How Many Hours Do You Really Need to Book a Wedding Photographer For a Small Wedding?

When you start planning your wedding, so many questions start cropping up. How many hours you will need a photographer for is one of them. The number of wedding photography hours you book mostly depends on how big your wedding is and how much of the day you want to capture.  Micro-weddings are a little different from  your average.  First, we'll give you some guidelines to help you decide.  Then, we'll put our angle on how we approach is with small intimate weddings.  

1.5 to 2 Hours:  
If you are one of the many couples who will be eloping this year, you won’t need to book a photographer for longer than 2 hours. With this being said, if you would prefer to capture more than just the ceremony and a few portraits, you may want to book an extra hour or two.  

• Our approach:  We offer a 1.5 to 2.5 hour service (or more) for elopements of 8 guests or fewer.  With a 1.5 hour service, we are only able to meet the couple at the ceremony site which includes pinning florals, the ceremony, some group photos after, some cheers/celebrations, and couple photos around the area.  With a 2 or 2.5 hour service, you can add-on some getting-ready and first look photos at your nearby place of lodging.  

© Andrea Flanagan Photography. This couple booked our 1.5 hour wedding photography package.

3 or 3.5 Hours:  This is our sweet-spot!  
If you'll be planning a micro-wedding or small intimate wedding (which we quality as 35-guests or fewer), this is just enough coverage to capture a few getting ready photos (simply dressing & putting on jewelry, pinning boutonnieres), the ceremony, post-wedding group photos, couple photos (like a mini-photos shoot with just the two of you), and getting you to the restaurant for cutting of the cake and a toast.

• If you would like more coverage with elements like dances and speeches, we recommend adding another 1/2 hour.  
• Also, if you have larger wedding parties with 3 or more attendants on each side, antoerqh 1/2 hour would be beneficial.
• If you have any other logistical considerations, like a drive time of more than 1/2 to/from the ceremony, we'd have to consider that in the number of hours of service.  Also, our mountain-top weddings where the group has to ride a gondola would be another factor into the overall package hours. 
• Finally, if you'd like the photographer to stay throughout your celebration dinner, then add-on another hour or two.  Which means, you'd be looking at the next level:  5 to 6 hours of coverage. 

5 to 6 Hours:  
This is the ideal number of hours for intimate weddings with less than 50 guests. These 6 hours will give you enough time to capture important moments such as getting ready, the ceremony, family photos, the first dance, and cutting the cake.  Our photographers will likely be able to get a few details and decor shots.   There won’t be enough time for many photos of the end of the night though. 

8 Hours:  
​This is generally the average number of hours that couples book with their wedding photographer for a typical wedding over 50 guests. It provides enough time for all the moments mentioned above. But there is also additional time available for bridal party photos and photos of your guests at the reception. You will also need at least 8 hours if your ceremony and reception will be held at different venues.  

• If you are planning and adventure elopement where there is hiking involved, this is the number of hours of coverage we recommend. 

10 Hours: 
 If you hate being rushed and want as much time as possible for all the shots you have in mind, book at least 10 hours with your wedding photographer. This also leaves more than enough time for detail and prep shots, a first look, and a photobooth, and a grand reception exit. 

• With small intimate wedding packages, we rarely run into this number of hours of service.  But, we can certainly quote our a package if you want to document the entire day. 

It’s very rare for couples to need more than 10 hours of photography time on their wedding day. However, don’t forget to ask your photographer whether their travel time is included in those hours should you be planning a destination wedding.

How did this article help you?  What did you end up deciding for your wedding.  Please comment below as I'd love to know.  ~ Wendee