How Many Hours of Wedding Photography Do You Really Need?

One of the questions I get asked quite a lot as a Perth wedding photographer is how many hours of photography you actually need on your wedding day.

Is 6 hours enough? Do you need 8 hours? Is 10 hours too much?

For most weddings, I find 8 to 10 hours of wedding photography is the sweet spot.

It gives us enough time to photograph the important parts of the day without everything feeling rushed. More importantly, it gives me time to capture all the little moments happening in between.

The nerves in the morning. Your parents seeing you dressed and ready. Your friends having a laugh while getting ready. The hugs after the ceremony. A quiet moment together at sunset. Your favourite people ending up on the dance floor later that night.

Those moments are just as much a part of your wedding story as the ceremony itself.

How Many Hours of Wedding Photography Do You Need?

Every wedding is different, so there isn't one amount of coverage that works for everyone.

For most Perth weddings, I recommend either 8 or 10 hours of photography.

Eight hours works really well when your locations are reasonably close together and you want coverage from getting ready through to the beginning of your reception.

Ten hours gives us a little more room to work with. It can cover more of the morning, allow for travel between locations and usually means I can stay around for more of the reception and dance floor.

If you're planning a wedding with multiple locations around Perth, the Swan Valley or further south, those extra couple of hours can make a big difference.

What Does 8 Hours of Wedding Photography Cover?

Eight hours is enough for me to tell a really good story of most wedding days.

A typical 8 hour wedding photography timeline could include:

Getting ready

I usually spend some time with both of you before the ceremony. This is where we capture all the little details, but also everything happening around you.

The nerves, the laughs, your closest people helping you get ready and those final few moments before you leave.

The ceremony

Your arrivals, reactions, vows, rings and that first moment together after you've officially been married.

Family and wedding party photos

We can get the important family photographs done without spending half the afternoon standing in one spot.

Couple portraits

This is usually one of the few chances you'll get during the day to actually slow down and spend some time together.

I'll give you some direction when you need it, but I don't want this part of the day to feel like a big photoshoot.

The reception

Depending on your timeline, eight hours can usually get us into the reception for your entrance, speeches and some of the celebrations afterwards.

When Should You Choose 10 Hours of Wedding Photography?

If you want your gallery to tell the story from the morning through to the dance floor, I'd seriously consider 10 hours of wedding photography.

It gives the whole day a bit more breathing room.

This can be particularly helpful for weddings where you're getting ready in different locations, travelling to the ceremony and then heading somewhere else for the reception.

It's something I see quite often with Perth and Swan Valley weddings.

The extra coverage also means I can stay later into the reception.

Once dinner is finished, the speeches are done and everyone hits the dance floor, people tend to completely forget about the camera.

That's when some of my favourite photos happen.

Getting Ready Is Part of Your Wedding Story

I wouldn't underestimate the importance of the morning.

Getting ready is one of my favourite parts of a wedding day to photograph because there's so much going on without anything really needing to be staged.

There's excitement, nerves, music playing, people coming and going and usually a little bit of chaos.

It's also a part of the day your partner doesn't get to see.

You don't know exactly what was happening while they were getting ready, and they don't know what was happening with you.

When you eventually sit down and go through your wedding gallery together, you get to see those parts of each other's day for the first time.

I love that.

Make Time for Sunset Wedding Photos

One thing I always try to work into a wedding photography timeline is a little bit of time around sunset.

It doesn't have to be long.

Sometimes 15 or 20 minutes is all we need.

By this point you've been married, the nerves have settled and you can step away from everything for a little while.

The light is usually beautiful and soft, particularly here in Western Australia, and it gives us a completely different feel compared with the portraits earlier in the day.

Some of my favourite wedding photos have come from these little sunset sessions.

More Photography Coverage Doesn't Mean More Posing

Booking 10 hours doesn't mean you'll spend 10 hours having a camera pointed at you.

I actually find the opposite is true.

When there's enough time in the wedding photography timeline, there's less pressure to constantly move onto the next photograph.

I can step back and let things happen.

I'll always give you direction when it's needed, especially during your couple portraits, but for most of the day I want you spending time with your family and friends.

That's where the photographs I love usually come from.

Someone laughing during a speech.

Your parents having a quiet moment.

Your friends celebrating after the ceremony.

Your grandparents dancing.

A hug you didn't realise anyone saw.

You can't really plan those photographs.

I just need to be there when they happen.

Is 6 Hours of Wedding Photography Enough?

For a smaller or shorter wedding, it definitely can be.

Six hours might work well for an intimate ceremony, elopement or wedding where you're less interested in getting ready photos or reception coverage.

For a traditional full wedding day, however, six hours can start to feel tight.

Once you include getting ready, travel, the ceremony, family photos, wedding party photos, couple portraits and the reception, those six hours disappear pretty quickly.

If having a complete story of your wedding day is important to you, I'd usually recommend starting with 8 hours.

8 Hours vs 10 Hours of Wedding Photography

If you're trying to decide between the two, think about what you want to see when you eventually look back through your wedding gallery.

If you're mainly interested in the key moments, 8 hours of wedding photography will suit a lot of weddings.

If you want the morning, ceremony, portraits, sunset and more of the reception and dance floor, 10 hours gives us more freedom to tell the full story.

There isn't necessarily a right or wrong choice.

It comes down to your wedding, your locations and what parts of the day matter most to you.

Planning Your Wedding Photography Timeline

You don't need to have your entire wedding photography timeline figured out before you book.

Once I know where you're getting ready, where your ceremony is happening, your reception location and roughly what you have planned for the day, I can help work out how much photography coverage makes sense.

I've photographed weddings throughout Perth, the Swan Valley and Western Australia's South West, so I know how quickly travel and timelines can add up.

The goal is always the same.

I want you to have enough time for beautiful photographs while still being able to actually enjoy your wedding.

Because your wedding day shouldn't feel like one long photoshoot.

Perth Wedding Photography with At Last Co.

I'm Jason, the photographer behind At Last Co.

My approach to wedding photography is relaxed, natural and documentary-led, with an editorial feel.

Of course we'll create beautiful portraits, but I'm just as interested in everything happening around them. The reactions, the people, the atmosphere and all the little moments you might have missed.

I photograph weddings throughout Perth, Swan Valley, Margaret River, Yallingup, Dunsborough, the whole of Western Australia, the rest of Australia and Destination weddings.

If you're planning your wedding and aren't sure how many hours of photography you need, get in touch and tell me a little about your day. I can help you work out the coverage that makes the most sense for you.