How Many Hours Of Photography Do I Need For My Wedding Day?

17 October 2022 / Caius Symboll®

How Many Hours Of Photography Do I Need For My Wedding Day?

How much is too little, and how much is too much? That’s what will probably keep you up at night when you’re wondering, “how many hours of photography do I need for my wedding day?”. Fortunately, we’re here to help.

17 October 2022 / Caius Symboll®

Here’s your best guide for hours!

Punchline

When deciding how many hours of photography you’ll need on your wedding, the answer is, it depends. Your photographer will ask you how much you have as a budget, how many invites you sent out, where is the wedding being held and what type of wedding is it. Here is a more detailed explanation on why answering the question “how many hours of photography do I need” is dependent on the factors above.

Your budget

Getting a photographer to cover a four-hour quick wedding at city hall will be cheaper than a twelve-hour extravaganza at an exotic location. This is because your photographer, or his crew, will need to be there earlier than guests and the wedding party, for those shots that will make your special day even more memorable. A lot more planning, and logistics on the photographer’s part will mean a bigger invoice for you and it might or might not be worth the extra amount. Depending on the number of people invited, how much longer you want the photographer around (for the less formal part of the wedding like the dances and the after party) then you will need to ensure your budget can accommodate these changes.

Tip : if you are working with a modest budget, ensure your ceremony’s venue isn’t too far from the reception and photoshoot location.

Type of wedding

A civil/city hall wedding is pretty straight forward and doesn’t usually have twists. With a larger, more elaborate cultural or religious wedding, there are processes that may go above the time allocated to them. You don’t want to be fuming under your make up, one eye on the clock, wondering why your uncle’s speech is five minutes over his time. A larger event is definitely more wholesome and beautiful, but it also has a lot more room for things to go longer than expected. There will be more people asking for a dance with you, there will be a lot more people to pose with and it makes more sense to get a 10-12 hour package for an elaborate wedding if you’re able to.

Tip – More elaborate weddings have a grand exit, after all the time spent, you want your photographer present, to document that special moment.

Location

When you are doing a destination wedding, time seems to fly faster. Your photographer will also want to prepare for a different climate, which might affect lighting and makeup. A destination wedding is also more likely to have a separate ceremony and reception area, which will mean you might spend a considerable amount of time shuttling around while keeping one eye on the coveted ‘golden hour’.

Tip – Get a 12 hour or more package for out of town weddings. You will have footage from the time you are wearing makeup and outfits, to the dance, with plenty of detailed shots in between.

We hope you are closer to answering the question “how many hours of photography do I need” for your wedding day. If you have any questions, we will be happy to help.

Choosing a Wedding Photographer

From the moment your guests arrive at the reception hall, they are in for an experience like no other. Your wedding day should be a memorable one that you can share with loved ones forever- we want every person attending this special occasion to feel welcomed and loved by all who attend it too! So let us capture those moments of joyous celebration as well as any tearful goodbyes on film so future generations can see how much love existed on your day. Choose Symboll as your wedding photographer. Interested in wedding videography? We do that too. Thank you so much for reading! We can’t wait for you to have a blast on your day!

How Many Hours Of Photography Do I Need For My Wedding Day?