How many hours do I need my wedding photographer?

Planning out your wedding, but not sure how many hours to book your photographer for? You’ve probably seen lots of options from different professionals and different packages. What it really boils down to is how many hours do you really need from your photographer? Personally, I offer 3 options: 12, 9, and 6 hours. Below, I’ll spend some time detailing what goes into a typical wedding day. Hopefully this will guide you through in making a decision on how many hours you NEED for your day!

12 Hours

Do you have large bridal parties and family? Lots of guests? Multiple locations? Large chunk of time between your ceremony and reception? Want A LOT of candid photos? 12 hours might be the right options for you!

Large bridal party or immediate families

To put it simply, more people just means more time. With your bridal party, it’s going to take more time to set up each shot. The individual photos with each bridal party member will take longer. Getting the group from one spot to the next will take longer. With your family, we’re going to have lots of different groupings and most likely we’ll be including children and elderly relatives. Getting a larger number of people to look at the camera at the same time all with their eyes open, keeping children’s attention, and moving grandparents in and out of photos all takes up time. Think about the people you’re planning on including in these photos and consider if more time will benefit you!

Lots of guests

With your guests, it boils down to how long it’s going to take 50 people versus 300 people to move from one location to the next; or to move through the food line or the receiving line. It also generally means a larger venue, so it takes longer to get from one side to the other. Consider 12 hours if you’re including a lot of people in your celebration!

Multiple locations

Are you getting your hair and makeup done at a salon, putting your dress on at the hotel, taking photos at a park, doing your ceremony at one venue, and your reception at the next? That’s going to be a decent amount of travel time, so definitely think about making sure you’ll have all the time you need for photos!

Ceremony and reception timing

Sometimes a church or venue will require you to have your wedding at a specific time. For example, a lot of Catholic churches require weddings to be held at 2:00 on Saturdays so they have enough time to get ready for evening mass after. If your reception doesn’t start until 6, you’ll have to account for that time. Most photographer won’t allow you to split your time on the wedding day with a break in the middle, so be mindful of your timeline! Figure out what’s going to be best while including this large break in the middle of your day!

So what all does 12 hours cover?

Generally your photographer will arrive toward the start of your hair and makeup process and will be there through a decent amount of your reception. You’ll be sure to get a lot of candid photos earlier in the day with your closest bridal party members as well as a ton of dancing shots later in the evening! You’ll most likely also get everything covered in the 9 hours below!

9 hours

9 hours is my most popular option! Your photographer will most likely show up toward the end of you getting ready and will be there through the main events of your reception! It gets a good overview of most wedding days and covers everything you really need!

Getting ready

You’ll most likely get a decent amount of getting ready photos including your detail shots (your dress, rings, shoes, etc), hair and makeup, candids with your bridesmaids, and getting into your dress. There may also be time for your photographer to grab some getting ready images of your groom!

Portraits

Portraits of the two of you together should be top priority and will take up a decent amount of your overall portrait time. You’ll also get portraits will your full bridal party, the groom and groomsmen, and the bride and bridesmaids. All your little people will be included too, so make sure they’re there and ready!

Ceremony

The main event! This is, of course, covered! Your photographer will capture everything from the procession to your first kiss to your exit! They’ll probably even grab a shot of your mom dabbing away her tears if possible!

Reception

Time to party! Your photographer will most likely get detail and décor shots of the space, your entrance, the toasts, cutting your cake, first dance/parent dances, and your bouquet/garter toss depending on the timing! In any event, be sure to ask your photographer what their packages cover!

6 Hours

I don’t often recommend 6 hours to my couples, because the majority of my clients are having larger weddings that just require more time. However, 6 hours can be a really great option in a few situations! Almost exactly opposite of 12 hours, 6 hours is good for those with smaller wedding parties and families, a smaller guest count overall, and/or everything (from getting ready through reception) happening at one location. It’s also a great option for weddings without a large reception or without a dance. As listed above, you’re still likely to get portraits and ceremony coverage as in the 9 hour, but there may be less time allotted to each!

Still not sure how many hours you need?

Ask your photographer! Ultimately they’re going to be the greatest resource in determining what coverage will suit you best! Definitely reach out!

Decided how many hours you think you need, but not sure how to schedule your day?

Personally, I provide sample timelines to all my coupes and help with timeline creation. Definitely ask your photographer for help! Most photographers want you to maximize your time with them, so they can get everything you want!