Capturing Moments: The Perfect Wedding Photography Duration Guide

Every wedding is different, so the amount of time you need a photographer for your wedding will depend on your specific needs. Most wedding photographers charge a minimum of 8 hours, but some couples only want their ceremony and portraits covered, which can be as short as 3-4 hours. A good photographer will design a photo package to suit your needs.

How much time do I need for my wedding photography?

The majority of weddings I photograph are 8 hours long. However, every couple is different and every wedding photographer is different in the way they price, offer packages, and what they consider "all-day wedding photography". Some photographers won't set foot on your wedding without a minimum of 8 hours as this allows them to tell your story, capture all the moments, have time to be creative, cover the main parts of the reception, and allow for cushion time in case something goes wrong and backs up the timeline.

A good photographer worth their salt will design a photo package to suit your needs. Some couples just want their ceremony and portraits covered which can be as short as 3-4 hours. However, the majority of your photos that you will print, put on canvas, and select to be in your heirloom album are typically the ones from the first 4-5 hours of the day.

A good guide is to start your photographing when the bride is getting her hair and make-up done, and a good finish time is usually 15-30 minutes after the first dance. After this time, it's usually very dark and you get many of the same time of photographs (people may be very drunk too!).

What you need to know is that Wedding Photography starts a minimum of 3 hours before your ceremony. Most, even 4 hours before; especially if you’re planning a First Look or if your photographer has to travel from your getting ready location to your ceremony location and/or to your reception location.

Some cultures have many ceremonies scheduled on the same day, so you might be looking for much longer than 8-10 hours which is fine, just ask your photographer to build a custom package and compare a few photographers whose styles you resonate with.

How long should my wedding photography last?

The majority of your photos that you will print, put on canvas, and select to be in your heirloom album are typically the ones from the first 4-5 hours of the day. Every wedding photographer is different on the way they price, offer packages, and what they consider “all day wedding photography”. Some photographers won’t set foot on your wedding without a minimum of 8 hours. This is for many reasons, but most importantly: being able to tell your story, capture all the moments, have time to be creative, cover the main parts of the reception, and allow for cushion time in case something goes wrong and backs up the timeline.

Every couple is different and if I have to say what couples absolutely must-have photographed, it's the ceremony and some beautiful portraits together. The majority of weddings I photograph are 8 hours long. Some cultures have many ceremonies scheduled on the same day, so you might be looking for much longer than 8-10 hours which is fine, just ask your photographer to build a custom package and compare a few photographers whose styles you resonate with. A good photographer worth their salt will design a photo package to suit your needs.

For brides and grooms from prominent families, the portrait session will typically last around 45 minutes (possibly including grandparents, stepparents, married siblings with children, and so on). A modest wedding party consisting of the bride and groom and perhaps one or two bridesmaids and groomsmen would require about 10 minutes to finish a portrait session. A full wedding party portrait session, which may include more than seven or eight bridesmaids and groomsmen on each side, would take around 25 minutes to complete.

For most couples, a good guide is to start your photographing when the bride is getting her hair and make-up done, and a good finish time is usually 15-30 minutes after the first dance. After this time it's usually very dark and you get many of the same time of photographs (people may be very drunk too!).

It takes between 12 – 16 weeks to process your images in which you will be contacted and sent a link to an online gallery. During peak season it may take up to 18 weeks to receive your images.

When should I start my wedding photography?

Every wedding photographer is different on the way they price, offer packages, and what they consider "all-day wedding photography". Some photographers won't set foot on your wedding without a minimum of 8 hours. This is for many reasons, but most importantly: being able to tell your story, capture all the moments, have time to be creative, cover the main parts of the reception, and allow for cushion time in case something goes wrong and backs up the timeline.

The majority of your photos that you will print, put on canvas, and select to be in your heirloom album are typically the ones from the first 4-5 hours of the day. The common misunderstanding most brides have when they book their wedding photographer is this: “My wedding ceremony starts at 5 pm and we have the venue until 11 pm. Therefore, I need 6 hours of coverage.” What you need to know is that wedding photography starts a minimum of 3 hours before your ceremony. Most, even 4 hours before; especially if you’re planning a First Look or if your photographer has to travel from your getting ready location to your ceremony location and/or to your reception location.

