As we continue our Amplify Your Wedding series, today’s episode is all about how you can help your couples create the perfect wedding timeline! Timelines are essential in a wedding day, in the sense that they can make or break the wedding experience. I’m diving right into my best time-blocking strategies that ensure the wedding runs smoothly and help you amplify your business!

Today’s episode is brought to you by The Greenhouse, my resource garden for creatives to plant their dreams and grow money trees! These easy-to-use guides and templates will help you AMPLIFY your heart online and in real life to get dream clients begging to work with you year after year!

The Mindset Behind Creating The Perfect Wedding Timeline (1:51)

The Power Behind Creating Time Blocks (3:03)

The Perfect Timeline For Any Wedding (4:20)

Ceremony Time (4:51)

The First Look (8:07)

How To Plan Without A First Look (12:57)

Hair And Makeup (14:15)

When Do You Start Shooting? (19:00)

Why The Morning Timeline Is So Important (20:46)

During The Ceremony (21:36)

Family Portraits (24:39)

A Few Questions To Keep In Mind With The Timeline (26:39)

Last Things To Consider (33:04)

Hop On Over to the Quianna Marie Greenhouse & Resource Garden!

Review the Transcript:

I have never in the history of never with shooting over 200 Weddings honestly more than that. And I have never had a bride or a groom or a member of the wedding party ever look at me and say, I’m bored on a wedding day. It just doesn’t happen. Even with my crazy timeline requests. I can honestly say that I absolutely love creating stress free, fun, and super relaxed wedding days. Because let’s be honest, happy people take pretty pictures. 

Welcome to Quianna Marie weekly, a podcast for creatives who love to celebrate wins bigger small by dancing in the kitchen photographers who are excited to serve their clients and friends who are ready to chase really, really big dreams. You can find all of the resources mentioned in this episode at quiannamarie.com/podcast. Join me as I share weekly motivation, chat about growing pains, finding genuine connections and celebrating your wins through the lens of a photographer at heart. Come join me for a dance party ready loves though.

Let’s get this party started and share why helping your couples create the perfect timeline can make or break the wedding experience. Now, this episode is specifically for wedding photographers that are trying to amplify their weddings, book more dream weddings, and connect with truly grateful and high value couples. Because the more we can create these magnetic experiences in person, the more they’re going to want to tell their friends and I will absolutely forever stand by the fact that good people, no good people. All right. So let’s dive right in. I have a whole bunch of thoughts I wish I could just download in your brain about creating the perfect timeline. But I think it’s important for me to first kind of dive into the mindset behind creating this timeline. I am not like a cheat sheet person or like a blanket statement person where I can say, Oh, this is the perfect day. And here’s why. There are so many factors that go into unique weddings. And it’s so funny because I used to kind of make fun of weddings in the past and gain. Oh, there’s no such thing as a unique wedding. 

There’s no such thing. It’s all the same, like traditional American weddings are the same. But honestly, when we break down the timeline, there are so many variables and so many things that affect the timeline affect the couple, the location, the season, the time of year, how many different stops we have to make during the day all impact the timeline. So I really truly feel it would be such an injustice for me to say, oh, so the best wedding should start at 4pm. And then cocktail hour should begin at 445. Like I don’t do timelines like that. That’s just not how my brain works.

So I apologize in advance if this seems a little scatterbrained. But I truly want to break down the mindset. And the reason why I actually prefer time blocking a wedding day to set your day up for success. Before we really really go into the nitty gritty about creating these time blocks, I cannot enhance enough. Truly the power behind creating these timelines. If you are a photographer that just shows up, and kind of like flies by the seat of your pants, and loves to just document things unfold. Honestly, this probably isn’t the podcast for you. Because I don’t know I just love creating more work for myself. No, just kidding. But honestly, I really truly believe that if we can step up and create a game plan, do a little bit of prep ahead of time. 

