May Wedding Timeline
May is one of the more popular months to get married in. As a Temecula wedding photographer, this is when my wedding schedule for the year starts to pick up, for good reason!
May Weather
The “rainy” season in Temecula generally runs from October – April, so in looking at weather for the month of May, it’s a fairly safe bet your day will be free from rain. The weather is quite temperate in May, with daily temperatures averaging between 72-74 degrees. It’s typically a great time of year to get married, and less warm compared to the months of June – September here in the Inland Empire.
Below are a few questions to ask yourself in order to guide the optimal timeline for your day!
What time is the May sunset?
May sunset times range from 7:30 to 8:00 PM. As a photographer, I love this because if you’re having a ceremony around 5:00 or 6:00 PM, this means we may have some “bonus” time after your reception starts to get additional married couple portraits!
Will we be having a first look?
A first look is when the couple getting married sees each other before the ceremony. This is a personal choice, and one that I leave up to couples. Although I do love a first look, because wedding days often run behind and additional portrait time is always well-used, they’re not as crucial for late spring or summer weddings compared to winter weddings when the sun sets quite early in the evening. Check out the post below for more info on first looks!
Pros and Cons to a Wedding Day First Look
Is there travel required on our wedding day?
If you’ll be traveling to multiple locations on your wedding day, you’ll want to add plenty of extra time! Coordinating multiple people in multiple vehicles and then arriving to the meeting spot will take additional time in your day. I’d recommend planning on not only the travel time itself, but an additional 20 minutes to account for people leaving or arriving late.
How many hours of wedding day photography coverage do we need?
I recommend a baseline of 8 hours if you’re having what I consider a “traditional” wedding at a venue, with around 100 guests. One important note is I typically do not stay through the entire reception. There will often be 2-3 hours of dancing, which isn’t a good use of your wedding photography budget. Instead, I figure out when your last key reception event will take place, add a half an hour to that, and back up the wedding timeline from there. If a wedding has multiple locations, you’ll need 9-10 hours of coverage to sufficiently cover your day.
Important Parts of Your Wedding Day Timeline
Getting Ready: 1 1/2 – 2 Hours
First Look: 30 Minutes
Separate Wedding Party Photos: 30 Minutes
Ceremony: 30 Minutes
Family Photos: 30 Minutes
Combined Wedding Party Photos: 30 Minutes
Married Couple Portraits: 30 Minutes
Grand Entrance: 5 Minutes
First Dance: 5 Minutes
Family Dances:10 Minutes
Toasts:10 Minutes
Bouquet or Garter Toss: 10 Minutes
Cake Cutting: 5 Minutes
Exit: 5 Minutes
May Timeline with First Look – 5:00 PM Ceremony (7:30 sunset)
1:30: Photography starts / getting ready images and details
3:00: First look
3:30: Family photos
4:00: Wedding party photos (wrap up portrait photography about 4:30 to give everyone a chance to relax before the ceremony!)
5:00: Ceremony
5:30: Cocktail hour starts / any remaining family photos
5:50: Wedding party photos
6:15: Married couple portraits
6:45: Grand entrance
6:50:Toasts
7:05: Dinner service
7:15: Dinner service / sunset portraits with newlyweds
8:30: Family dances
8:45: Cake cutting
8:55: Bouquet toss/garter toss
9:00: Open dancing
9:30: Photography concludes
May Timeline – No First Look – 5:00 PM Ceremony (7:30 Sunset)
1:30: Photography starts / getting ready images and details
2:30: Photograph one couple with their wedding party and family
3:00: Photograph client individual portraits
3:30: Photograph second client with their wedding party and family
4:00: Photograph client individual portraits
5:00: Ceremony
5:30: Cocktail hour starts / family photos
6:00: Wedding party photos
6:20: Married couple photos
6:45: Grand entrance
6:50:Toasts
7:05: Dinner service
7:15: Dinner service / sunset portraits with newlyweds
8:30: Family dances
8:45: Cake cutting
8:55: Bouquet toss/garter toss
9:00: Open dancing
9:30: Photography concludes
The Major Difference Between the First Look and No First Look Timelines
You’ll see there’s significantly more combined portrait time in the option with the first look. While I mentioned this isn’t as crucial for late spring or summer weddings, I definitely recommend the extra cushion time when you have a large wedding party or a lot of family portraits. It’s always better to err on the side of more time, rather than less, so you have a stress-free wedding day!
Additional Wedding Resources & Articles
Everything You Need to Know About Getting Married in Temecula
Avensole Winery Wedding
Longshadow Ranch Winery Wedding
16 Amazing Temecula Wedding Venues
Temecula Estate Wedding
