So, you think you found your perfect wedding photographer and it’s time to book… but, how many hours do I need a photographer?? As a Philly wedding photographer, I see this all the time!!

More often than not, couples look at the scheduled time of the wedding from the venue… ceremony starts at 3pm and reception is over at 9pm, so I need 6 hours right? The short answer… No. Then, how many hours do I really need? Let’s explore…

Usually, photo coverage will start early in the day, beginning with bridal prep. Most will get a little of the bridal prep and a lot of the venue, the decor and those detail shots, like the rings, programs, shoes, etc. And of course, the ceremony and then the reception, usually finishing up with cake cutting. Typically, this type of timeline will get you 8 hours of coverage. But let’s break this down really easy…

8 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

Are you planning for everything to occur at one location? Will you and your partner be getting ready at the venue? Will your ceremony and reception be there as well? Then, yes, 8 hours is perfect for this scenario! Even if you are planning a first look.

9 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

I suggest 9 hours of coverage when you are planning to get ready at a separate location, like a hotel or AirBnB. Having that extra hour accounts for travel time from getting ready to your venue. And you know, packing up your stuff to head over, then unpack your stuff and get ready for your first look or bridal party photos. You don’t want to rush around and forget something.

10 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

We save 10 hours for when you will be traveling among several locations. For example, getting ready at a hotel, then ceremony at your church, then reception at your venue. There’s a lot of travel in there, so, we want to be sure we give you adequate time to get there and get settled. Plus, typically, a church wedding is twice as long as an outdoor ceremony at your venue.

You don’t need to know at booking exactly how many hours you will need. My wedding day package starts with 8 hours of continuous coverage. If you are unsure of your getting ready location, or how your venue is structuring your day, we can always add on hours later. My goal from the beginning is to ensure you aren’t wasting money by booking more hours than you need.

Totally just don’t know, no worries!! We can chat about it during your consult call. Hit me up, I’m here to answer any questions you may have!