Wedding Photography Timeline

When brides begin planning their wedding photography timeline, they often debate how many hours of cover they need. As they search for a photographer, it becomes even more confusing. Some photographers offer 6 hours of wedding day coverage while others offer all day coverage. So what’s a girl to do?!

I believe I offer a unique perspective on this topic because I was a professional photographer, became a bride, and am still a professional photographer. This has given me 3 unique views!

My advice? You do not need all day wedding photography coverage. (Insert gasp here.) Yes, I said it. As a wedding photographer, I am advising against all day wedding coverage. Shocking, right? But Jamie, I do not want to miss any moments of my wedding day.… I have heard it all from family, friends, clients, and even myself as I was planning our wedding! Here’s the deal, do you really want every. single. moment. of your wedding day photographed? (Which is not physically possible, FYI, unless your photographer is there before you wake up and with you until you enter your wedding night room. ;))

Let’s take a step back. Would you clear your mind of past ideas and be open? 🙂 In all of my years photographing weddings, I have had one bride include her fresh face, hair a mess, in her pjs photographs in her wedding album. Wedding albums are mean to tell the story of your wedding day. Do you want that to be the very first thing family and friends to see when they look at your wedding album? Not me! I am comfortable with people seeing me without makeup, but most women are not like that. Even if they are, is it worth it? I can confidently say that I am able to provides the same type of photographs with hair and make up nearly done. (My brides usually have us begin about 1/2 hour before they are completely finished with hair and make up.)

Are you convinced yet that you do not need your wedding photographer to arrive at 7am? But Jamie, I want to have lots of choices for social media profile pictures. No way would I update my Instagram with a less than stellar photograph of me when I have beautiful photographs from just a few hours later at the ceremony.

Let’s talk about your reception. Dinner is served at 6pm. First dances begin at 7pm. All of the formal things, like cake cutting and bouquet toss, are done by 7:45pm. That is when the dance floor starts to come alive. By 10pm everyone that will dance has danced. Now let’s talk about alcohol. Guests have been able to enjoy your open bar since they arrived at 5pm. Some drink a glass of wine with dinner while others are a few beers in. I am completely fine with staying until I have gotten the photographs I need for my couples and their wedding album. But, here’s the thing, do you want photographs of your drunk guests at 11pm? (Does your Mom want to pay for photographs of your drunk guests?) Now I am not saying everyone has drunk guests or that all couples have alcohol at their wedding. (We didn’t!) However, a majority of couples do have some sort of alcoholic beverage.

When I work through a couple’s custom wedding timeline before booking, we discuss all of those things. I believe it’s important to be up front and honest about what a couple truly needs in my opinion as a professional photographer. It makes me so sad that brides are being told all day wedding coverage is necessary. I believe it is a disservice and a poor use of a couple’s budget. (Wouldn’t you rather add extra pages to your wedding album or select a wall art collection for your new home?)

I took some time to talk with past clients, other wedding vendors and other professional photographers from across the world. (Yes, I said world. I reached out to some Facebook groups I am apart of and took a poll.) The results were unanimous. You, as a bride, do not need all day wedding coverage. What does a bride actually need? Most of my couples choose 8-10 hours of wedding day coverage. That is exactly what I found with this poll. I will say there are some couples who choose 6 hours for smaller weddings, elopements, etc.