For a couples, it honestly won’t feel like a photoshoot. And you get to help create some of the most incredible core memories for your couples and for the wedding party that will absolutely blow their wedding experience out of the water. Like it will just make their day feel so much more fun, so much more relaxed, and they will have memories of like happiness, instead of having memories of stress. Okay, plus people attach their emotions to photographs. So the more we can streamline the day and add cushions of time, the less stress your couple will have, the more fun they’ll have. And it’s just, it’s just so much better. Okay, so let’s break down the perfect timeline for any wedding, any location, different traditions, and any season. I’m actually kind of crazy and I kind of stabbed the timeline like right in the middle of the day. And then I work backwards from the ceremony time. So if you’re a list person and this is kind of wonky because it’s going out of order, I’m sorry, but this is the best way that I can describe it and the best way it works in my head. If this is a little bit confusing, I highly recommend checking out the show notes so you can kind of like piecing together okay. So the reason why you start with the ceremony time is oftentimes the venue will pick this time like sometimes our couples don’t even get to the side, but I prefer For if we do have control to plan the ceremony at least two to three hours prior to sunset. For me, I will forever and always prioritize sunshine during sunset. Even if my couple requests they have this vision in their head where they want to do a sunset wedding and they just they want that golden sky behind them, I try my hardest to divert them and to plan that ceremony at least no later than two hours prior to their sunset. 

Now this gives us plenty of daylight to last through about a 30 minute ceremony through cocktail hour through family portraits and dreamy sunset photos. Before the sun drops. I always suggest dinner and dancing to start just before dusk, especially for outdoor weddings, because you’ll want people to be able to see their food. So I actually learned this from a longtime family friend, one of my good friends since kindergarten, Lindsey, she had gotten married and it was actually her mom, Debbie Wagner that requested that we absolutely have to eat before the sun goes down. She does not want her wedding guests eating in the dark. Even if you have beautiful candle lights. And the the was really cute, like Cafe string lights coming. So romantic and so beautiful. It’s still like kind of hard to see. So thanks mrs. Wagner, I will always stick to this tip. Now a couple more things to consider for ceremony time. Okay, this is like where I really want to emphasize sunset times. So depending on your location, please do not just Google your sunset time, Google lies, okay. And here’s why it may actually be correct and be the exact sunset time. 

But maybe you are like so I used to shoot a lot of weddings up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. And there are big, big redwood trees and canyons and just mountains everywhere. So let’s say the like in October for example, maybe the sun was supposed to set at like 6:30pm Well, but four o’clock is it that was like basically sunset time like Boulton it was getting pretty dark. Okay, so we want you to consider switching out that word sunset for getting dark time. Okay. So when you’re planning that timeline with your couples, please consider the getting dark time based on their venue and based on the season instead of just that sunset time. Because there’s nothing worse than literally having your couple walk down the aisle. Read at sunset have those gorgeous dreamy photos during sunset, but then it’s dark. 

Okay, now don’t get me wrong. We are professional photographers with tons of tricks in our bags, we have the flash lighting. But if you’re anything like me, as a natural light photographer, we need the sunshine to perform to at least create that quality of work that our couples have been accustomed to. And that honestly, we sold them on. So yes, we can pop those flashes. And we can absolutely document the day and truly be a hero of the day. It’s just not what we were expecting, right. So consider that ceremony to start at least two to three hours prior to sunset. Now let’s dive into the first look. I’m going to talk about the first look as if your couples are requesting it and could not imagine it any other way. And then I’ll also give some pointers about if you’re not doing the first loss. Okay, so if you are planning a first look, and I would honestly when you’re sharing your timeline details and going over this with your couples, I will push it like I do. I am a firm believer of having my couples choose and you know whenever they choose is the best option for them. 

And I will be an advocate for them and make it happen. However, I kind of just assume we want to do a first look. And then I don’t ask them because oftentimes, they’re very unfamiliar with a first look. And like I’ve said this before in past podcast, too, who like their first look is not about more photos. Okay, the first look to me is truly like a de stressor for the day. And it just adds so much more fun and more time to be together on the wedding day. Let’s pretend like they’re just like on board with it. Okay. So the reason why I love to plan the first look two hours prior to the ceremony, okay, is I love to give one full hour for the first look, which includes the couple’s first look, and it could be the first look, the first shot, a prayer a vowel Exchange, or maybe they have gifts to swap, or even a first touch so maybe they do like a blindfold or like around the corner thing, which I think is absolutely adorable if they are requesting to not see each other until the ceremony that like first like 15 minutes of the hour is designated to the couple because honestly the first look really in reality only takes like two minutes like they literally will look at it. 

