Photography/Videography what's really needed?

Wedding day timing can tell you all you need for the photographer and videographer to take their shots/pictures before getting ready for your wedding.

Starting time to ending depends how long you want to include family/wedding party to be part of the timing and for the wedding and reception positioning.

The timing I had set up for the whole day of our vendors was 12 hours taking in effect their time and position direction to get the best shot needed.

It depends. I'm not a wedding photographer but I have actually assisted our wedding photographers many times. Most of the ones I assisted on did the all day package. But I did do one where the couple chose three hours. The photographers just split the three hours throughout the day so they still had photos of all the important moments.

I’m doing 9 hours with the option to add on the day of. I think it depends on your timing ( I.e. when your ceremony starts and when you want them to stop shooting) for me they’ll get to my house around 10:30, cover the ceremony at 12:30 and stay til the dancing starts.

It definitely depends what you would like. Our Photographer pointed something out that we had not considered b/c we'd decided there would be no before pics with the Guys. The Photographer said due to a strict timeline between the ceremony ending and us being announced just before dinner only gives her from 4:30 - 5:45 to get every picture we want. Family, Wedding Party, special People and after those are done then she takes us for our posed pictures. By having the photographer start with Guys pics, she can get FH with each Groomsman, his Parents and Guys fun group shots. She'll then come to my Parents and do the same for us Girls and my Parents, 1st look, my dress hanging, our Wedding rings pics & us getting into the Limo. Our Photographer feels like it will help us have more time for mine & FHs photos. We are going with the 10 hour pkg so she will start at approximately Noon, meeting the Guys at a park and will finish up after cake cutting, garter toss and some dancing. Our DJ does video highlights of our day. We are paying $1500.00 for 10 hours, minimum of 600 pictures all edited and they all come in color and black and white plus our engagement shoot Feb 1.

Like others have said it depends on the moments you want to catch and your timeline! Of you dont carte about "getting ready photos" you can easily knock a few hours off! I wanted those photos so we booked 12 hours in total!

I would opt for at least 8 hours of photography, but it heavily depends on your timeline.

Our ceremony starts at 3pm and our reception goes until 1am. The dancing will start around 9, starting with the first dance.

We figured we'd want at least an hour of getting ready footage and an hour of dancing so that put our photography hours at 2pm until 10pm. However, I might opt for less getting ready coverage and start photography at 2:30pm and then have dancing/cake cutting covered and end photography at 10:30pm.

We aren't having videography but we are thinking of setting up a tri-pod for the ceremony at least!

Hi there, congrats on the engagement and welcome to the WW community!

I would say that you would be fine with 6 hours as long as you have a timeline all set. More is nice but when you factor in the $$ amount - most of us can get by with the 6. Say you were to have a little photo opp of getting ready at 3pm (when most is done and only like 5 or so pics), followed right into the first look pictures and group pictures which should take about an hourish when organized, then ceremony at 5:30, first dances can be done right as you enter the reception at 6/6:30, done supper by 8ish? then you can do the cake cutting and shoe game which will take you to 9! It all depends on if you have everything at the same venue, if you are doing a first look vs cocktail hour, etc.

As for a videographer - I'm right there with ya! I NEED my ceremony documented with a video even if I have to set up my own tripod!!! I have tried reaching out to a few videographers and told them that I really only need them for like 30 minutes and then they can go... so far a couple have said they can ask their apprentices if they would be interested in a solo gig like that which would help them so my fingers are crossed for a student! Otherwise, I will actually use a tripod. No shame!