Determining the right amount of photography coverage for your wedding

It’s one of the first questions I get from almost every couple I work with: how many hours do we actually need?

The honest answer is that most people end up booking somewhere between 6 and 10 hours — but the right answer really comes down to what your day looks like and what matters most to you.

Having photographed weddings all over Abbotsford, Langley, and Chilliwack, I’ve seen how these different coverage lengths play out in real life. Here’s what I’ve learned.

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6 Hours

Six hours works — and it can work really well — if your day is fairly simple and your budget is a priority. This typically covers:

• ceremony
• family formals
• bridal party portraits
• couple portraits
• and either a bit of getting ready or some early reception coverage

What to watch out for: the timeline gets tight fast. And weddings almost never run on schedule. A dress that takes longer to lace up, a guest who can’t find parking, a vendor running behind — it all adds up. With six hours, there’s not a lot of wiggle room if something throws off the plan.

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8 Hours

Eight hours is probably the most popular choice, and for good reason. It covers the ceremony through speeches, with room for portraits and some family time built in. It’s a solid, well-rounded day.

The one thing couples sometimes discover after the fact: if you really want dance floor photos — like, a full hour of everyone going wild — 8 hours can feel a little short depending on how the day is structured. It’s doable, but it depends on your timeline and your priorities and even picking the right vendors.

Click to see a blog post for an idea of what an 8 hour day includes.

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10 Hours

Ten hours is where the day really gets to breathe. Getting ready in the morning, ceremony, portraits, reception, dancing — all of it, without anyone watching the clock.

I had a couple last year who were going back and forth between 8 and 10 hours. They landed on 10 because they wanted both the quiet morning moments and the dance floor later that night. Good thing they did — their limo never showed, which pushed the whole day back. Because we’d built in extra time, it didn’t wreck anything. We still got every shot they wanted. That buffer ended up saving the day (and a great Wedding Coordinator).

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The Part Couples Forget to Plan For

If there’s one thing I always bring up, it’s the dance floor — and it’s almost always an afterthought in the planning stage.

But honestly? Some of the best photos from any wedding happen there. Your friends belting out your favorite song, your parents doing something embarrassing, everyone just celebrating. Those images have so much energy and emotion. A lot of couples tell me later that the dance floor photos are the ones they keep coming back to.

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What I Ask Before Making a Recommendation

Every wedding is different, so before I suggest a coverage length, I usually ask a few things:

• Are there cultural or religious elements in the ceremony?
• Are you doing a first look?
• How many locations do you want for portraits, and how far apart are they?
• How big is your bridal party?
• Are your ceremony and reception at the same venue?

All of that affects how much time you actually need. Travel alone can eat up 30–45 minutes that couples don’t always account for.

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The Most Common Timeline Mistake

Trying to cram too much into too few hours. I see it a lot — couples wanting multiple locations, a large bridal party, and full reception coverage in a 6- or 8-hour window. It’s not impossible, but it makes for a stressful day. Building in buffer time isn’t wasted time. It’s the time you use to actually talk to your guests, steal a quiet moment with your new spouse, and just exist in the day you spent months planning.

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One More Thing Worth Knowing

Coverage isn’t set in stone when you book. If you start with 8 hours and realize a few weeks out that you want more, we can add time. And if the day runs long and you want to keep going, we can usually figure that out on the spot too.

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TL;DR The Short Version

• 6 hours — focused coverage, works well for simpler days and tighter budgets
• 8 hours — ceremony through part of the reception, the most popular choice
• 10 hours — the full story, from getting ready to the last dance

Still not sure what’s right for your day? I’m happy to look at your timeline and help you figure it out.

Looking for a wedding photographer in Abbotsford, BC or the surrounding areas? Reach out at trishatrelenberg.com