I get this question all the time. And since every wedding is different, there is no easy answer. But, having photographed hundreds of weddings myself, I thought I might share a little of what I’ve learned over the years and help you as you plan your wedding day timeline and find the photographer who is right for you. At the very least, you’ll be well informed as you start your photographer search. So lets get started!

How much photography time you’ll need depends on your timeline and how important the photographs are to you. Allocating more time to any part of your wedding will of course allow your photographer more time to capture a greater variety of images for you and also more time to get creative. You don’t want your photographer to rush through everything like a checklist. But at the same time, there are certainly limits too! The goal here is to find that perfect balance that works for you, your guests, your vendors, and your venue.

So lets start with a ballpark figure. Most of the weddings that I photograph involve about 8-10 hours of photography. These are weddings that adhere to a fairly traditional format (preparations, ceremony, bride & groom portraits/cocktails, and reception). Elopements and shorter weddings might require only 5-7 hours in total. On the other hand, some cultural traditions might extend the time by a few hours or even more. For example, I have photographed a number of weddings that have included a Chinese or Vietnamese tea ceremony, or multiple ceremonies at both the bride’s parents and groom’s parents homes. I have also photographed dozens of Indian weddings that have gone well past 12 hours of photography on the wedding day. Many of the Indian weddings I’ve photographed have also included photography for multiple events spread out over several days. While there may be a great deal of variation when it comes to the ceremony portion of the wedding, the remainder of the wedding, from the preparations to the reception will likely share a great deal of commonality, especially in terms of time requirements. In other words, the basic ideas you’ll find here can be applied to just about any wedding.

In a previous article about wedding planning, I posted some sample timelines. You can read the full post here, but for reference, I’ve included a timeline here to show how photography would fit in for a traditional format wedding with 9 hours of photography. And at the end, a few tips to help you determine what will work best for your wedding!

 

Sample Timeline:

12:30pm– Photography begins.Bride and Groom preparations. Your photographer will capture your details (dress, rings, bouquets, etc.), and photograph you and your friends and family getting ready, along with bride alone and groom alone portraits. Giving yourself more time here will ensure you are not rushing through!

3:00– Bride & Groom get ready for the ceremony. Places please! This is where you’ll both go into your respective places to await your entrances as the guests take their seats.

3:30– The ceremony begins. Most ceremonies take less than an hour, but this will depend on the type of ceremony and what is included.

4:30– Family group photographs, cocktails begin.

4:45– Wedding party photographs.

5:00– Bride & Groom photographs. All of your wedding photographs are important, but for many couples, these are themost important! Don’t cut these short if you can help it! And better yet, see about sneaking out again (perhaps during dinner) near sunset for a few more!

5:45 – Reception décor ready for photographs.

6:00– Doors open and the reception begins. Here you’ll plan your speeches/toasts, dinner, dances, cake cutting, and anything else you’d like to include. A great place for the first dance is right after you make your entrance, when the excitement is at its peek!

Sunset photos!!??

8:45 – Open Dancing begins. With your reception program completed, it is time for everyone to get on the dance floor! This is also a good time for the bouquet and garter toss.

9:30– Photography ends

11:00– Reception ends.

 

In summary:

• Elopements and short, intimate weddings all at one location: 4-7 hours of photography
• Traditional format weddings (single or multiple locations): 8-10 hours of photography
• Cultural weddings or weddings involving a special “getaway” style photoshoot for the bride & groom: 11 hours or more of photography

 

And here are some important tips to keep in mind when you decide on your wedding photography package:

1. I know I’ve already said this, but it doesn’t hurt to say it again: more time = more variety and more creativity when it comes to photographs! If the bride & groom photographs are super super important for you, then lets allocate more time there and/or see if we can leave dinner for a few minutes for some sunset photographs! We live near so many amazingly beautiful outdoor locations, so if you’d like to visit any of these on your wedding day, I’m happy to explore options with you! If you’ll be having family from all over the country (or out of the country) visit, then lets allocate more time for family groups!
2. Don’t cut back on pre-ceremony photography time! Images of the bride getting ready (along with her friends and family) are some of the most beautiful images of the day! Plan for at least 2 hours of photography here, and some for the groom too! If it is one photographer on your wedding day, have your photographer spend about 20-30 minutes with the guys and then the rest with the bride getting ready.
3. If you must cut back, cut back on the open dancing at the end. Usually, about 30 minutes of open dancing is sufficient, provided of course that everyoneis on the dance floor during that time, especially the bride and groom!!!
4. Having your preparations, ceremony, and reception all at one venue will definitely save you some time, so even if the venue charges a little more for earlier access to the bride prep room, it is probably worth it!
5. And perhaps the most important advice of all that I can give: Don’t cut back on photography time to save money unless you really, really have to! I’m not saying this because I’m a photographer! A little extra money for me is not going to make or break my year. But for couples, that time when the bride was laughing with her bridesmaids while she was getting ready, or that moment when grandma is out there rocking the dance floor… these are priceless! You’ve spent thousands of dollars and countless hours planning your wedding, so why eliminate huge parts of it in order to save a few hundred dollars? Again, cut back on the open dancing if you really must, but if at all possible, have your photographer capture the entire day. Months and years down the road, you’ll be glad you did!

 

If you’d like to set up a time to talk about your wedding, I’m happy to help! Just fill out our wedding form and I’ll do my best to respond within 24 hours! You can find the form here.