They’ll see each other and then they embrace each other. And then they look at me like Okay, what’s next? Like it goes by so fast. It’ll feel like a lifetime and like a split second in just a blink of an eye for your couples. But I truly love cleaning in about 15 minutes 15 to 20 minutes. for them to just enjoy each other and take some of those first look portraits, okay, because it’s not just the actual first law, like it’s not just the reveal, but then it’s also a couple of like sweetheart poses for them to capture during the first look, then that next half hour, okay, so if you’re following me on the hour like o’clock, because I’m such a visual person, that next half hour of that time, so the first look will be for wedding party. Okay, so wedding party photos, we can knock those out, you have one side of the of the party going on, you have another side of the party going on, and then you have everyone together one big wedding party shot. 

Okay. Then after that, then I save like the last like 15, maybe like 10 minutes left of that hour for immediate family and parents. So these are the photos for your like for your couples albums for the photos that they’re most likely going to frame in their home. This is why I prioritize getting these photos during the first look plus, now so let’s say if you’re like okay, but now they have an hour right? That hour truly after the first look before the ceremony is just a buffer that time is used for in case the first look doesn’t start right on time. It could be running 1015 30 minutes late, before we actually start the first look which honestly happens often. So that gives us a good 30 minutes after the first look to go hide to do touch ups as guests start arriving or possibly even like actually like for transportation to even get from the first look location to the venue or the church. Sometimes we do first looks at different locations. Okay? So that leaves us time for travel in time for like mistakes and like timeline derails. Okay. 

Another thing to another little key tip is I absolutely love creating that buffer time for My Brides. Because I’ve had a couple brides in the past that truly were upset that wedding guests were arriving now as photographers, I don’t know what it is about wedding days, but I feel like people in our families can be late to everything. But on weddings, they show up early. I don’t know what it is. I think they’re just excited. But if you know, you know, so wedding guests typically will arrive earlier than planned. And I never want my couple to feel rushed or like, oh, like they’re like need to go hide as when guests arrive. And it used to make me cringe and think really like to my brides like really? Like, why are you hiding? Like, is it okay, that Linda and a couple of your co workers see you early because we really need these photos. Okay, so like, I used to get irritated. And now I don’t because I plan ahead. And I like adding that buffer for them. Plus, once again, it’s time for them to grab a drink, possibly grab a bite to eat, use the restroom and do some touch ups before guests arrive. So I think that pretty much like wraps up my ceremony time as far as sunset times and preparing for the first look. Now, if they decide not to do a first look totally fine, I just would suggest that everyone arrives and gets to the ceremony space, like where they’re actually planning to get married, if they could please arrive separately the two hours before. 

So even if they’re not seeing each other before the ceremony, I typically will start with like one half, like whoever’s ready first, basically, typically the girls, I’ll have them arrive first, start their photos, get them done, and then typically have the second half of the wedding party arrive. So then that way, typically, if they get seen, like if the gentleman gets seen, it’s like totally fine. It’s like, I don’t want to say nobody cares, because that sounds horrible. It’s it’s true, everyone’s excited to see both sides of the wedding party, but you know what I mean? So we get them hidden, so they’re separate. So with or without a first look, you don’t even have to call it a first look, I would just have a rival time to the ceremony dressed ready to go. 

Within two hours before the ceremony, I typically would have the ladies come about two hours before and then the gentlemen if they’re coming, you know, like an hour before, if that’s cutting it close. That’s kind of how I would do the photos. So it’s like they each get equal time with while being hidden. So let’s go ahead and roll right into hair makeup. When should that be complete? Okay, so this is a question that we get a lot. And in my experience, I believe hair and makeup should be complete at least three hours before the ceremony. So once again, that sounds crazy. I’ve had a lot of pushback from my brides in the past saying what the heck, that’s really early like or that means I have to wake up really early if that’s the case. But this gives the wedding party plenty of time to get dressed, travel and take pictures before the first lock. Now I want to make this perfectly clear as wedding photographers. 

