The right coverage for your wedding day, with an hour-by-hour sample timeline

A real wedding timeline, hour by hour

This is a typical timeline for an Arizona wedding with an afternoon Mass and a reception in a banquet hall. Use it to see which moments fall inside each package.

Sample timeline for a 12-hour wedding day

A full day, from getting ready to the last song.

With 8 hours from 2:00 to 10:00 pm, you cover the ceremony, the family photos, the couple's session and the whole reception. With 10 hours, you add leaving the house and the first look. With 12 hours, you add both of you getting ready. Each separate place counts as a location (2 in the Essential, 3 in the Complete, 4 in the Deluxe), so a couple's session at a separate park adds one and fits only if your package has a location to spare.

What each package includes besides the hours

Hours aren't the only thing that changes between packages. The number of locations on the event day changes too, and so does what you receive afterward.

Why coverage ends at 10:00 pm

After 10 at night, the key moments have almost always happened: the grand entrance, the toast, the first dance, the cake and the bouquet. What follows is the party, and many couples would rather put that money toward something else.

If your reception starts late or your family dances until the early morning, you can add hours at $150 each. Once we see your timeline, we'll tell you honestly whether you really need them.

When you need more than one photographer

One person can't be in two places at once. If the bride and groom are getting ready in different homes at the same time and you want both, you need a second member of the team.

• Additional photographer: $500 for the first 4 hours, then $125 per hour.
• Additional videographer: $600 for the first 4 hours, then $150 per hour.
• 4-hour minimum, never more hours than your package, booked by the date of your final payment.

What eats up the most time on a wedding day

Hours go to things nobody writes on the timeline. Keep these in mind when you do the math:

• Travel: hours are continuous, so the drive from the church to the park and on to the reception counts inside them.
• Waiting: a Mass that starts late, makeup that runs over or heat that means waiting in the shade.
• Family photos: with a list of groups ready, they take 15 to 20 minutes; without one, they can take twice as long. Use our wedding family photo list.
• The crew's dinner: count the photographer and the videographer in your catering headcount. They eat while your guests have dinner and are ready for the toast and the first dance.