Free resource
How many hours of wedding photography coverage should I book?
Every wedding and every photographer is a little bit different — your planner and your photographer will be the best people to guide you. But if you don’t have these trusted team members in place yet or are looking for where to start, this resource is for you.
There are many competing factors on a wedding day—photography must be balanced against other priorities. For that reason, we provide two suggested amounts of time for each part of your photography—one for if those photos are a priority for you, and one for if those photos are less of a priority for you compared to other factors in your day.
At a glance
HOW MUCH PHOTO COVERAGE DO I NEED?
IF photos are a priority
Pre-Ceremony
Ceremony
Cocktail Hour + Reception
Travel time
Total recommended photo coverage time
3.25 - 5 hours
20-60 minutes
4.5 - 6.5 hours
varies
8 to 12.5 hours
(plus travel time)
IF photos are not a priority
2.5 - 3.25 hours
20-60 minutes
4.5 - 6.5 hours
varies
7 to 10 hours
(plus travel time)
At a glance
The details
If you’re a detail-oriented person or looking to DIY your wedding day timeline, the detailed table below breaks downs timing on an item-by-item basis, to help you understand the underlying decisionmaking that a professional photographer or wedding planner will use when crafting your timeline.
Part of the day
Paper goods, personal details, and flatlays
Wedding party portraits
Small wedding parties (2-4 per side)
Larger wedding parties (5+ per side)
— When children are included in the wedding party
Family portraits*
Immediate family - figure 1 minute per combination
Extended family - figure 4 minutes per combination
Travel time (if applicable)*
As a rule of thumb, for any travel between venues—for example, between getting ready hotel and ceremony church, or between church and reception venue—figure 2x whatever Google Maps tells you. This accounts for traffic, parking and/or waiting for rideshares or shuttles, and the fact that everything tends to take a little bit longer on a wedding day than on a regular day.
*It is standard practice that this travel time must be factored into wedding photography coverage, because the industry standard for wedding photography is that coverage time runs nonstop from when the photographer arrives and begins coverage, until they depart the wedding. Thus, weddings with travel between multiple photo locations typically require significantly longer photo coverage contracts.
Pre-ceremony
Every wedding needs a few minutes of downtime before the ceremony starts, to give guests time to arrive and get seated, the wedding processional to get lined up, bathroom breaks, and to give the photographer time to grab photos of your ceremony venue, and possibly set up lighting equipment (depending on the photographer and venue).
Ceremony
Most ceremonies in the Western cultural tradition take 20-30 minutes. Catholic ceremonies can run 30-60 minutes (depending on whether you will be celebrating a full Mass). Jewish ceremonies, depending on the customs you are celebrating, can run 20-45 minutes. Most Jewish weddings also incorporate a Ketubah signing before the ceremony, for which we recommend allocating 20-25 minutes. For other traditions and faiths, consult with your officiant or elders.
Travel time (if applicable)*
As a rule of thumb, for any travel between venues—for example, between getting ready hotel and ceremony church, or between church and reception venue—figure 2x whatever Google Maps tells you. This accounts for traffic, parking and/or waiting for rideshares or shuttles, and the fact that everything tends to take a little bit longer on a wedding day than on a regular day.
*It is standard practice that this travel time must be factored into wedding photography coverage, because the industry standard for wedding photography is that coverage time runs nonstop from when the photographer arrives and begins coverage, until they depart the wedding. Thus, weddings with travel between multiple photo locations typically require significantly longer photo coverage contracts.
Cocktail hour*
Typically runs 60-75 minutes.
If a priority
Not a priority
30-45 minutes
15 minutes
Bride getting ready
Candids
— If matching PJs photo
— If champagne toast photo
Bride stepping into dress, shoes, jewelry
— If first look with dad or bridesmaids
Bridal window light portraits
Groom getting ready*
Candids
Groom getting dressed
— If whiskey (etc) toast
45-70 minutes total
10-15 minutes
(+5 minutes)
(+5 minutes)
20 minutes
(+5 minutes)
15-20 minutes
25-30 minutes total
10-15 minutes
10 minutes
(+5 minutes)
Calculate 2x what Google Maps says
20-30 minutes
Nonreligious: 20 min.
Catholic: 30-60 min.
Jewish: 20-45 min.
Ketubah: 20-25 min.
Calculate 2x what Google Maps says
20-30 minutes total
—
—
—
15 minutes
—
5-15 minutes
20 minutes total
10 minutes
10 minutes
—
*For couples who opt for a two-photographer package with a “second shooter,” this time can happen simultaneously with bride getting ready. For couples comprised of two grooms, we recommend 30 minutes of groom getting ready time.
First look + Couple’s portraits
First look (if applicable)
Couple’s portraits
— If a videographer will also be filming
— If a dog is to be included
50-85 minutes total
10 minutes
40-50 minutes
(+10-15 minutes)
(+5-10 minutes)
25-55 minutes total
25 minutes
30-50 minutes
(+5 minutes)
Typically ~25 minutes
Varies by family
60-75 minutes
30-65 minutes total
5-10 minutes
25-35 minutes
(+10 minutes)
(+5-10 minutes)
25-55 minutes total
25 minutes
30-50 minutes
(+5 minutes)
Typically ~25 minutes
Varies by family
*Some couples opt to complete family formals (or at least extended family formals) during cocktail hour. If this is the case for you, you don’t need to allocate separate time for the photos that will happen during cocktail hour—only for photos that will happen earlier in the day.
Calculate 2x what Google Maps says
15-20 minutes
Nonreligious: 20 min.
Catholic: 30-60 min.
Jewish: 20-45 min.
Ketubah: 20-25 min.
Calculate 2x what Google Maps says
60-75 minutes
*Some couples opt to complete family formals (or at least extended family formals) during cocktail hour. If this is the case for you, only allocate time for cocktail hour—do not allocate separate time for those family formals.
Reception
Standard dinner-and-dancing receptions typically require at least 3 1/2, but often 4, hours of photo coverage. This amount of coverage typically covers everything from the start of the reception dinner, speeches, dances and other traditions, and ~30 minutes of open dance floor.
If you’d like photo coverage through the true end of your reception—which is most common for couples planning a grand exit (sparklers, etc) or private last dance—you will need more coverage. This additional coverage can vary but is typically 1-2 hours more.
3.5-5.5 hours
3.5 to 4 hours for dinner and dancing
(Add 1-2 hours for end-of-night coverage)
3.5-5.5 hours
3.5 to 4 hours for dinner and dancing
(Add 1-2 hours for end-of-night coverage)
Ready for more?
At Aimee Custis Photography, we are accomplished creatives with type-A tendencies. We pride ourselves on our intimate understanding of how weddings flow, and we take time to understand what you want.
Drafting your wedding day timeline is a service we provide upon request at no extra charge to our couples, to make sure your celebration unfolds smoothly and you can enjoy every moment. Ready to learn more about working with us?