We need to stay in our wheelhouse, so I never, ever create a start time for the glam squad. I simply request If they can, please be complete. And I would even do I know that sounds crazy, but I would even do like three and a half hours before ceremony time, especially with a first look. Um, so that way, if they aren’t quite ready before that three hour cut off prior to the ceremony, then you know, we have buffer time once again. And I also want to do a quick shout out, okay, I feel like a lot of times, hair and makeup squads get a lotta crap for being late or for not getting done on time. But I just want to give them a shout out and let them know that they truly are doing their best. And there were so many factors on a wedding day that slow things down that are totally out of their control. Bridesmaids not arriving on time, hair and makeup maybe like having a bad day, someone not knowing exactly what they want or bridesmaids being delusional about their hair is going to do a certain thing when it’s clearly not. So they have to like kind of consult them and come up with a happy medium for the day. Like there are so many things and our brides get asked so many questions that sometimes they have to get up from their seat to go grab something or to answer questions. So like, I just want to give our hair and makeup squad some grace, and some love to know that they truly are doing their best. 

You’re dealing with people’s faces, okay, and so they literally are like our little Picasso’s in the morning. And I just want them to know that they’re supported and that they’re loved and things run late in it’s not always their fault. Okay, so that was a total tangent. But based on that, like end time that cut off time is when I I asked them, you know, what time should you start, and they’ll tell you like based on the amount of bridesmaids based on the parents if there’s any flower girls that need curls or anything like that they can give you a rough estimate of time. But for me I love coming in and saying that like three hour mark before the ceremony is golden. And what that does to is that also allows time for I call them my like boomerang champagne clinks. Okay, and I love those. Those are so fun. Oftentimes, it’s really trending right now, I don’t know if this is ever gonna go away. I think it’s really cute to have like matching pajamas or robes in the morning while the girls are getting ready. So yeah, so I want to make sure that before everyone starts getting dressed that we capture some of those photos. And then another key tip about getting ready is I always ask moms to be dressed before, like before the bride. So that way, we’re not getting dressed, and she’s not zipping her up or buttoning up her gown, in her pajamas or in her sweats. Okay, so I want her dressed and feeling good. I want to have another note here too, about getting ready. I don’t know where this myth comes from. And someone can absolutely have a different opinion than me. But sometimes there’s a push to have our brides get their makeup done last I’m not a big fan. And here’s why I always suggest having the bride somewhere in like fourth or fifth like batting position. Okay, so that’s just how my brain works. 

So I would say like in the lineup of bridesmaids, I would have them get ready about kind of in the middle. And here’s why I never want my brides to feel so rushed, that they are last getting ready, things get pushed back. And then once again, out of their control out of the the you know, makeup girls control, but then I just don’t ever want them to feel like they have to put on an eyelash or, you know, as they’re putting their shoes on and then do their touch ups as they’re literally running out the door. I like the vibe of having my bride have the nibble of food while after she’s like has perfect pristine makeup. Time for her to maybe write out her vows.

Oftentimes, I don’t know what it is. But my brides are always last minute and they’re writing out like they’re transferring their vowels from their phones to their cute little vowel books, which I think is actually adorable to do the day of to be honest. Um, but there’s like always like little things for them to do. And so I’m okay with them having full makeup doing that, right. And I think they might even prefer that tool. So at the end of the day, it really is just about them feeling relaxed and in control instead of rushed. 

Now, what time should you start shooting this is just my opinion as this whole podcast is. But as a photographer, I typically begin shooting about two hours before the first look. This gives me time for getting ready shots, playing with the details, twirling the little flower girls as they’re getting ready, group rings and all that kind of stuff. And then my assistant will be bouncing back and forth between the two wedding parties. So we can have two cameras in two locations at once. Now, I want to make this clear that my arrival time is not same as my shooting time. So let’s say I am arriving about two hours before the first look. And then from there, I’m probably arriving like honestly a good hour, at least no later than 45 minutes than my scheduled start time.

