How Long Should You Book Your Wedding Photographer?

When booking your photographer the big question is what package you’re going to go with. When you choose your package you’ll be paying attention to if it has everything you are looking for included and if it fits your budget. Let’s go over some of the best recommendations right from a professional wedding photographer.

6 Hours of Coverage:

Perfect for complete coverage of micro-weddings and elopements. Complete coverage means getting photo coverage of the start of the day with getting ready shots all the way until the end of the day with the couple exits. For the average full wedding day a six hour coverage will cover the most important moments but normally not the full event. The wedding timeline flies by and having smaller photo coverage can make it seem to fly by even faster. This is a great option for couples who aren’t so interested in having getting ready shots and/or full reception coverage. There is inevitably give and take in one of those areas for a package like this for a full day average wedding size. Concerning budget, this is normally one of the lower end packages for couples whose budget is a little tighter. If this is the package you choose solely on budget, discuss with your photographer the best outcome in capturing your “most important” shots since likely your full list won’t be realistically achievable. 

8 Hours of Coverage: 

This is the most common package choice of couples. This amount of coverage can comfortably capture an average sized full wedding day. Those extra two hours can allow your photographer enough time to get the tail end of you and your wedding party getting ready as well as the important detail shots of the venue, reception area, decor, the wedding dress, florals, etc. 

10 Hours of Coverage: 
This is a great package choice for couples who really don’t like feeling rushed. This coverage will provide the extra time for things like first looks and no rush through those formal portrait shots. This means your photographer can really take the time to get those amazing shots without the rush of a timeline pushing to cut them short. This package is also wonderful for couples who want their full reception hours covered including any grand exit. Another thing to consider is selecting this package if your ceremony and reception are taking place in two different locations. 

12 Hours of Coverage:

To some this may seem like “overkill.” In reality plenty of couples choose this package for a few different reasons. This overall allows for every detail of the event to get the photographer attention that it deserves. 12 Hours is especially recommended for couples who have more than 150 people total attending. Couples get to see their full day captured in great detail from start to finish from just about every angle they could want. There is little rush with a package like this and it provides your photographer all the time they would need to get interesting and fun shots throughout the night they may not be able to get when pressed for time. If your budget allows for it, this coverage amount is great for giving couples peace of mind and the maximum amount of shots possible. 

Pro Tip: When deciding your package, keep in mind any travel time that is required of your photographer if you are moving to a separate location for your reception. This includes physical travel but also however long it takes them to re-setup their equipment. However long it all takes, is time you loose getting shot coverage so book accordingly. 

Make sure to check out my Wedding Timeline and Wedding Photography Checklist blogs for free downloadable guides to better help you understand how long you should book your photographer!