// How Much Time do I Need to Hire a Wedding Photographer For? // When I’m meeting a couple for their wedding consultation, there is always a question of how much time is enough to document the story of the wedding day. If a couple is working with a wedding coordinator, it is usually easy enough as most coordinators know how much time photographers need to cover ‘getting ready’, ‘family formals’, etc. based on the specifics of the wedding and the amount of guests.
The purpose of creating a timeline from photographer’s point of view is to allow enough time for wedding portraits but not to take over the wedding itself. Photographers want you to enjoy all the special moments and soak in all the joy of the day – it comes through in the photographs which you will be cherishing for years! My suggestion based on the weddings I’ve done comes next.
Please leave enough time for each, when you are planning your beautiful Wedding:
1. Getting Ready for The Bride & Groom — 1 to 2 hours. What happens during this time is the photographer captures the process of you getting makeup and hair done, your beautiful friends and mom helping you with the dress, your emotions and anticipation. This is also the time when I would photograph all the beautiful details that you spent so much time choosing for your wedding. Please have the rings, garters, invitations, flowers, etc at your Getting Ready location, so I photograph them. For your Bridal portraits we will need anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
2. The First Look (OPTIONAL) – 20-30 minutes (or 1 hour if you are not planning to have other time for your portraits). So what is the First Look (see more here)? It is the first time a bride and groom see each other dressed up, ready to tie the knot, and glowing! It is an intimate time just for the lovebirds before the ceremony when the photographer has a chance to catch naturally unfolding moments and take some portraits of the bride and groom. It gives you a nice chance to relax in each others arms and have a few minutes to yourselves while the photographer captures your emotions.
3. The Wedding Ceremony — 15 minutes to 1.5 hours. The length of your ceremony may vary widely. Afterward, allow more time for guests to leave the church or venue and get to your Reception location.
4. Formal Groups, Family Portraits, and Bridal Party — 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Family and Bridal party portraits are an important part of your wedding but may take a while. The timing can vary depending on the group size and family/group combinations. Please allow 5 minutes per each group and let me know how many individual photos you need. For this, you need to make a list of the groups you want me to photograph, with relatives’ and friends’ names. The best way to handle this part of the day is to give as much instruction to the family members and the bridal party as possible: please ask them not to leave for a cocktail hour, a quick smoke, or a drink at the bar, right after the ceremony. It will be really frustrating for everyone to wait for that one person who wondered off and is nowhere to be found. If you don’t have the Day-Of Coordinator, you need to designate a person who is familiar with all the family members and friends and will be calling the names of people in the next group from the list. It helps going through the formals fast and smooth.
5. The Newlywed Couple — 40 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the location and desires. On average it takes around 1 hour, especially if you decide not to have the First Look. This is something you don’t want to compromise – the time to capture just two of you, your relationship, and love.
6. Your Reception — 2 to 6 hours. Your first dance, cutting the cake, dancing guests, friends and family sharing your joy.
