Answering: How many hours of photography time do we need on our wedding day?
If you’re like most of my clients, getting started with booking wedding vendors can feel overwhelming. In addition to answering a slew of repeating questions about how you met, what you’re dreaming of for the wedding day, etc. you also have to think of how much time (or product) you want from each of these vendors. How are you suppose to know that?!
When it comes to wedding photography, often the biggest variable is how long your photographer will spend with you on your wedding day. Which leads to what is my most frequently asked question:
How many hours of photography time do we need on our wedding day?
Obviously, there's no one right answer since every wedding is its own experience. But I can give you some good guidelines to help you decide how many photography hours will be the best fit for the celebration that you're planning.
▪ 1-3 Hours
This is best for an elopement with 10 or less people.
▪ 4-6 Hours
This is the perfect amount of time for a micro ceremony or a small, intimate wedding. Time enough for a few detail & prep shots with most of the focus on the wedding, portraits, and the special people you invited to share the day with.
▪ 7-10 Hours
The goldilocks of wedding day coverage. Most weddings will be best served with hours in this bracket. My most popular package offers 9 hours which makes sure that I have time to capture your wedding details, the end of getting ready, the full ceremony, time for portraits & casual captures during the reception, and all the high energy fun of kicking off the evening's party.
▪ 10-12 Hours
Ideal for large wedding parties or celebrations with travel needed between locations. This is enough time to get lots of candid and fun photos of you and your friends getting ready for the day and give extra coverage into the night's party. Perfect for a live band, lively crowd, or a fun group exit that you want to make sure gets captured.
▪ Unlimited Hours
This means that I'm yours for the ENTIRE wedding day. It's the most relaxing package to pick because there's less of a rush to squeeze in all of the moments you want photographed. I'll be there for all of your time getting ready with your besties, plenty of time for portraits (including sneaking away for a few gorgeous snaps at sunset) and then documenting the party up until your exit. Perfect for couples who feel that photography is integral to their wedding day celebrations.
Hopefully this guide helps when you're thinking about booking a wedding photographer for your big day. And don't worry - if you suddenly realize that you want more of the day captured then you originally intended it's easy to add on additional hours to any wedding package.
Joyfully,
Amy