Now that you have your engagement photo back and are almost done with wedding planning, it’s time to discuss the big day during the timeline review.

About 2 months before your wedding day, I will send you a questionnaire to fill out that will give me all the details I need to provide you with the best value for your investment. It is so important to me to know all the details so I can plan everything out. Are there going to be surprises? Who is in the wedding party and on what side? What are your must-have shots? How many family members do you have?

Regarding family formals, I usually limit the most important lists to about 10 different groups of people. I ask for all family names and relations in the questionnaire to get through family formals quickly and efficiently. Your family doesn’t know me. They will be meeting me that day. I have no idea who they are, either. That’s why I get their names. Instead of saying Helen’s family, or Jack’s siblings, my second shooter or I can call them by their names so we can get their photos taken quickly.

On average, family portraits take 20-30 minutes. With the list of names, we can use that time to include more than the 10 primary groupings. If there is time, I like to try and grab bonus photos of the couples. Your sister and her wife; your parents together; your best man and his partner, etc. This only works, though, when I get all the information upfront.

Once I get all the questions back, we set up a time to review everything in a 30-minute zoom call. You and your spouse-to-be can ask questions, tell me about the catering situation, talk about cultural traditions, etc. Being prepped with as much information before the wedding day as possible is how I give value to your investment. After the meeting, I create a pdf friendly version of your timeline and family formal list, I get the information into my calendar for the day of, and then we make final preparations for your wedding day.

If you have a wedding planner, let me know ASAP so we can align our timelines. Sometimes the timeline a planner creates won’t match up with what I think will help maximize photos. The sooner we can collaborate on the timeline, the better. I love working with wedding planners. Having a coordinator on the wedding day helps keep everyone on schedule and gives you less to worry about.

Now that we have the wedding day timeline secure, this is it; time for the next chapter: your wedding day.

TM Grey Photo is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer, as well as a Private Editor in the New Jersey area. TM Grey Photo focuses on bright and bold stories and genuine smiles. Check out more weddings, portraits, and engagements in the gallery. Want TM Grey Photo to tell your story? Let’s chat.