2 Hours, 10 Hours? How Long Do I Need My Photographer For on My Wedding Day?
This is one of the very first questions I'll chat to my couples about and it's all down to you.
So, where to start?
Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
Would I like to have my preparations covered?
You have the option to have your pre-wedding prep photographed - we don't usually arrive for the point where your hair is tied up in a towel but we allow a good hour to two hours (depending on what you have planned) to capture those beautiful moments between you and your girlfriends and your groom and his groomsmen,
Capture the exchanging of gifts between your bridesmaids, the finishing touches of makeup and hair, the moment your dad first sees you in your dress.
We won't be hovering around you all morning, we dip in and out and also capture the details of your venue, flowers, dresses, rings, suits, shoes.
Your wedding ceremony is the most momentous event of your life so far, we don't ask you if you'd like this to be photographed because, well, we're wedding photographers!
Would I like any group photographs?
This is a topic that we can talk about in more depth in another post but, for now, consider whether you'd like them. As wedding photography develops, they're by no means a necessity and we love completely natural photography. There are so many options where group and posed photographs are concerned, if you're not sure what you'd like ask your photographer what they offer.
Would I like a personal couple's shoot in my venue grounds?
Say yes! Ok, I'm biased, but I LOVE this part. You've chosen a beautiful venue or a stunning location, let's sneak away for 10 minutes to capture photographs of you and your new husband or wife alone.
Would I like my speeches to be captured?
A perfect time to capture your guests, arranged around your beautifully decorated tables; personally I love the speeches - we are able to capture incredible reactions and emotions as people join to toast to your love.
Would I like my first dance to be photographed?
This one's pretty straightforward, but not all couples opt for a first dance, or you could have a real surprise planned - let us know!
Would I like some photographs of my guests dancing too?
This is often the point in the day when we're bringing our work to a close - if you would like to have photographs of your guests dancing too, we'll usually stay for a song or two, capture guests letting their hair down. This doesn't take too long because after a few minutes of dancing we have plenty of photographs of your guests having a ball!
Would I like my cake-cutting to be captured?
Do I have anything special planned for the evening, that I'd love my photographer to cover?
Fireworks, performers, a singer, sparkler send-off - there are lots of evening details that may be the most spectacular finale to your day. Would you like your photographer to stay for them?
Every wedding day is unique, this is a great start for knowing how long you'd like your photographers on your day.
If you have a wedding planner or coordinator, ask them for the timeline of your day. Now that you know which parts of the day you'd like to be captured, you know the point at which you'd like your photographers to begin and end and you have an idea of whether you need 2 hours of photography or 12.
Once you have an idea you can chat to your photographer about what you would like to have covered. Don't be surprised if your photographer suggests some alterations to your timeline, if you would like lots of group photographs or there's a perfect location nearby for a couple's shoot you'll need to allow extra time. Put your trust in us, we help with wedding day timelines regularly and we know how much time needs to be allowed where photography is concerned.
