Photographer - how many hours

pledgeX

We've been looking into wedding photographers lately and are trying to nail down a shortlist. One of the things we need to decide is how long we need the photographer for.

We definitely don't need them to hang around after we've all sat down at the wedding breakfast, and I don't think we're overly fussed about any bridal prep shots.

So we'd need them to cover our arrival to the ceremony, the ceremony itself, then presumably we'd dash off to take some more photoshoot-esque photos of just the two of us inbetween that and the wedding breakfast, and then a couple of shots of everyone at the wedding breakfast and maybe capture the beginning of the speeches.

A lot of the low end packages start at 4 hours coverage. In your experience is this enough time? Some of them start at only 3 hours. The ceremony and reception venues are only a 2 minute drive away from each other so there's no delay travel wise.

Thanks for any help

Skintski

Initially I told my photographer I didn't want any prep pictures but having looked at some wedding albums they may a nice intro into it rather than just diving straight into the ceremony. We went for six hours but our guy doesn't include travel time which was great for us.

deecy

If it's a civil ceremony 4 hours will be enough to get you from an hour before the ceremony, through the ceremony up until and an hour and a half after the ceremony. If your ceremony time was 1pm this is how your itinerary might look:

12pm Start. Photos of venue, groom arriving, portraits of groom, with his guys and his family. Guests arriving, bridesmaids arriving, bride arriving and shots of bride with car/parents/bridesmaids etc.

If it's a civil ceremony grooms need to be there 30 minutes before the ceremony to see the Registrar and so arriving about an hour before so they can check the room and have some photos is what we recommend.

1pm Ceremony.
1.30pm Drinks Reception and Photos. Each group photo takes maybe 3 minutes to gather, pose, shoot and disperse. Have 10 and you're already at half an hour. Add in 15 minutes for some portraits and along with a little time to chat you're up to an hour. We suggest 90 minutes between the end of the ceremony and the wedding breakfast.

3pm Wedding Breakfast. If you do speeches before you eat these would be done by 3.30pm. You've used 3.5 hours. If you have speeches after you eat then it makes sense to have your photographer leave after you've sat down meaning they'd have covered 3 hours.

If you have a receiving line you'd sit down 30 minutes later (3.30pm).

Add in prep photography starting at 11.30am and you have your 4 hours. Or have a longer drinks reception or allow for traveling between venues or if you have a church wedding ... all adds up to the fact that 4 hours is about right for half day coverage.

This is what we capture during a 4 hour wedding. Couples end up with around 400 images in their gallery. About 80% of the days photos are taken in the 1st 4 hours.

Venue, ceremony room, groom arriving, groom portraits, groom & best man & usher portraits, rings, guests arriving, bridesmaids arriving, wedding car arriving, bride and father in car, bride and bridesmaids, bride and parents, walking up the aisle, ceremony, vows, exchange of rings, kiss, signing, walking down the aisle, confetti/bubbles, family & friends group photos, couple portraits, pictures by and in wedding car,1st toast. Arrivals at the reception venue, reception venue exterior & interior, wedding breakfast room, table settings, favours, room decor, table plan, cake. drinks reception, guests going into dinner, the entrance of the newly married couple, pre-dinner speeches & a mock cake cutting.

katie1812

I think everyone is different and its just about looking around and investigating. We had ours all day. He literally just booked us for that day. He went to the church at about 12.30, took pics of the flowers etc then came to me for 1pm for final getting ready pics, whilst his assistant took photos of the groom and guests arriving! Then had him through ceremony and afterwards, the 'posey' pics at reception.. Cake, first dance, speeches... I think he left at about 9 in the end... Which when looking back is ridiculous lol, 9 hours! But then he was rather expensive!
I guess it depends what you want. I couldn't do without the pictures now I have them and I'm so great full he was there for all of that time

podperson

I'm a wedding photographer and I would say 4 hours would be sufficient for that but you'd be pushing it a bit with 3. I tend to class a half day package as 4-5 hours. Also, bare in mind that longer packages can often be priced as better value - as the photographer isn't going to be able to take another job that day anyway.

Katie - 9 hours isn't actually that bad, with an earlyish ceremony and bridal prep being covered then I can frequently do 12 hour days

EmsLdn

Sorry to highjack your thread but just a side question - should we be feeding the photographer? In other words, when the headcount is done for the meal, should the photographer be included?

lisajane8482

Ours provides approx 6 hours coverage and if required photos to be taken at home before the service

EmsLdn wrote: »

Sorry to highjack your thread but just a side question - should we be feeding the photographer? In other words, when the headcount is done for the meal, should the photographer be included?

We are, I thought about the fact that he would be missing his tea (we are having a late ceremony) and I thought it would be polite. I'm not sure if it's protocol though.

Disney_Pluto

katie1812 wrote: »

I think everyone is different and its just about looking around and investigating. We had ours all day. He literally just booked us for that day. He went to the church at about 12.30, took pics of the flowers etc then came to me for 1pm for final getting ready pics, whilst his assistant took photos of the groom and guests arriving! Then had him through ceremony and afterwards, the 'posey' pics at reception.. Cake, first dance, speeches... I think he left at about 9 in the end... Which when looking back is ridiculous lol, 9 hours! But then he was rather expensive!
I guess it depends what you want. I couldn't do without the pictures now I have them and I'm so great full he was there for all of that time

I was reading this and thinking this is exactly what our photographer is doing and then remembered its because I'm having the same one.

How did they turn out in the end?

To the op, our is not charging by the hour he just does all day.

northern_munky

EmsLdn wrote: »

Sorry to highjack your thread but just a side question - should we be feeding the photographer? In other words, when the headcount is done for the meal, should the photographer be included?

I'm a wedding photographer here in sunny Cheshire and if I'm offered food then I say yes but I don't ask for it (I've even refused a few times, as it's nice to just get away from it all and have a break), some do insist on it but I think it's really cheeky to be honest. If you get a builder in to do work for you, they don't expect a meal laid on for them.

The excuses you'll get from those who want feeding are that it's a long day and they can't go without food... well can't they bring their own butties, if they are incapable of making their own food, should they really be running their own business? :rotfl:

Jessycat

EmsLdn wrote: »

Sorry to highjack your thread but just a side question - should we be feeding the photographer? In other words, when the headcount is done for the meal, should the photographer be included?

My fiance is a wedding photographer and this is something he asks in his contract details that he asks clients to fill in. It's not because he expects to be fed, more so he can organise himself in case there is limited availability/chances for him to eat. He usually starts his day at 9/10am to get shots of the bride getting ready and stays until the last dance.

Most photographers are happy to eat whilst guests are eating in a different room. It gives them a break.

gadgeteer_2

An alternative is to see if the venue can put some food in the bar area for the photographer to eat. I've had this a few times and I must admit I prefer it. It gives me chance for a proper break and time to back up all the photos I've taken to date.

It is a nice gesture which i expect will be appreciated by most but I haven't heard of any insisting.