Free wedding planner

Plan your wedding day, hour by hour

Start from a ready timeline, change every moment to fit your day, and get tips on light, buffers and photos from a wedding photographer who has planned hundreds of them. Save it and come back any time.

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Example: a church wedding day with the ceremony at 15:00

This is the church ceremony template as a photographer would plan it. Open any moment to see why it sits where it does — or start your own plan above and change everything.

  1. 10:30–12:45 Hair & makeup Home / hotel

    Book the stylist to finish at least an hour before you get dressed. Hair and makeup almost always run 15–30 minutes late, and a calm hour afterwards shows in every photo.

  2. 12:45–13:15 Details: rings, dress, invitations Home / hotel

    Put the rings, shoes, perfume, jewellery and an invitation in one box the night before. The photographer shoots them in 20 minutes instead of searching the room.

  3. 13:15–13:50 Getting dressed Home / hotel

    Pick the room with the biggest window and move bags and hangers out of it. A parent or best friend helping with the buttons makes some of the most personal photos of the day.

  4. 14:00–14:30 Travel to the ceremony

    Plan for twice what the map says. Parking, a photo by the car and a forgotten bouquet add up quickly.

  5. 14:30–15:00 Guests arrive Church

    Write a start time 15–20 minutes earlier in the invitation. Someone is always late, and the ceremony shouldn’t wait.

  6. 15:00–15:40 Ceremony Church

    A church ceremony usually takes 30–45 minutes. Ask the officiant in advance whether photos are allowed during the ceremony and where the photographer may stand.

  7. 15:40–16:10 Congratulations & confetti Church

    Everyone wants to hug you, and that takes time: about 30 minutes with 80 guests. Hand out confetti or petals before you walk out, so the exit photo has everyone ready.

  8. 16:10–16:35 Group photos Church

    Allow 2–3 minutes per group. Make the list in the Group photos tab and ask a relative who knows both families to call people in.

  9. 16:35–17:10 Couple portraits Church

    30–45 minutes for just the two of you. Choose a spot within 10 minutes of the venue, and keep water, tissues and a mirror in the car.

  10. 17:10–17:30 Travel to the venue

    If you take portraits on the way, guests start drinks without you. Tell the toastmaster when you expect to arrive.

  11. 17:30–18:10 Welcome drinks & mingle Venue

    Families meet, guests relax, and the photographer gets the candid shots. Serve something to eat — dinner is still a while away.

  12. 18:20–18:35 Entrance & seating Venue

    Seat the guests first, then walk in. Everyone’s reaction ends up in one frame.

  13. 18:35–21:05 Dinner & speeches Venue

    Ask the toastmaster to hold speeches between courses. Serve the photographer’s meal at the same time as yours — then no speech is missed.

  14. 21:05–21:20 Cake cutting Venue

    Cut the cake right after dinner, while the room is still lit and everyone is seated. Later the lights go down and half the guests are dancing.

  15. 21:20–21:30 First dance Venue

    Open the dance floor while the photographer is still there. Give the DJ the exact song and say when guests should join in.

  16. 21:30–22:00 Party starts Venue

    The first 30 minutes of dancing bring the most energetic photos. After that most couples let the photographer go.

  17. 22:00–01:00 Party & late night Venue

    A late-night snack around midnight keeps the dance floor full.

How a photographer plans a wedding day

A good timeline isn’t about squeezing more in. It’s about leaving room for what can’t be planned. Here is what I look at first when a couple sends me their day.

1

Start from two fixed points

The ceremony time and the sunset. Everything else moves around them. In Gothenburg the sun sets after 22:00 in June and before 15:30 in December — the same timeline doesn’t work all year.

2

Getting ready always runs late

Plan hair and makeup to finish an hour before you get dressed. That hour is never wasted: it becomes relaxed photos instead of a rush out the door.

3

Congratulations take longer than you think

Every guest wants a hug. With 80 guests it’s about half an hour, and group photos only start once it’s over. Make a list of groups and give it to someone who knows both families.

4

Fifteen minutes of golden hour

The hour before sunset gives the softest light of the day. Step outside for 15–20 minutes during dinner or the party — guests barely notice, and it’s often the photo on your wall.

5

Speeches between courses

Ask the toastmaster to spread the speeches out and serve the photographer’s meal at the same time as yours. Then nobody eats while the best speech happens.

6

One timeline for everyone

Two weeks before, send the same version to the venue, toastmaster, DJ, stylist and photographer. Most surprises on the day come from people working from different plans.

Questions about planning the wedding day

How many hours of photography does a wedding day need?

A full day from getting ready to the first dance usually needs 8–10 hours of photography. A small city hall wedding with a portrait walk and dinner fits into 5–7 hours.

When is golden hour for wedding photos in Gothenburg?

Roughly the hour before sunset. In late June the sun sets around 22:15, so golden hour falls during the evening party. In mid-December it sets around 15:25, so couple portraits are best taken before the ceremony.

How long do group photos take?

Plan 2–3 minutes per group and about 6 minutes for a photo with all guests. Seven groups take around 25 minutes — faster if a relative who knows both families gathers people.

How long do congratulations after the ceremony take?

With 80 guests, about 30 minutes. Group photos can only start after everyone has congratulated the couple, so leave room for both.

Is a first look worth it?

Seeing each other before the ceremony calms the nerves and frees 30–45 minutes for portraits, so you can stay with your guests afterwards. It is especially useful in winter, when daylight ends early.

When should we book a wedding photographer?

Popular summer Saturdays are often booked about a year ahead. Nine to twelve months before the wedding is a safe time to book.

Do we need hindersprövning to marry in Sweden?

Yes. You apply at Skatteverket before the wedding. The certificate is valid for four months, so apply in the last months before the wedding, not a year ahead.