Us wedding photographers have seen it all! We’ve seen amazingly executed wedding days and we’ve seen times where rain clouds made the ceremony suddenly shift indoors. My job as a wedding photographer is to be proactive in providing you with tips and information so we can create a wedding day timeline that will allows us to capture all the moments that occur in a realistic time frame.

One of the biggest questions I get asked is how much time do I need to have my wedding photographer for? Because this is most likely your first time getting married, this question is absolutely valid to ask. The answer isn’t clean and cut because every couples wedding day is unique. Different factors can contribute to how many hours your want your photographer to be present including: how many locations there are, are you doing a special send-off at the end of the night, are details of your wedding dress important, how many people are in your wedding party?

Below are sample wedding day photography timelines for 6, 8 and 10 hours of photography coverage. Because every marriage is unique, every wedding day will be unique as well. These timelines might not perfectly fit what you have planned, but they are a great starting place for deciding on how many hours of photography coverage you may need for your wedding.

If you want to read more about my top tips for creating a stress-free wedding day timeline, please visit this blog post.

6 Hours of Wedding Photography – 4pm Ceremony Start Time

A six hour photography package allows me to capture the final getting ready moments through the important events of your reception.

• 2:00 pm | Photographer arrives and begins capturing bridal details (wedding dress, shoes,jewelry, rings etc.)
• 2:30 pm | Bride + Bridesmaids get dressed, final getting ready pictures
• 2:45 pm | Bridal Party pictures
• 3:00 pm | Groom final getting ready pictures
• 3:15 pm | Groom Party pictures
• 3:30 pm | Capture wedding ceremony and reception decorations and details
• 3:45 pm | Capture guests as they arrive
• 4:00 pm | Ceremony Start Time
• 4:30 pm | Family pictures
• 4:45 pm | Wedding Party pictures
• 5:00 pm | Bride + Groom portraits
• 5:30 pm | Reception begins
• 5:35 pm | Wedding Party Introductions
• 5:40 pm | Guests released to begin eating
• 5:40 pm | Photograph guests at tables
• 6:30 pm | Toasts
• 7:15 pm | First Dance
• 7:20 pm | Father/Daughter Dance
• 7:25 pm | Mother/Son Dance
• 7:30 pm | Dance floor opens
• 7:40 pm | Cake Cutting
• 7:50 pm | Garter/Bouquet Toss
• 8:00 pm | Photography Coverage Ends

8 Hours of Wedding Photography – 4pm Ceremony Start Time

With an eight hour photography package you can choose to add time onto the beginning or the end of your wedding day (or a little of both!). Eight hours allows me to capture final getting ready through your reception exit, or additional getting ready time with hair and make-up. The below timeline is a sample of adding on an hour before your ceremony and an hour at the reception.

• 1:00 pm | Photographer arrives and captures bride and bridesmaids getting ready with hair and make-up. During this time I will also capture the groom and groomsmen hanging out, playing cards, etc.
• 2:00 pm | Photograph bridal details (wedding dress, shoes, jewelry, etc.)
• 2:30 pm | Bride + Bridesmaids get dressed, final getting ready pictures
• 2:45 pm | Bridal Party pictures
• 3:00 pm | Groom final getting ready pictures
• 3:15 pm | Grooms Party pictures
• 3:30 pm | Wedding decorations and details
• 3:45 pm | Capture guests as they arrive at wedding
• 4:00 pm | Ceremony Start Time
• 4:30 pm | Family pictures
• 4:50 pm | Wedding Party pictures
• 5:10 pm | Bride + Groom portraits
• 5:30 pm | Reception begins
• 5:35 pm | Wedding Party Introductions
• 5:40 pm | Guests released to begin eating
• 6:30 pm | Toasts
• 7:15 pm | First Dance
• 7:20 pm | Father/Daughter Dance
• 7:25 pm | Mother/Son Dance
• 7:30 pm | Dance floor opens
• 7:40 pm | Cake Cutting
• 7:50 pm | Garter/Bouquet Toss
• 9:00 pm | Photography Coverage Ends

10 Hours of Wedding Photography – 4pm Ceremony Start Time

A ten hour photography package allows me to capture your full day from hair and make-up through your reception exit.

• 12:00 pm | Photographer arrives and captures bridal details (wedding dress, shoes, jewelry, invitation, etc.)
• 12:45 pm | Photograph bride and bridesmaids getting ready and finalizing hair and make-up.
• 1:30 pm | Capture the groom and groomsmen hanging out, playing games, etc.
• 2:00 pm | Bride + Bridesmaids get dressed, final getting ready pictures
• 2:30 pm | Bridal Party pictures
• 3:00 pm | Groom final getting ready pictures
• 3:15 pm | Grooms Party pictures
• 3:30 pm | Wedding decorations and details
• 3:45 pm | Capture guests as they arrive at wedding
• 4:00 pm | Ceremony Start Time
• 4:30 pm | Family pictures
• 4:50 pm | Wedding Party pictures
• 5:10 pm | Bride + Groom portraits
• 5:30 pm | Reception begins
• 5:35 pm | Wedding Party Introductions
• 5:40 pm | Guests released to begin eating
• 6:30 pm | Toasts
• 7:15 pm | First Dance
• 7:20 pm | Father/Daughter Dance
• 7:25 pm | Mother/Son Dance
• 7:30 pm | Dance floor opens
• 7:40 pm | Cake Cutting
• 7:50 pm | Garter/Bouquet Toss
• 8:00 pm | Dancing
• 9:45 pm | Reception exit
• 10:00 pm | Photography Coverage Ends

If you still have questions about your wedding day timeline, don’t fret! I’d love to sit down in person or over Skype and talk about your wedding day vision. I will be sure to ask you questions about what you have planned and the most important moments that you want captured on camera so I can make the best recommendation of how many hours of photography you will need on your wedding day.

To see a list of FAQ’s for wedding photography, please visit my frequently asked questions page!

Need a Colorado wedding photographer?

Meet Larissa. Larissa is an adventure wedding and elopement photographer based out of Colorado. She’d take and adventure in the mountains over shopping any day and prefers and date night snuggling on the couch over dinner and a movie. Larissa’s obsessed with: morning snuggles with her rescue pup, Hazel, hot chocolate, a good book and yoga pants. She believes in making you forget a camera’s even there, that your story is the actual thing she wants to capture on camera and that real, raw moments are more important than perfectly curated poses. Book your Colorado wedding photographer today!