The application of time-resolved vibrational (Raman and infrared) spectroscopy to the study of excited-state intercomponent processes in inorganic chemistry represents a powerful new application of these techniques. The development of vibrational spectroscopy with time resolution from microseconds to femtoseconds to characterize the photochemistry and photophysics of metal-containing supramolecular systems provides a mechanism for understanding the fundamental processes which occur following photolysis. The utility and potential of this approach in the elucidation of excited-state processes is demonstrated with studies of excited-state localization, excited-state structure, and photoinduced intramolecular electron and energy transfer.