Planning a wedding comes with approximately a million decisions. The venue. The dress. The flowers. The food. The guest list. And somewhere in the middle of it all:
“How many hours of wedding photography do we actually need?”
As a wedding photographer based in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, I want your photographs to tell the story of your day naturally, from the nervous excitement before the ceremony to the slightly chaotic dance floor later that night. So, let's break it down!
4–6 hours: The essentials
If you're having a smaller wedding, registry office ceremony or shorter celebration, this could be a great option. This could potentially cover:
Your ceremony
Confetti
Family photographs
Drinks reception
Couple photographs
Your meal or speeches
This allows enough time to capture all of the important memories of the day.
7-10 hours: The full story
If you want photographs from getting ready right through to the party, this gives you plenty of breathing room. It means there's time for all the little moments too. Your best friend making you laugh while you're getting ready. Your dad trying not to cry. Your grandparents chatting in the corner. Your friends absolutely losing it on the dance floor. Those moments might not be on your wedding timeline, but they're often the photographs you'll treasure most.
Do you need photographs of getting ready?
Honestly? I think they're some of the loveliest photographs of the day. I’m always obsessed with bridal photography. It's about the excitement, the nerves, your favourite people being together and that moment when you realise: “Oh my god. We're actually getting married today.” If those moments are important to you, it's worth having your photographer arrive while you're getting ready.
What about the evening?
Some couples are happy for photography to finish after the speeches or first dance. Others want photographs of the party, and I completely get it. The dance floor is where everyone stops worrying about how they look and just has fun. Your best mate throwing shapes to the band you’ve hired, your friends singing along and all those completely unplanned moments. My biggest piece of advice? Think about the photographs you'd be genuinely gutted not to have, and build your coverage around those.
