May 6, 2024

How many hours should you book a wedding photographer? 10 Hour Coverage Breakdown for your Wedding Day

FILED IN: Weddings

It is wedding planning season and it’s time to start gathering vendors, creating your timeline, getting all of the details and decor together and so much more.

All, if not most, photographers create their pricing based on hours of coverage. This is where a rough timeline of your day should be laid out. Also, by the time you’re ready to book your photographer, you’ll have your venue with the timeframe of how long you have the space for. So, I would use that time to gauge your getting ready, ceremony, reception, etc.

Best coverage

With that being said, a 10 hour coverage is your best bet. Below is a mock up timeline of an average wedding with a 10 hour coverage package.

So, let’s say you have you’re venue from 7am to 10pm; and cleanup and vendors are out by 11pm. So from this, your send off should be at the latest, 10pm. Your photographer should be there from 12pm to 10pm. The average ceremony time that I’ve seen and have been to is 2pm-5pm. Therefore, having your photographer at your venue at 12pm ensures plenty of time for getting ready photos, detail photos, pre-ceremony and more (like if you decide to do a first look/first touch).

Mock Up Timeline

7am: venue is open

10am: Hair and Makeup

11am: florals arrive

12pm: photographer arrives and grabs the details and dress; bar arrives

1pm: Groom party arrives + gets dressed; Bridal party gets dressed

1:45pm: first look or first touch

2pm: wedding party photos

3pm: ceremony

4pm: cocktail hour; wedding portraits

5pm-10pm: reception

10pm: Send off

I highly recommend having your photographer at your wedding the whole day to make sure every detail and event is captured! As always, comment if you have questions!

Have a wedding soon? Come check more of my work and connect with me on Instagram! Ready to do this thing?! Leave me a message and I’ll get back to ya!

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