Wedding Day Timeline

Bride getting ready on the wedding morning

01

Morning and getting ready

The bride’s morning is one of the most alive parts of the day: the last touches of make-up, the dress, the nerves, the people closest to you. I usually arrive towards the end of make-up and start with the details — the dress, rings, shoes, invitations — while everyone is busy.

If the groom gets ready somewhere else, decide in advance where the photographer should be: one photographer cannot be in two places at once.

Hair and make-up2–3 hours

Photographer arrives1–1.5 hours before leaving

First look of the couple before the ceremony

02

First look before the ceremony

More and more couples meet privately before the ceremony — no guests, no rush. It takes the edge off the nerves and gives wonderfully honest emotions in the photos.

A bonus: some of the couple portraits can be done right after the first look, so you do not have to leave your guests for long after the ceremony.

Time needed20–30 minutes

03

The ceremony

The ceremony itself — in a church or a civil one — is usually shorter than you expect. Arrive with a margin: fifteen minutes late shifts the whole rest of the day.

For a church ceremony, ask about the photography rules in advance: where the photographer may stand and whether photos are allowed during the service. In churches I work without flash so as not to disturb.

Duration20–45 minutes

Tipcheck the church’s photo rules in advance

Guests congratulating the couple after the ceremony

04

Congratulations and group photos

Right after the ceremony, while everyone is together, is the best moment for group photos. Later the guests scatter and gathering everyone again is almost impossible.

Make a short list of groups in advance and ask a guest who knows everyone to help round people up. Then group photos take minutes, not half an hour of searching.

Time needed20–30 minutes

What helpsa group list + a helper among the guests

05

Couple portraits

Thirty to sixty minutes is enough for portraits — longer and you get tired and the guests get bored. The best light is the hour before sunset.

In Gothenburg that matters a lot: at the end of June the sun sets around 22:00, so you can steal twenty minutes during dinner. In winter it gets dark early — around 15:30 in December — so portraits are best planned before the ceremony or straight after it.

Time needed30–60 minutes

Best lightthe hour before sunset

06

Dinner and speeches

Speeches during dinner are a big part of a Swedish wedding, and there can be many of them. Ask the toastmaster to give the photographer a heads-up before each speech: the most honest reactions are on the faces of those listening.

I take a short break during dinner, timed so that I do not miss a single speech.

Tipagree on pauses with the toastmaster

The couple in the evening lights of the party

07

Cake, first dance and the evening

It is better not to push the first dance too late — while all the guests are still there and full of energy. Straight after dinner or after the cake is a good moment.

How long the photographer stays depends on the package: with me that is 3, 8 or 12 hours of coverage. If you want the whole evening, count the time from getting ready to the first dance.

When to danceright after dinner or the cake

Packages3, 8 or 12 hours

— how to fit everything in without rushing —