Wedding Day Coverage – How Many Hours Do I Really Need?

It can be stressful planning a wedding, right? I mean chances are you haven’t gotten married already! So this is TOTALLY new to you!

I’m giving you some basic questions to ask yourself to figure out how much photography coverage you need on your wedding day!

1. How big is your wedding?
   

   If you’re having 50+ people are your wedding, you’re definitely going to need more time. If it’s going to be a relatively small celebration, in most cases, less hours will have you covered.

2. How much do you want photographed?

If you’re wanting the whole shabang from getting ready all the way through your send off then I highly recommend having much more coverage, 12 – 10 hours especially if you’re wanting photos of you’re final send off! If you’re wanting just the essentials covered, I recommend looking at 8-9 hours of coverage. Generally this will cover your last half hour of getting ready right up through your first dances. Check out the sample timeline below to see what 8 hours of coverage looks like! If you’re reading through this thinking we’re having a pretty small celebration and really only want the most important stuff covered, think about having 4-6 hours of coverage. This will make sure you still get photos of the ceremony and family without all of the extra stuff!

3. What are the most important moments to you?

No one can tell you what you need photos of. At the end of the day it comes down to you and your partner. Think about the memories you want to have when the day is all said and done. Are you getting ready with some of your best people? Do you want photos of them? Do you have guests that won’t be around until the reception, that you know you need photos of? Are you okay with just a simple album of the ceremony and the people most important to you? Think about all of the steps that go into your wedding day and all of the little events in between. What are you must have photos when its all said and done?

8 hours of coverage is by far the most popular choice among my couples! It truly gets the essentials of everything going on through out the day with the perfect amount of coverage. Wondering what 8 hours of coverage might look like for you? Check out the sample timeline below!

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8 Hour Sample Timeline

12:30 PM Photography Coverage Starts

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM Getting Ready Details

1:30 PM – 1:45 PM First Look w/ Dad

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM First Look + Bride + Groom Portraits

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Wedding Party Portraits

Whole Wedding Party

Bride w/ Bridesmaids (Individual)

Groom w/ Groomsmen (Individual)

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Family Portraits

Bride w/ Brides Parents (together + individually)

Bride w/ Brides Parents & Siblings

Couple w/ Brides Parents

Couple w/ Bride’s Parents, siblings, grandparents

Groom w/ Grooms Parents (together + individually)

Groom w/ Grooms Parents & Siblings

Couple w/ Groom’s Parents

Couple w/ Groom’s Parents & Siblings

Couple w/ Grooms Parents, siblings, grandparents

Couple with both sets of parents

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Relax before you say, “I Do!”

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Ceremony

4:30 PM – 5:30 Cocktail Hour

6:00 PM Reception Entrance

6:15 PM Cake Cutting

6:30 PM Dinner

7:15 PM Toasts

7:30 PM First Dances

8:00 PM Sunset Couple Portraits

8:30 PM Photography Coverage Ends

Check out my step by step process for laying out your custom timeline to capture everything you’re wanting from getting ready with the ladies and dancing it up on the dance floor with the fam!