Catholic weddings are a sacred ceremony in which two become one before God and His church, forging a sacred bond. Many couples ask us as Catholic wedding photographers about our expertise in crafting timelines, and for that we have lots of advice after being wedding photographers for more than 15 years.
Timelines for Catholic weddings are different from secular weddings. If a Catholic couple if celebrating a full Mass, we generally expect it to last about one hour, 15 minutes — longer than a traditional Mass because they include the marriage rite.
The marriage rite within a Catholic Mass involves — with a priest — the examination of the couple, an exchange of vows and an exchange of rings. Couples will often also receive a special blessing during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Many will decide to leave flowers before an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary while a cantor sings Ave Maria. Many other traditions within the church offer variations (the rosary lasso is often celebrated within Latino and Filipino communities). Timelines for Traditional Latin Masses with the marriage rite can last between 90 minutes and two hours.
Catholic nuptial Masses and convalidation ceremonies start anywhere from 10 a.m. to as late as 6 p.m., depending on the day. Most Catholic weddings we photograph begin between 1-3 p.m. on Fridays or Saturdays (and sometimes on Sundays). On Saturdays, Catholic churches typically begin nuptial Masses in the early afternoon because of the vigil Mass that takes place 4 p.m. or later.
Given the schedule, Catholic wedding days have a so-called “Catholic gap” — the time between the end of Mass or the ceremony and the start of the reception. With ceremonies in the early afternoon, receptions or cocktail hours start between 5-6 p.m., meaning guests have time. We advise couples to offer their guests a list of things to do in the city or town — whether restaurants, museums, bars, parks or other notable sites to visit. At our own wedding, guests went to area restaurants and bars for a light, late lunch.
Some churches — especially on Saturdays before a vigil Mass — require photographers to be out of the sanctuary no more than 45 minutes after Mass ends (though we’ve seen it as little as 30 minutes after). Be aware that these time limits can reduce the number of family formal photos in front of the altar.
Many couples comes to us asking about sample timelines, and we’ve provided a few samples below to offer your planner or photographer. As Catholic wedding photographers, we generally want to arrive at the church at least an hour before a wedding Mass to capture the final moments of the preparation process and speak to the on-site coordinator and celebrating priest. If your parish only offers 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. weddings, shift everything earlier by the same amount.
Below is a sample timeline without a first look in which the photographer arrives about an hour before the start of the Mass and leaves a little over an hour after open dancing begins. This covers eight hours and generally captures nearly all of the major moments throughout the day.
12:30 p.m. Photographer arrives at church
1:30 p.m. Nuptial Mass
2:15 p.m. Sign marriage license
2:25 p.m. Family formal photos in front of the altar, including priests and deacons, parents, siblings and
3:00 p.m. Wedding party photos on church grounds or at a nearby location
3:15 p.m. Travel to reception venue or secondary location for couples photos
3:30 p.m. Couples photos
4:00 p.m. Cocktail hour
4:15 p.m. Travel to reception venue
4:30 p.m. Bride bustles dress, relax before introduction
5:00 p.m. Cocktail hour ends, guests seated
5:15 p.m. Couple and wedding party introduced
5:20 p.m. Welcome by Couple
5:25 p.m. Blessing from Priest/Deacon or Other Family Member
5:30 p.m. Dinner service begins
6:30 p.m. Toasts and Speeches
6:50 p.m. Cake cutting
6:55 p.m. Couple’s First Dance
7:00 p.m. Father-Daughter Dance
7:05 p.m. Mother-Son Dance
7:10 p.m. Open Dancing
7:20 p.m. Special Dances (Anniversary Dance, Shoe Game)
8:30 p.m. Photography Ends
9:50 p.m. Last Dance
9:55 p.m. Grand Exit
10:00 p.m. Reception Ends
Two additional hours of photography allows us to better capture the beginning or ending parts of a full day. If capturing the final exit is important to you, we typically start at a similar time and end later. Anya and Dan will also stagger starts, with Anya beginning earlier to capture more getting ready and ending earlier, and Dan capturing more of the reception and staying until the grand exit.
12:00 p.m. Photographers arrive at the church
1:30 p.m. Nuptial Mass
2:15 p.m. Sign marriage license
2:25 p.m. Family formal photos in front of the altar, including priests and deacons, parents, siblings and
3:00 p.m. Wedding party photos on church grounds or at a nearby location
3:15 p.m. Travel to reception venue or secondary location for couples photos
3:30 p.m. Couples photos
4:00 p.m. Cocktail hour
4:15 p.m. Travel to reception venue
4:30 p.m. Bride bustles dress, relax before introduction
5:00 p.m. Cocktail hour ends, guests seated
5:15 p.m. Couple and wedding party introduced
5:20 p.m. Welcome by Couple
5:25 p.m. Blessing from Priest/Deacon or Other Family Member
5:30 p.m. Dinner service begins
6:30 p.m. Toasts and Speeches
6:50 p.m. Cake cutting
6:55 p.m. Couple’s First Dance
7:00 p.m. Father-Daughter Dance
7:05 p.m. Mother-Son Dance
7:10 p.m. Open Dancing
7:20 p.m. Special Dances (Anniversary Dance, Shoe Game)
9:50 p.m. Last Dance
9:55 p.m. Grand Exit
10:00 p.m. Reception and Photography End
Timelines with 12 hours of photography give us the best opportunity to tell a full story of your day. We’re there at the first moments of hair and makeup, through Mass and for most — or all — of the reception.
10:00 a.m. Photographer arrives at bride and groom getting ready locations
10:15 a.m. Hair and makeup for the bride finishes
10:30 a.m. Getting ready candids, lay flats and other details for bride and groom
11:30 a.m. Travel to church (if needed)
11:45 a.m. First Look (optional)
1:00 p.m. Nuptial Mass
2:15 p.m. Sign marriage license
2:25 p.m. Family formal photos in front of the altar, including priests and deacons, parents, siblings and
3:00 p.m. Wedding party photos on church grounds or at a nearby location
3:15 p.m. Travel to reception venue or secondary location for couples photos
3:30 p.m. Couples photos
4:00 p.m. Cocktail hour
4:15 p.m. Travel to reception venue
4:30 p.m. Bride bustles dress and relax before introduction
5:00 p.m. Cocktail hour ends, guests seated
5:15 p.m. Couple and wedding party introduced
5:20 p.m. Welcome by Couple
5:25 p.m. Blessing from Priest/Deacon or Other Family Member
5:30 p.m. Dinner service begins
6:30 p.m. Toasts and Speeches
6:50 p.m. Cake cutting
6:55 p.m. Couple’s First Dance
7:00 p.m. Father-Daughter Dance
7:05 p.m. Mother-Son Dance
7:10 p.m. Open Dancing
7:20 p.m. Special Dances (Anniversary Dance, Shoe Game)
9:50 p.m. Last Dance
9:55 p.m. Grand Exit
10:00 p.m. Reception Ends and Photography Endsnupt