How many hours of wedding coverage do you need?

How many hours of wedding photography do you need?

At some point during your wedding planning, you are going to ask the question, “How many hours of wedding photography do you need?” Booking the right coverage ensures that there are no regrets later.

Determining the Right Coverage

First of all, the amount of coverage and what you will get for it will differ from photographer to photographer. Since this is a common question from brides, I want to help answer it based on my experience as a professional wedding photographer.

Usually, for us wedding photographers, time is money. A full day’s wedding can mean an 8 to 12-hour day. After that, we have to back up and organise your photographs, cull through them, edit them, and back them up again before delivering the photos. Sometimes, the work after the wedding can take longer than the wedding day itself!

How Many Hours of Wedding Photography Do You Need?

It depends on how much of your day you want to be photographed. Often, I get inquiries from clients who, after checking my availability, ask for coverage of their wedding day. But is that 4-hour coverage? 6-hour coverage? 10-hour coverage? Figuring out the size of your wedding and looking at your wedding timeline will help you choose the right coverage that meets your expectations and budget.

Continuous Wedding Photography Coverage

First, we must understand that any photography coverage you choose will be continuous. There is no start and stop or breaks in between stages of the wedding day unless you make special arrangements with your photographer. For example, if you book a 10-hour coverage, your photographer will not provide photography from 8 am to 1 pm, break from 1 pm to 5 pm, and then resume coverage from 5 pm to 10 pm.

The Wedding Day

Bride and Groom Preparation

This part of the day can take 1-3 hours. How many bridesmaids and groomsmen do you have? A bride with two bridesmaids will need fewer hours than a bride with eight bridesmaids, a flower girl, and other family members all waiting for hair and makeup.

You may want your photographer to document the fun, natural shots of the bridal party getting their hair and makeup done, as well as the groom and his best men’s preparations. During this time, the photographer will also take detailed images of the dress, shoes, bouquet, rings, and other jewelry.

Things to Consider: Would you be willing to pay the photographer for the time to be there, as well as a second photographer if the bride and groom are getting ready in two different locations?

Individual Portraits

Right after prep is the best time for individual portraits of the bride and groom (separately), while makeup and hair are fresh. Allow 15-20 minutes each for the bride and groom.

Pre-Ceremony Photos

What do you plan to do before the ceremony? Exchange gifts? Prayer? Reveal the dress? Family picture? First look?

Some brides choose to have a special time with their mother, father, or both parents when they see her for the first time in her wedding dress. Moments like this are very special and worth your photographer capturing. You may also want some family pictures or pictures with the bridal party.

Things to Consider:

• • How long does it take to travel to the ceremony location? The photographer needs enough time to go to the second location.
  • Allow 20 minutes for the photographer to take pictures of the ceremony site, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area.
  • Plan for extra time if things are running late—hair and makeup taking longer than expected, limo getting stuck in traffic, decorators being late, etc.

The Ceremony

The amount of time for the ceremony varies, but civil ceremonies wrap up in less than 30 minutes. Traditional Asian wedding ceremonies can be up to two hours long.

Things to Consider: After the ceremony, photos such as certificate signing, group photos with your guests (at the ceremony site), and pictures of you being congratulated can add to your time frame.

Formals and Couple Portraits

This is the time to take advantage of all the beautiful locations at your ceremony for family portraits, bridal party portraits, and romantic portraits.

Things to Consider:

• • How many group photos do you want? Gathering the right people can be a challenge and it can take some time, so plan for 3 minutes per group on average. For example, if you have ten groups, schedule in a 30-minute time slot.
  • Couple portraits should be done away from the guests to avoid interruptions. You may need to travel to another location for this. Allow a minimum of 30 minutes plus travel time between locations. The best time is just before sunset.

The Reception

Typically, your wedding reception will include various events that you’ll want photographed—grand entrance, cake cutting, speeches, first dance, dances with parents, fun dance photos of guests, bouquet toss, and the sendoff. Receptions are usually 5 hours.

Things to Consider:

• Decide if you want to pay for your photographer to stay for the entire reception to capture all the events.
• If you are working with a budget, you may opt to have the photographer finish just after the first dance to save costs.

Recommended Coverage Packages

2-3 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

Ideal for a civil ceremony only, with onsite group photos and couple portraits at a nearby park or another location. Allow time for travel.

6 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

Six hours of coverage is ideal for small weddings with fewer than 50 guests. In intimate settings, there are fewer people to manage and photograph, allowing the event to progress smoothly. This duration works well when the ceremony and reception are held at the same location.

While six hours of coverage typically does not include photos of the bridal preparations, it ensures that all the essential moments are captured. This includes the ceremony, family photos, couple portraits, first dance, and cake cutting.

8 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

An 8-hour package will be enough for an average-size wedding. This coverage allows your photographer to capture the last part of your getting ready shots, some of the detail shots of the ceremony and reception, and the start of the dance floor at the reception.

10-12 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

For large weddings, I recommend 10-12 hours of coverage. This is more than enough time to capture all the details of the day, including multiple moments of travel between locations, a longer ceremony, and changes of outfits for the reception (common at Asian weddings).

If you’re still struggling to decide how many hours of wedding photography you need, don’t worry. I am happy to chat and help put together a package that is suitable for you. You can contact me HERE

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