If a couple is having bridal preparations covered, I would usually start at least 3 hours prior to the ceremony start time. So this could be as early as 8:30/9 am. Some ceremonies start later, so for some weddings, I’d start later. Couples often ask what time their photographer should arrive and start. There is no specific time and each photographer will be different, and it will also depend on whether you are having the photographer there while you are getting ready. I usually arrive about an hour and a half before the ceremony start time, unless there is something happening earlier that would add to the story of the day. I arrive and say my hellos, consciously not walking in with cameras ready. I like to start coverage around 1.5 hours before the ceremony so that I can cover bridal preparation. I don’t think it’s necessary to start any earlier as no one wants photos of themselves with no makeup on at all!

The majority of weddings I photograph are 8 hours long. Some cultures have many ceremonies scheduled on the same day, so you might be looking for much longer than 8-10 hours which is fine, just ask your photographer to build a custom package and compare a few photographers whose styles you resonate with. A good photographer worth their salt will design a photo package to suit your needs.

How long should my wedding photography last?

The majority of your photos that you will print, put on canvas, and select to be in your heirloom album are typically the ones from the first 4-5 hours of the day. Every couple is different and if you have to say what couples absolutely must-have photographed, it's the ceremony and some beautiful portraits together. The majority of weddings I photograph are 8 hours long. Some cultures have many ceremonies scheduled on the same day, so you might be looking for much longer than 8-10 hours which is fine, just ask your photographer to build a custom package and compare a few photographers whose styles you resonate with. A good photographer worth their salt will design a photo package to suit your needs.

The common misunderstanding most brides have when they book their wedding photographer is this: “My wedding ceremony starts at 5pm and we have the venue until 11pm. Therefore, I need 6 hours of coverage”. What you need to know is that Wedding Photography starts a MINIMUM of 3 hours before your ceremony. Most, even 4 hours before; especially if you’re planning a First Look or if your photographer has to travel from your getting ready location to your ceremony location and/or to your reception location. For most couples, a good guide is to start your photographing when the bride is getting her hair and make-up done, and a good finish time is usually 15-30 minutes after the first dance. After this time it's usually very dark and you get many of the same time of photographs (people may be very drunk too!).

Depending on the types of portraits you want your photographer to take (different wedding photographers have different styles!), it will probably take you at least two hours to get all the shots. However, the good news is that the photos usually aren’t taken all at once, and the time is broken up throughout your day. Most photographers say you need about 30 minutes for wedding party portraits, 30 minutes for family portraits (close family only), and 45 minutes for couple portraits. The minimum time required for guests and suppliers to be permitted back into the ceremony site to take photos is thirty minutes. You need to get to the ceremony location well before the guests are seated if you want to capture photographs of the entire ceremony scene being set up. To get the greatest photos possible of the event, do as such.

How much time do I need for my wedding photography?

Every wedding photographer is different on the way they price, offer packages, and what they consider "all-day wedding photography". Some photographers won't set foot on your wedding without a minimum of 8 hours, while others may photograph for over 15 hours on some weddings.

The majority of your photos that you will print, put on canvas, and select to be in your heirloom album are typically the ones from the first 4-5 hours of the day. A good finish time is usually 15-30 minutes after the first dance, after which it's usually very dark and you get many of the same time of photographs (people may be very drunk too!).

The common misunderstanding most brides have when they book their wedding photographer is this: "My wedding ceremony starts at 5 pm and we have the venue until 11 pm. Therefore, I need 6 hours of coverage". What you need to know is that wedding photography starts a minimum of 3 hours before your ceremony, even 4 hours before if you’re planning a First Look or if your photographer has to travel from your getting ready location to your ceremony location and/or to your reception location.

Every couple is different and if I have to say what couples absolutely must have photographed, it's the ceremony and some beautiful portraits together. The majority of weddings I photograph are 8 hours long, but some cultures have many ceremonies scheduled on the same day, so you might be looking for much longer than 8-10 hours which is fine, just ask your photographer to build a custom package and compare a few photographers whose styles you resonate with. A good photographer worth their salt will design a photo package to suit your needs.

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