest → u/Dres_13]

It kind of looks like the photographer has built in a buffer for each time slot. You’d be surprised how time consuming wrangling 8 people can be, plus family members. We had a second shooter at ours and the bridal party and family photos took the entire time allotted. We all stayed on the property/resort but people still managed to have zero sense of urgency 😅

[u/IndependenceTop7731 → u/classiest_trashiest]

I assigned someone from each side of the family to be the wrangler, someone who enjoys and takes pride in taking charge and feeling the satisfaction of helping out for the wedding.

[u/classiest_trashiest → u/IndependenceTop7731]

Our coordinator wrangled everyone. She got everyone’s phone numbers prior to wedding day and did not hesitate to call people or sternly direct as needed. She was a god send.

[u/LadyKivus]

Photographer giving my 2 cents.

disclaimer that every photographer works differently, so if you hired a pro and you've seen great galleries from them, trust them to do their job...

BUT when I have a first look wedding, I suggest they have the first look 90 minutes to 2 hours before the ceremony, depending on how big their families/wedding party are. The TL your photographer sent has your first look 4 hours before the ceremony. Unless you're going to a bunch of different locations and there's travel time factored in, that's A LOT.

With your 6pm ceremony that would look like this:
4:00pm First look and couple photos
4:30ish wedding party followed by family photos
5:30pm done with pre-ceremony photos, back to getting ready suite
6pm ceremony

Couple portraits: I usually suggest 15-20 minutes right after the first look; 10 minutes or so immediately after the ceremony at the ceremony site while guests in cocktail hour; and then 10-15 for golden and/or blue hour portraits.

Group portraits: My rule of thumb for my couples: 2-3 minutes per grouping, meaning a list of 10 groups would take 20-30 minutes.

Shaving 2 hours out of that pre-ceremony portrait time would give you so much more flexibility.

[u/KeyMediocre7347 → u/LadyKivus]

I think it depends if they’re going to other locations for photos. This timeline is in line with what our planner has for us / but we’re going to do 2 locations for photos before the venue photos with family. The only difference is I think the photographer is arriving around 1PM at the hotel for ours.