The reason why I do this is because I’m crazy. And I just want to make sure that there’s plenty of time to a lot for parking or travel or just things out of my control and loading and getting things in Like I love arriving into my getting ready suite with my girls and having them go, oh my god, what time? Is it thinking that I’m arriving on time and it’s later than it is right? So I like telling them no, no, I’m early, I’m early, I’m just kind of getting the lay of the land, I can find a place to hang the dress, I can do like my due diligence before I even start shooting. Because there’s nothing worse than having a start time. And then arriving late, right, you’re like lugging your stuff up from the car, you’re figuring out the hotel and exactly where they are and what room they’re in what wing they’re in. Sometimes there’s a lot of wacky, and I just don’t ever want to be like even just 10 minutes late to begin shooting like I like to give that peace of mind. 

Okay, so that’s just a tip about when you should start to rephrase, it’s about two hours before the first look, if not a little bit more. Now, this is why I’ve spent so much time chatting about the morning timeline. I emphasize this because it truly sets the tone of the day. Once a train is in motion, like once the timeline starts rolling out. Honestly, it’s impossible to make up time and catch up. Now, as a photographer, I want to kind of just motivate you, inspire you and reassure you that we’re not like magicians, okay? Like at a certain extent, we pop in to capture the day and to help add value and love and core memories to the day. But we are not like the sole Gestapo, like, you know, like the timeline, checklist person, like we are like not in charge of the day.

Okay, we are there to like make everything look pretty and run as smoothly as possible by adding these values after the ceremony. So now this is how my brain works. Okay, so now that we have like, started from the ceremony and worked backwards, so the getting ready time. Now let’s go back to the ceremony and then chat about exactly how long the ceremony it should be okay, so that we have like our start time, I want to break down exactly like what happens like after the start time of the ceremony. So even if my couple insists that the wedding is only 15 to 20 minutes long, even if they insist it’s it’s not religious, it’s nondenominational. They’re literally just exchanging vows exchanging rings going in for that kiss, and then the party can begin, okay. And I love to plan for at least one full hour for the ceremony. And here’s why. 

We like to add about a good 10 to 15 minutes buffer for a start time. So in case there are any VIPs family members, or anyone that isn’t quite arrived where they’re supposed to be. It gives us that time, also. Okay, so let’s say like, even if we don’t start till 10 to 15 minutes after, then we have, you know, 1520 30 minutes ceremony, they go by pretty fast. This next time is going to be the biggest time sucker of the day after your couple is announced. And don’t forget to pause them in the middle of the aisle and go for that dip kiss, which is just my favorite. And that once they are announced walk down the aisle and then their wedding party is swirls around them. That is literally the biggest time sucker of the day that time could take five to 15 to even 20 minutes of them celebrating. Now, this is why this is so important to plan for at least that full hour. Because you don’t want to be this psycho photographer that is like, oh my gosh, stop. We need to go take photos.

Okay, they are embracing their wedding party, their parents, maybe even champagne being passed around and hors d’oeuvres. And honestly, this like they just got married, like let them have their moments, okay, like, don’t rush in and start yelling and screaming because I can guarantee you if your day has already gone by so smoothly that you’ve set your day up for success and things are just like everything’s going smooth, everything is sounding good. And then you get to this point in the day and you turn into a psycho photographer that is like we need this and you start pulling out your your family portrait list and you start bossing people around and you’re you know, irritated that there’s still people in the ceremony space like all this chaos is happening. 

This is like a mood check for you. Okay, like just take a chill pill, okay. And honestly just enjoy that time for your couples and don’t pull them away so quickly. So I love allowing a good 15 to 20 minutes of that time. So then they can soak it up and then we can kind of push them into and oftentimes My Brides will be like Okay, it’s time for photos like let’s go because they want to get the ball rolling and go enjoy cocktail hour. So that’s why it’s so important no matter how adamant that your couple is that your their ceremony is only going to be 15 to 20 minutes long.

Please a lot that full hour and then so right after ceremony will start rolling into family portraits. I have a key tip for you at this time is to make sure that you try to grab at least one large wedding portrait, like wedding party photo in the ceremony space. This is going to be so important because your couple has invested so much time and energy and money into that ceremony. any space, that it’s just going to be magical to get a couple portraits of the wedding party in front of it. And this also goes for large, like religious ceremonies in churches. So this totally could be like a parent thing. But I was raised Catholic. 

