Your Wedding Photography Timeline Explained (Hours of Coverage)
Now that you're in the full swing of wedding planning, its time to choose your wedding day photographer! When it comes to selecting a photographer that will help capture your day, one of the first questions they will ask is how many hours of coverage do you need? When you are a year out from your day, it can be hard to know exactly how much you need, while most photographers will be able to guide you appropriately it's always nice to have an idea yourself. So here's a clear breakdown.
Elopements(3-4 hours)
First, lets answer the question, what is considered an elopement? An elopement is generally considered a wedding ceremony with a very small number of guests, often just the couple, or with a handful of close friends and family. It's characterized by its intimacy and focus on the couple's experience, rather than a large, traditional wedding celebration. While traditionally associated with secrecy, modern elopements are often planned and celebrated openly. it comes to elopements a full day of coverage (8+ hours) is just not necessary, 3-4 hours of coverage will absolutely be more than enough time. It's ideal for ceremonies with a few guests and allows for ceremony coverage, couple portraits, and a bit of celebration afterwords.
Micro Weddings (6 hours or less)
Micro weddings have been on the rise lately, so again you may ask, what is considered a micro wedding? A micro wedding is a small, intimate wedding celebration with a guest list typically under 50 people, often including only close family and friends. It's a scaled-down version of a traditional wedding, maintaining many of the core elements but on a more personal and budget-friendly scale. Hours of coverage for micro weddings really come down to what you want captured, usually 6 hours of coverage allows for getting ready photos, first looks, ceremony, couple portraits, cocktail hour, and a bit of the reception. You may have to sacrifice some detail photos but for the most part all the most important parts of the day will be covered! When you talk with your photographer, make sure to highlight all the important moments you want captured throughout the day so they can guide you on how many hours you will for sure need!
Full Day wedding (8+ Hours)
A full day of coverage is exactly what it sounds like, it's enough coverage to give you a complete story of your day. 8+ hours will give you enough time to get detail photos, getting ready portraits, first looks, bridal party photos, ceremony coverage, cocktail hours, family formal portraits, and reception coverage (speeches, cake cutting, dances, and open dance floor.) Anything less than 8 hours for a full day of coverage may start to feel like a time crunch and could cause unnecessary stress on your wedding day, so keep that in mind! Some photographers offer 10+ hours of coverage to allow for a a better more stress free flow of the day. Again, make sure to highlight all the important things you want captured on your wedding day so they can appropriately guide you in how many hours you truly need for your day!
Photographer Sample Wedding day timeline (8+ Hours)
1:00 pm Photographer Arrives
1:35 pm Getting Ready Shots
1:40 pm Bride Putting on Dress
1:50 pm Bridesmaids First Look'
2:00 pm Bride First Look with Dad
2:15 pm Bridesmaids Photos
2:45pm Groom + Groomsmen photos
4:00 pm Ceremony
4:30pm Ceremony Ends
5:00 pm Full Wedding Party Photos
5:15pm Bride & Groom Portraits
6:00pm Grand Entrance
6:05pm Bride & Groom First Dance
6:15pm Dinner Served
6:45pm Speeches
7:15pm Special Dances
7:30 pm Golden Hour Photos
8:00pm Dance Floor Photos
9:00pm Photography Coverage Ends
