When you’re looking to book a wedding photographer, one of the things you need to decide is how many hours of coverage you want. It’s important to pick the right amount of time so that you don’t miss any important moments, but you also don’t want to end up paying for more than you need. If you’ve been browsing various photographers’ websites, you’ve likely noticed that some of the most common coverage times included in photography packages are something like 6, 8 or 10 hours. We’ll use this article to break down each of these options, plus shorter time frames, so you can figure out how much wedding photography coverage is best for your big day.
We also have a section at the end of this article specifically talking about microweddings and elopements. If you’ve decided to keep it simple and you’re trying to figure out how much photography coverage you need for your microwedding, this is the section for you!
Before we get into which option is best, consider these questions: Do you want coverage of everything on the big day, from getting ready up until the end of the evening, or do you just want the main events captured? Are there different locations for getting ready, ceremony and reception? These factors will influence how many hours you need to book your wedding photographer for. If you’re on a budget, you’ll need to decide which areas are most important to you – you don’t want to rush through the day’s activities!
Ready? Let’s dive in so you can get your wedding photography coverage questions answered!
6 Hours of Coverage
Best for: Smaller weddings or partial day coverage
If you’re planning a small wedding or elopement with around 75 guests or less, 6 hours of coverage is usually enough. With fewer people and less going on, this amount of time will work well. But if you’re planning a bigger wedding, it might not be enough to capture everything you want.
8 Hours of Coverage
Best for: Average-sized weddings and almost full-day coverage
If you want your photographer to capture most of the moments of the big day, from getting ready with your bridesmaids through most reception activities, 8 hours of coverage is a solid choice. It’s usually enough time for most people, especially if your ceremony and reception are in the same location. If you have to travel between sites, keep in mind that it will cut into the time for taking pictures.
Not sure how much of the reception and getting ready to cover? We recommend one to two hours of getting ready, so that your photographer can capture finishing touches and getting your wedding dress on. Towards the end of the night, up to an hour after the last planned reception activities, like speeches and cake cutting, should suffice for capturing a few dance floor moments to close out photo coverage of your unforgettable day.
10 Hours of Coverage
Best for: Full-day coverage with multiple locations
If you want your photographer to capture just about every single moment of your wedding day, from start to finish, 10 hours of coverage is the way to go. It may sound like a lot, but weddings can be long! For example, if you’ve got a 10 a.m. start for hair and makeup, and a reception end time of 10 p.m., you’re looking at 12 hours of wedding events for potential coverage.
This option gives you plenty of time and ensures that nothing gets missed, even if you have to travel between different locations. It also gives your photographer plenty of time for portraits during the best hours of the day. A full day of coverage can also be helpful if you have a large extended family or anticipate that you’ll need lots of time for formal photos.
Microweddings and Elopements
During the COVID-19 pandemic, microweddings and low-key elopements quickly became a trend, and are still going strong. Microweddings are more intimate weddings, usually with 25 people or less. Naturally, the amount of coverage you need for small wedding is going to look rather different than what you’d plan for in a larger affair. These are a couple of the most commonly requested coverage options for microweddings and who they are best for.
2 Hours of Coverage
Best for: Ceremony and formal portraits
Two hours of coverage will give us enough time to document the ceremony, photograph you with your guests that are in attendance, and take some beautiful portraits. This coverage will allow us to capture the basics of this special celebration. But what if you want some getting ready photos, or you’re planning to have a small reception with your guests – what’s the best option?
4 Hours of Coverage
Best for: Ceremony, portraits, and more
If you want coverage of your ceremony, portraits, and additional moments like getting ready or a small reception, 4 hours of coverage is a better fit. This allows your photographer to capture more special parts of your day.
This will go beyond just the basics and give your photographer the chance to capture such special parts of your day as getting ready to say, “I do,” or celebrating your new marriage with the guests afterwards.
Vermont Wedding Photography
Whether you’re planning a bigger wedding or an intimate microwedding, we hope this has been a helpful guide in helping you determine the perfect amount of coverage you need!
If you’re still searching for your Vermont wedding photographer, let’s connect! We’d love to create a custom quote for you and yours so we can ensure you have everything you need from your wedding photography package.
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