Basic Wedding Photography Coverage & Essential Wedding Shots

When it’s time to think and decide how many hours wedding photography you might need, everybody can at first very unclear ideas, as this decision never occur to be taken.

However, even with the small budget available and in case of a basic wedding photography required, there are some shots and ‘precious moments’ that cannot absolutely be missed.

First of all, there are few things that can help ‘shorten’ the photography hours required:

1. Having the ceremony in the same place of the wedding breakfast reduces the transfer time from one place to another one, so it gives you more chances to optimize your photographer’s work;
2. Reducing to a minimum the number of guests, so the time to ‘move them around’ the wedding venue or, worst of all, from church to reception venue, again, reduces the photography coverage;
3. Ask some of your guests, normally the Best Man and Bridesmaids, to help the photographer to identify ‘key’ guests (Bride & Groom’s parents and close family member) and gather all them together for the posed group shots;
4. Discuss and decide together with your photographer the plan for the day – give confirmation of times, program, guests attending and any other requirement you wish, as the failure in doing so might slow down the course of photography and likely increase the hours the photographer has to spent at the wedding.

It would also be a good idea to agree with your wedding photographer which ‘essential’ shots you want them to be included in the service, as once this is done there  are no other ways to get back.

In a 2 hour wedding photography coverage, starting from the ceremony (at the same reception place), we recommend:

• Groom, couple’s families, Bridesmaids and Best Man’s portraits
• Bride arrival in car with Father
• Heading to the ceremony and ceremony (subject to priest concession)
• Couple getting out the church, confetti shot, other candid spontaneous shots of married couple and all guests
• Basic group shots (depending on time remaining, from 3 to 6 posed shots)

For a 4/5 hours wedding package, we suggest:

• All above, with group shots extended when required and preparations of the Bride and/or Groom
• 15/20 minutes married couple alone  
• Start of reception with toasts, details of the breakfast and other close-ups, ‘fake’ cut of the cake

To know more how we can help you identify the right wedding photography hours for you, contact us today via our contact form or call us on 07817 693343. We’ll be happy to assist you!