Timelines and timing are literally everything. There was a reason why you and your love were at the right place at the right time when you met. You have perhaps chosen your wedding date because of its time of the year (or because of its timing in your family history).

It should be no secret, then, that the timeline for your wedding is one of the most important first steps, as it will not only set the pace for your day, but will also allow you to make early decisions in regards to your vendors. Specifically, it will allow you to figure how much wedding photography coverage you will need to perfectly capture your day.

When my couples ask about how much time we need, I respond with three questions:

1. Are we traveling at all during the course of the day?

2. Are you doing a first look?

3. Are you doing a fancy exit?

The answers to these three generally shed enough light for us to see how much coverage they will need. The rule of thumb tends to be this…

YOU MAY WANT EIGHT HOURS OF COVERAGE IF…

We have any travel between places, you want more extensive getting ready and reception coverage, or you want a bounty of couple portraits. For my photography business, this is the most common amount of time reserved, and it is the one I recommend the most. I know we can do our best together with this amount of time. All parts of your day receive the attention they deserve, and we leave no wedding memory behind.

However, sometimes we need more so…

YOU MAY WANT NINE OR TEN HOURS OF COVERAGE IF…

You are expecting travel between three or more places, you have something special planned for your reception, or you really, REALLY want a ton of everything for your day. If this is your day, you may want a ten-hour timeline. I personally have only shot two or three ten-hour wedding days, and that was because the couples did not want a first look (which means we needed extra time for couples’ photographs), they had longer ceremonies, there was a ton of travel, and they had special dances or exits from their reception. These are all things that you have taken the time to plan, so it would make sense to anticipate needing additional photography coverage for them.

Ultimately, this is your day and your time to shine. Knowing your whens and wheres early in the process with not only make you feel more comfortable, but will also allow your planning process to go off without a hitch as your get hitched. This day will be the time of your lives, think early on about what you will need to make the most of it and the memories that will remain.

On Mondays we educate! Check out the blog every Monday for a new post to help you plan your wedding your way! Find past posts here!