CloudTetherFree template
Wedding day timeline template with sneak-peek delivery slots
Free template · By the CloudTether team · Updated
Short answer: build the day around the ceremony time, add a 10–15 minute buffer before every move, and plan three or four sneak-peek drops at the natural pauses — after getting ready, after the couple portraits, during the evening and at the end of the night. Below is a full timeline for a 2 pm ceremony (shift every time to suit your day), plus who receives what at each drop.
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How to use it
- Replace the example times with your day: start from the ceremony time and work outwards. Check travel time between locations and the sunset time for evening portraits.
- Agree the sneak-peek slots with the couple when you plan the day — how many frames, when, and where they'll appear — so they know what to expect and when to look.
- Share the timeline with the planner, venue coordinator and second shooter at least a week before, and keep a printed copy in your bag on the day.
- Fill in the recipients table so everyone who gets photos — couple, guests, planner — is agreed in advance, including what guests should never see.
Timeline (example: 2 pm ceremony)
Times are an example. Bold rows are sneak-peek delivery slots: pick the frames, check them, send, and get back to shooting.
| Time | Part of the day | What to cover | Delivery slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:30 | Details | Dress, shoes, rings, invitation suite, perfume, flowers, heirlooms. Shoot before the room fills up. | — |
| 11:00 | Getting ready — couple 1 | Hair and make-up finishing touches, candids with family and wedding party, getting dressed, reading a letter or opening a gift. | — |
| 11:30 | Getting ready — couple 2 (second shooter) | Suit and accessories, buttonholes, wedding party candids, a quiet portrait. | — |
| 12:45 | SNEAK PEEK 1 — getting ready | Pick 5–10 frames: two or three details and the best candid from each side. | Couple only, private link. Nothing in a state of undress. |
| 13:00 | First look (optional) and wedding party | First look or a letter exchange, then quick wedding party groups while everyone is fresh. | — |
| 13:30 | Ceremony venue | The room or space before guests arrive, guests arriving, the partner waiting at the front. | — |
| 14:00 | Ceremony (about 30 min) | Processional, both reactions, vows, rings, first kiss, signing, recessional. | Keep shooting — photos deliver while you work. |
| 14:30 | Confetti and congratulations | Confetti exit, hugs, the receiving line. | — |
| 14:45 | Family formals (about 30 min) | Work through the agreed group list — largest groups first, ask a family member to call names. | — |
| 15:15 | Couple portraits (about 30 min) | Relaxed portraits close to the venue: walking, close-ups, a wide with the location. | — |
| 15:45 | SNEAK PEEK 2 — ceremony and portraits | Pick 10–20 frames: the kiss, confetti, two or three family groups and your best portraits. | Couple. Planner and venue only after the couple has seen them. |
| 16:00 | Drinks reception | Guest candids, entertainment, the couple mingling, kids, the venue in use. | Open the guest gallery here (approved frames only). |
| 17:00 | Room reveal | Tables, place settings, flowers, cake, before anyone sits down. | — |
| 17:30 | Entrance and dinner | Grand entrance, first course. Eat when the guests eat — nobody wants photos of chewing. | — |
| 18:45 | Speeches | Each speaker, and reactions from the couple and the people being mentioned. | — |
| 19:30 | SNEAK PEEK 3 — the day so far | Top up the guest gallery; send the couple a few speech reactions. | Guests (live gallery) and couple. |
| 20:00 | Cake cutting and first dance | Cake, first dance from two angles if you have a second shooter, the dance floor filling. | — |
| 20:30 | Golden-hour / evening portraits | 10 minutes outside — set this from the sunset time on the day. | — |
| 21:00 | Party | Dance floor, details lit at night, the send-off if there is one. | — |
| 21:30 | SNEAK PEEK 4 — end of the night | Your favourites of the evening, ready for the couple to share the next morning. | Couple; guest gallery stays up. |
Allow 10–15 minutes of buffer before every move between locations. If the ceremony runs late, take the time from the drinks reception, not the portraits.
Who receives what
Agree this with the couple before the day. It decides which gallery or folder each set goes to.
| Recipient | What they get | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Couple | Curated sneak peeks: 5–10, then 10–20, then evening favourites | At each sneak-peek slot | [Private gallery or shared folder] |
| Guests | Approved frames from the drinks reception onwards — no getting ready, no unflattering frames | From the drinks reception | [Live gallery link / QR card on tables] |
| Planner and venue | A few frames of the room, details and the couple, with credit | After the couple has seen them — ask first | [Shared folder] |
| Second shooter | Nothing to deliver: their camera feeds the same shoot | — | — |
| Your archive | Every RAW and JPEG from every camera | All day, as you shoot | [Your Dropbox / Drive / server] |
Before the day
Sneak-peek rules of thumb
- Send the first sneak peek before guests start posting their phone photos — that's when yours get shared the most.
- Fewer, better frames beat a big dump. Check every frame for closed eyes and awkward expressions before it goes out.
- Phone-sized JPEGs (around 2048 px on the long edge) are plenty for sneak peeks; keep full-size files for the final gallery.
- Never put getting-ready frames in a guest gallery. Guests see the day from the drinks reception onwards.
- Say in your contract and welcome guide that sneak peeks are unedited or lightly edited, so nobody expects final colour on the day.
Free to use, share and adapt. Online version and editable files: cloudtether.app/resources/wedding-day-timeline-template
FAQ
When should a wedding photographer send sneak peeks?
At the natural pauses: after getting ready, after the couple portraits, during the evening and at the end of the night. Agree the slots with the couple in advance so they know when to look.
How many sneak peeks should I send on the wedding day?
Usually 5–10 frames after getting ready and 10–20 after the ceremony and portraits, then a handful from the evening. A small curated set lands better than a big unedited one.
Should wedding guests see photos during the day?
Many couples love a live guest gallery, but only show approved frames from the drinks reception onwards — never getting-ready shots — and ask the couple first.