And I’ve had some friends that have told me, I wasn’t their photographer, but have told me that they’re really bummed that they didn’t get a wedding party portrait in front of that classic altar. Okay, so anyway, that was just my key tip to make sure you grab those. And you should allot a good like 30 minutes, especially with the first look already done for extended family photos and any type of like groupings that they may need.

After that, then I would love to plan a good couple like, that’s when I actually take my couple and I start doing some really weird portraits. This is a surprise that I tell them in the timeline, but they often forget. But it’s so important to grab because just in case, for any reason, we’re unable to sneak away for sunset portraits, it’s just another moment in time for them to grab some really beautiful, like romantic photos that they’re actually married. Because the first look is special, whether or not they did it or not. Um, but this is just a quick snag.

Oftentimes, photographers forget that. So I want to make sure you are including that right after the ceremony. And then the couple can enjoy a good, I’d say 15 to 20, if not 30 minutes of their cocktail hour, then at that point, to be perfectly honest, that’s where I’m like, who like my hard work is over, I really leave it up to the DJ to take control and to bust out the timeline from there. So that pretty much sums up the like time blocking, I wanted to before we close out, I wanted to give you a couple like questions that I know you will be asked, okay, on wedding day. 

And these are things that I want to encourage you that you don’t have to be like they don’t have to be memorized. But you do have to have, like some type of base where you can like do a quick math problem and like figure it out, okay? Because once again, I see the power in being that resource for parents for wedding party. You know, brides needs and stuff like they’re gonna ask you questions, and if you can answer them and give them a good, good answer, like the correct answer, you will add so much value to the day.

Okay, so while you are prepping those checkpoints, for your couples, please remember the food. Okay, I’m all about the food we were raised. I mean, I am Italian. So I’m all about the snacks and water. So please make sure that you’re adding breakfast and lunch for the wedding party. And even if it’s not like a time check, like nothing’s really happening. It’s just kind of overlapping during that time of day. Please make sure that they’re aware of it that they need to account for it. And then I wanted to share some getting ready checkpoints for the bridesmaids and the groomsmen to get dressed. So this is a timeline checkpoint that often doesn’t get listed, they just kind of assume like, oh, we should be ready by a certain time, but we don’t have a time check for when they should be dressed. 

Okay, so um, they should absolutely be dressed like the bridesmaid should be dressed at least a good 10 to 15 minutes before the bride if she wants them, you know, to be all dressed and ready to roll for those portraits as she’s slipping into her dress, but it’s also a preference. So this is why this gets so tricky. And I’m sorry if it’s so confusing, but I hope this is helpful so far. What time should parents get ready? This is a question that you will get asked literally seven times on a wedding day. Okay, um, I have a preference for especially the mothers of the bride to be ready before the bride so she’s not getting dressed like in her sweats.

Okay, so I tried to make that perfectly clear. Hey, you have options yet, it might sound kind of crazy that you’re getting ready about three hours before the ceremony. But if you don’t want to be wearing your sweats and the sweater and like, you know, have your hair be in a hot mess, I highly suggest you’re getting dressed before your daughter. What time should flower girls and ring bearers get dressed? This is really important, okay? And it totally varies based on the age, the location, the time, all the things, but I wanted to give you a couple key pointers. Personally, I will forever and always prioritize little people and their nap in their food schedule. Okay. So I would actually forego them even arriving. So if your couple was planning to first look, I wouldn’t even have your little ones ready then I would prioritize them for the ceremony. 

And then for like family portraits with grandparents and extended family and wedding party after the ceremony. Now this is just a key tip that I have noticed over over a decade of shooting weddings that I just I would never prioritize a photo for these little two or three year old children prior to the ceremony for them to literally have a meltdown during the ceremony. So like I said, children are so like, I mean, they’re so fragile so they are literally ticking time bombs.

