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

For more inspiration and updates, visit my Instagram Page.

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Hello, Brides & Grooms! I’ve compiled a list of essential questions that I typically ask my wedding couples in this wedding photography questionnaire. Some questions are self-explanatory, while others include explanations to help you understand their importance. These questions will be incredibly helpful when planning your wedding. Moreover, having the answers ready will save you time during your wedding consultation, whether it’s with another photographer or with me.

Questions for couples

Who is your Wedding Coordinator?
(Contact names & phone numbers)
A bride and groom may not have their phones handy throughout the day. It’s always helpful to assign a friend or family member as a contact person if someone needs to get in touch.

How many Bridesmaids are you having?
Managing and organizing a large bridal party for photos can take a significant amount of time. Knowing the number in advance helps with planning.

How many Groomsmen will there be?
For the same reason as above, knowing the number of groomsmen will help in managing the schedule.

Do you need a second photographer?
Consider hiring a second photographer for larger weddings or if you need coverage of the bride and groom getting ready in two separate locations. This ensures no moment is missed.

Pre-Ceremony

Would the bride like her bridal preparation photos taken?
(Last makeup & hair finishing touches and getting in the dress)
If you are on a budget, you can skip this and opt for fewer hours of coverage to focus on the essential moments like portraits, ceremony, family photos, first dance, and cake cutting.

Would the groom like getting ready photos taken?
You might need a second photographer for this.

What time are the bride’s hair and makeup scheduled to start?

Are you planning on seeing each other before the ceremony?
Traditionally, this first look happens at the ceremony.

Ceremony

Where is your wedding ceremony taking place?

What type of ceremony will it be?
(Religious, formal, informal?)

What time will your ceremony start, and how long do you expect it to last?

Approximately how many wedding guests are you expecting?
This affects the number of hours of coverage you will need and whether there is a need for a second photographer.

When do you want group family photos taken?
Before the ceremony? After the ceremony? At the reception?

Where would be the best place for this to happen?
Consider lighting, distracting backgrounds, and the size of the groups.

Are there any special family situations (divorces, dramas, etc.) that I should be aware of?

Do you want a couple portrait session of the two of you?
We need to allow at least half an hour for these photos.

Will you be doing a formal exit from the ceremony, such as a confetti throwing celebration? 🎉

Reception

Where is your wedding reception, if different from the ceremony location?
You will need fewer hours of coverage if your ceremony and reception are in the same location.

What is the order of events at your reception?

Are there any unique or unusual parts of your wedding day that I should be aware of?

Do you have a formal exit planned?
If your friends and family are giving you a big send-off with sparklers, etc., you will want more hours of coverage to ensure your photographer captures all the fun.

Additional Resources

• Wedding Photography Tips

By addressing these questions in your wedding photography questionnaire, you can ensure that your wedding day is captured beautifully and comprehensively. Feel free to contact me for any further consultations or questions.  For more inspiration and updates, visit my Instagram Page.

The post Questions I ask my wedding clients appeared first on Ashok Suren Photography.

Hello, here is the first part of the beautiful Wedding of Dimuthu & Kumudi. This British Sri Lankan couple living in the UK, wanted me to capture their two-part Sri Lankan Asian Wedding in style. The church wedding was at Edward’s church in Kettering. It was a great pleasure to travel from Leicester to cover this wedding. Earlier I enjoyed getting to the know couple during the pre-wedding shoot in Durdle door. Furthermore, we also had great fun during that trip and even some beautiful pictures.

Dimuthu and Kumudi had a simple ceremony with their friends and family around. After the exchanging of rings marking them as husband and wife, they left the church to applause, cheers and blessings on becoming a newly married couple. The couple hosted some light traditional Sri Lankan refreshments for the guests at a nearby venue. Above all the day reflected the best of a very relaxed wedding bringing the lovely families and friends together.

Finally, the bride & groom had their wedding photoshoot in Wicksteed Park. This amusement park in Kettering is one of the oldest theme parks in the U.K. Friends and family assisted the video team and me during the shoot. There was plenty of Fun and laughter during this time.

Even more, the couple hosted their wedding reception the next day in Corby. The reception was instead a more colourful and fun packed day. With more traditional outfits from the couple as well as their guests.

Here are some highlights of Dimuthu & Kumudi’s wedding story.

Here is a link to their Pre-wedding photography in Durdle Door, near Lulworth in Dorset.

Check out the Videography from their wedding day HERE by the talented Chris and his team from LIFESTYLE VISUALS.

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Another Leicestershire Wedding, and my last wedding in 2017.

What a pleasure it was to meet Mitesh & Anna last year when they first contacted me to discuss their wedding in Leicestershire. We were able to get to know each other a little better when we met for their engagement shoot.

Where to start with Mitesh & Anna’s wedding? Lovely weather; friendly couple, fantastic family and friends, good food, It was an extraordinary day indeed.

The Venue

Mitesh and Anna’s beautiful Autumn wedding took place at the Stapleford Park Country House Hotel near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. Stapleford Park is one of Leicestershire’s most prestigious, picturesque venues for a dream country house wedding. It is one of those venues, where everything looks lovely in the background. The interior furnishing inside the house, to the beautiful gardens around the hotel, all perfect for a wedding.

The Event

I’ve arrived shortly before the civil ceremony started and covered the celebrations until the dances in the evening. The planning of the wedding was on point. With many personal touches and attention to detail. There was entertainment throughout the evening to keep the guests happy (you will notice these in the pictures below). After the cake cutting, it was time for the first dance, and then the dancing began. It was busy dancefloor – there were plenty of enthusiastic dance moves from family and friends! Including a special visit from The Bhangra Mascots towards the end of a great night.

Just before the sunset, I also managed to get the couple outside for their wedding portraits, away from everyone else.

So here are some of my favourite images from the wonderfully special day.

Check out Mitesh and Anna’s Pre-wedding shoot HERE.

The post STAPLEFORD PARK – MITESH & ANNA appeared first on Ashok Suren Photography.

Next up on the blog, another Leicester couples pre-wedding photography series, this time at the fantastic Rutland water. I always thought Rutland water was in Leicestershire, but according to Wikipedia, it is in Rutland! I should have known from the name!
One of the reasons why people notice me on different social media platforms is for my pre-wedding shoots. And I have to admit I enjoy doing these sessions as they are great fun.

So here is one of my favourite sessions last summer. We chose the Scenic Rutland water in Leicestershire as the location for our Shoot. And, overall it was a pleasant session with the lovely couple, great place, one thing that was missing was the perfect golden light, but then you can’t have everything!

Mitesh & Anna were relaxed from the start and rocked it in front of the camera. Check out some of my favourites below.

UPDATE: Link to Mitesh and Anna’s wedding is HERE.

If you are not sure whether you want to book a pre-wedding shoot or not, then check out my reasons why you should have one HERE.

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