Wedding guide
How to plan your wedding timeline for great video
Build the day around the light. Put getting ready in a bright room, leave real buffer between locations, and save 20–30 minutes for portraits at golden hour, which in June and July in Kelowna means around 8:15–9 pm, after dinner. Give the speeches and first dance fixed times. Below is a sample 10-hour Okanagan timeline you can copy and adjust.
By Chad Giesbrecht, Pixel Pro Productions, Kelowna · Updated October 16, 2026
What a well-timed day looks like
Films from recent Okanagan weddings
A sample 10-hour summer timeline
This is a typical shape for a June to August Okanagan wedding with a 4 pm ceremony. Move the blocks to fit your venue, but keep golden hour where the sun puts it.
| Time | What's happening | Why it's here |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 pm | Video starts: details, then getting ready | Dress, rings, invitations and shoes laid out in a bright room before the crowd arrives. |
| 2:30 pm | Getting dressed and letters | The dress, the buttons, the reactions. Letters or gifts read now film beautifully. |
| 3:00 pm | First look (optional) | A quiet spot away from guests. Frees up time after the ceremony. |
| 3:15 pm | Wedding party and family photos | Done now if you did a first look, otherwise right after the ceremony. |
| 4:00 pm | Ceremony | Allow about 30 minutes, including walking in and out. |
| 4:30 pm | Family photos and cocktail hour | Have a list of family groups ready and someone who knows everyone. |
| 6:00 pm | Dinner | A natural break for the crew to eat and reset. |
| 7:00 pm | Speeches | Back to back, in one block, with a time limit for each speaker. |
| 8:15 pm | Golden hour portraits | 20–30 minutes, just the two of you. The best light of the day. |
| 9:00 pm | First dance and parent dances | Straight after portraits, before the dance floor opens. |
| 9:30 pm | Party | Open dance floor. Any exit or sparkler moment goes here. |
| 11:00 pm | Coverage ends | Ten hours from 1 pm. |
8 hours or 10 hours?
Silver covers 8 hours and Gold covers 10 hours. With 8 hours, the usual trade is to start later in getting ready or finish soon after the first dance. With 10 hours, the whole day above fits. If getting ready and the ceremony are at the same venue, 8 hours goes further, because nobody loses time driving.
Getting ready
- Pick the brightest room you have, with a big window, and keep it tidy. Clutter and dim light show up on film.
- Lay out the details (rings, shoes, invitations, perfume) somewhere easy to reach before video starts.
- Get dressed at least 30 minutes before you need to leave. It always takes longer than planned.
Ceremony
- Ask for an unplugged ceremony so the aisle isn't full of phones.
- Ask your officiant to step aside for the kiss so nobody's standing behind you in the shot.
- If you're writing your own vows, read them slowly. They often end up as the voice of the film.
- Check where the sun will be at ceremony time. Facing into a low sun means squinting.
Speeches and first dance
- Run speeches back to back in one block, with a few minutes per speaker. Spread out, they break up dinner and the night.
- Make sure every speaker uses the microphone. Clean audio is what makes speeches usable in the film.
- Do the first dance before the dance floor opens, so the room is watching and the floor is clear.
Golden hour
The hour before sunset gives the soft, warm light you see in most wedding films. In June and July the sun sets around 9 pm in Kelowna, so portraits happen after dinner. In May, September and October it's much earlier, sometimes before dinner. Look up the sunset time for your date and plan 20–30 minutes before it. You only step away from the party for a few minutes, and it's often the favourite part of the film.
Moving between locations
Add 15 minutes to every drive you planned. Getting a wedding party into cars, parked and back out always takes longer than the map says. Every venue page has notes on where the ceremony and portraits usually happen: see Okanagan venues on film.
Send your filmmaker the timeline
Share the final timeline, the venue addresses, and the names of the people giving speeches. If anything changes on the day, a quick text keeps everyone in the right place. Your teaser arrives in 1–2 weeks and the full film in 3–4 months.
Quick answers.
How many hours of wedding video coverage do we need?
Pixel Pro wedding collections cover 8 or 10 hours. Ten hours usually takes in getting ready through the first dance and some of the party. Eight hours works well when getting ready and the ceremony are close together, or when you don't need much of the dance floor.
When is golden hour in Kelowna?
Golden hour is the last hour or so before sunset. In June and July the sun sets around 9 pm in Kelowna, so portraits usually happen after dinner. In spring and fall it comes much earlier, so check the sunset time for your date.
Should we do a first look?
It is up to you. A first look frees up time after the ceremony for family photos and lets you join cocktail hour. Skipping it keeps the aisle moment fresh. Both film well; plan the timeline around the choice.
Should we have an unplugged ceremony?
It helps. When guests keep their phones down, the aisle shots are clear of screens and raised arms, and guests are actually in the moment. A short note from your officiant before the ceremony is enough.
When do we get our wedding film?
Pixel Pro delivers a teaser in 1–2 weeks. Full wedding films are typically delivered in 3–4 months.