Choosing a wedding photographer is definitely one of the most important things during your wedding planning process – the most important thing if you ask me. Your wedding day will happen only once and you definitely want a professional to take care of the memories.

The question is: “How many hours do you need a wedding photographer?”. In order to answer that question, you need to start by figuring out the size of your wedding. Are you having an elopement? Are you having a big party? Are you inviting over 200 people? Do you have a fun grand exit planned?

Read more: how many hours wedding photography coverage do you need?

Once you’ve figured out how many hours you’d need to hire your wedding photographer, you can now continue with these next 5 different types of wedding photography packages and see what fits best for your big day.

5 Types of Wedding Photography Packages

The number of hours you’ll need your photographer depends on the size, logistics, venues, and exactly what you want to be covered. I’m going to walk you through 5 different wedding photography packages so that you can arrange what is right for your wedding.

6 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

This is usually the starting point of most wedding photography packages. Six hours of coverage is plenty for small wedding and elopements. When weddings are intimate, there aren’t many people to manage and photograph, so things tend to move quickly. Important to know is that 6 hours of coverage only works logistically if the ceremony, dinner and reception are at the same location.

Important notes:

• 6 hours of coverage most likely means that there will not be much (or any) time for detail photos, getting ready and decoration photos.
• On the other hand, the most important moments will be captured, such as; portraits, ceremony, family photos and cake cutting.
• The end of the night comes early with just 6 hours of coverage, there’s a big chance that there won’t be any photos of the reception.

DOWNLOAD A FREE FULL-DAY WEDDING TIMELINE SAMPLE HERE

8 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

An 8-hour package is usually enough time for an average-size wedding, let’s sat about 125 people. This extra two hour is enough to capture some bride getting ready, some details shots of the reception space and your first dance.

Important notes:

• If you’re considering having a first look, I recommend having at least 8 hours of coverage.
• Eight hours might seem like a lot of time, but this usually works best for a wedding where the ceremony and reception are at the same location. You definitely don’t want your photographer wasting 30 or 40 minutes on packing all their gears and driving to another location.

10 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

This is the perfect package for the ones that don’t want to feel rushed and want to get all of the Pinterest-worthy shots! This package gives you enough time for great detail and getting ready photos, plus plenty of time for a first look if you’re having one.

Important Notes:

• If you’re ceremony and reception are taking place in different locations, this is where you should start. This gives your photographer enough time to travel and to be at places where he needs to be.
• If you’re having a grand exit, then this is usually not enough. Well, yes, but no. If you want to give away some time from your getting ready session, then yes, you have enough time. However, I never recommend ‘stealing’ extra time in the morning. Why? Because during your getting ready session is where I get most of the time to be creative and create those Pinterest-worthy images. So, if you’re having a grand exit, 10 hours is usually not enough for me to photographer until the very end of the reception.

12 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

Ooohhh hello, BEST FRIENDS. Here’s where the magic happens. Haha… Aside from this being more than enough time to capture all of the details of the day, this amount is almost necessary if you’re having a large wedding party,

Important notes:

• If you’re having a large bridal party and want to take photos with most (if not all) of your family members, this is the place you’d need to be.
• This is great if don’t want to rush anything and want to make sure you’re documenting every single moment.
• This is PERFECT if you’re having a first look and want to take bridal photos, bridal party photos and family photos before your ceremony (or after). 
• If you’re into design and/or have a wedding theme, this is where the magic happens.
• Having 12 hours of wedding coverage means that you will have every single detail, from the getting ready till the grand exit.

I’ve created a wedding photography guide which includes not one, but TWO, wedding timeline samples. Whether you’re doing the first look or the traditional wedding reveal, I’ve got you covered.

In this guide, you will learn the difference between having a first look or a traditional wedding reveal. My best tips for planning your wedding photography coverage and a checklist for all your details photos.

DOWNLOAD YOUR GUIDE HERE

3 Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Creating Your Wedding Timeline

Do you want to capture getting ready images?

If you want to have some fun photos with your bridal party or some intimate moments with your mom (and grandma) during your getting ready captured, you’d definitely want to hire a photographer for your getting-ready session. 

Are you having a first look?

If you’re having a first look, this is the best time to immediately take bride and groom photos, bridal party photos and family photos. By creating a formal family photo list with all your desired photos in advance, we can make sure we spend less than 60 minutes doing all of this! 

How much travel will be involved?

Is your ceremony and reception at the same location? Where is the groom getting ready? Where is the bride getting ready? Who’s picking up the bride for the first look? Who’s picking up the groom for the first look? Where are you having the first look? Are you taking photos at different locations? Are you arranging travel shuttle for your bridal party?