So it’s hard to control that. But I just want to give you that grace to give your couples and give, you know, the young parents of these children like it’s totally okay for them to nap during the first lock, if that’s what their time is. Another time check that you need to consider is what time do we need to leave for the church or the venue. So if you have a getting ready space, in a different ceremony space, whether you’re going to the venue or the church, it’s so important to have a cut off time for when people should be ready to leave. Because once again, you need to consider elevators, walking, time driving, and parking. I want to share a quick story. I know this is so much information it’s going on forever. But I want to share even if your bride tells you the church is only seven minutes from the hotel. Okay, well, it’s just a seven minute drive. Personally, because I’m crazy, I would allot at least at least 30 minutes for travel. 

Okay, and here’s why. It’s going to take her 15 minutes to get downstairs, okay, like, they’re gonna have to gather their things, they’re going to have to walk down, there’s going to be the dress, they’re gonna have to pause in the hallway, because her dad is walking down and they haven’t done the first look. But dad, right, like, all of these things are happening. Okay? And so it’s gonna take time. Okay. So considering when they should actually leave based on the location is huge. Okay, another little note I have here are puppies. If you’re a couple would like to include their dogs, or any pets for that matter, I always suggest some puppy love during the first look. And here’s why. This is a much calmer time of day with less stimulation for your puppies.

Also, this is another key tip that I’m like super about most of the humans that your dog loves, and I’m talking about your couples that they love and trust. They’ll be at the wedding, like most of the people that are like your dog’s best friends that they absolutely love and adore are most likely going to be wedding guests. So this is a great time during the first look to maybe have a sister in law or someone that hasn’t quite made the cut for the wedding party to run and get your dog and then have them enjoy the first look safely take them back home if they’re local and close enough. And so that way your trusted loved one or friend or co worker that knows your dog really well can get back in time for the ceremony. 

That’s totally just a Kiana tip that I wanted to add. Um, so make sure that they’re included. If the first look is on a time to do puppy photos, then I would suggest they bring the dog like during sunset portraits. Because like all the hoopla is done if the puppy pops up and you know, get some like mud or dust on clothes or on the dress like It’s like photos are pretty much wrapped up. Those are just like the little cherry on top photos. That’s what I would prioritize next. And then actually number three, even though I absolutely love dogs, I would prioritize the ceremony as being like the third option to be honest. So first look, sunset portraits and in the ceremony with these are also things to consider in the timeline for your couple. Once again, this makes you the expert. A couple things to consider is like first look with parents if your bride is doing a first look with Dad, if parents are doing a first look with each other. That is a really, really sweet way. I mentioned that in the previous episode about creating magnetic experiences that you can kind of create these core memories for your couples and their families. So all those need to be accounted for to now don’t like I said before, don’t worry about memorizing them. These are just kind of checkpoints to consider as you’re building out that perfect timeline because people will ask and I want you to feel like the expert. I want you to feel like the timeline genius. Okay. All right. So creating these magnetic experiences for people, building connections and providing all of this love and attention to the day in person is truly what’s going to set you apart. When the wedding party can feel stress free and low key instead of a hot mess Express.

They’ll thank you and be way more excited to refer you never, never forget that the best marketing tool for your business is you. It’s you baby. share expertise, share your knowledge and leave every wedding with the confidence that you’ll turn bridesmaids into future brides. It’s totally possible. Today’s episode is sponsored by the Green House, the resource garden where photographers and creatives gather to plant dreams and grow money trees. Just like a garden your business will experience seasons, growing pains and tons of opportunities for growth even when it feels muddy. Head over to Kiana marie.com/shop to grab bundles of affordable templates, guides workshops and education to help your business bloom. If you love this episode, please please please leave a five star review and share on Instagram. 

Take a pic show me what you’re doing. Take a screenshot of what you’re listening to. It truly is a joy to share. Secrets and to help you amplify your weddings. If you would like more help on this topic, please reach out shoot me a DM on Instagram. I’m more than happy to chat and to help keep on dancing baby. That’s a wrap on another episode of Kiana Murray weekly. Thank you so much for your listenership and support. You can find the resources and show notes for this episode and more at quiannamarie.com/podcast. I’d be honored if you’d show your support by leaving a review and rating on your favorite podcast app. Until next time, keep on dancing.