How long did you have your photographer for?

larrygaga

four hours? Five? twenty four? THE WHOLE WEDDING WEEKEND???

beethery

Our contract says 'up to 8 hours'

holyguacamole79

9 hours or so. She met us at the church at 12:30 for pictures (wedding was at 2:00). Our reception was until 9 pm.

lurkergirl

8 hours.  Wedding and reception are 6-11.  He's coming over at 3 so we can do  all our separate pictures first (we're not doing a first look), then we'll do a few more after the ceremony with everyone together.

theartistformerlyknownas

8 hours - 2-10 for a 4-11 shindig. I wanted pics of the people at the reception more than "getting ready" pics so she just got the final zipping up the dress/putting on the veil shots but not hair and makeup.

FutureMrsN3312

My contract was 12 hours for photo/video.  They arrived at the hotel at 10:30am.  They were supposed to be done by 10:30pm but wound up staying till almost the end.  Not necessarily working.  I made them sit and eat dessert.

lurkergirl

lolo883 said:

8 hours - 2-10 for a 4-11 shindig. I wanted pics of the people at the reception more than "getting ready" pics so she just got the final zipping up the dress/putting on the veil shots but not hair and makeup.

Oh yeah, I have no desire to have pictures of me putting on making and doing my hair!  I will be the first one started when he arrives  because I am breaking southern tradition (clutch your pearls!!) and having my bridal portraits done on the wedding day instead of before.  So we'll do that, then BP & my immediate family pics, then GM and his immediate family pics.

jenna8984

lurkergirl said:

lolo883 said:

8 hours - 2-10 for a 4-11 shindig. I wanted pics of the people at the reception more than "getting ready" pics so she just got the final zipping up the dress/putting on the veil shots but not hair and makeup.

Oh yeah, I have no desire to have pictures of me putting on making and doing my hair!  I will be the first one started when he arrives  because I am breaking southern tradition (clutch your pearls!!) and having my bridal portraits done on the wedding day instead of before.  So we'll do that, then BP & my immediate family pics, then GM and his immediate family pics.

Me too...mine was a friend who flew in so she was there with me the entire day. At the salon I told her I had no desire for any getting ready pics, so she took the stylist's newborn outside for a photo shoot during that time haha

emmyg65

About eight hours (2 pm - 9:30 pm for a wedding that went 5-10:30).

birdybride2014

We'll have ours for about 8-9 hours. She is amazing. Our contract includes engagement pictures, but since we already had them done before we booked her she is coming to the rehearsal dinner the night before instead for 2 hours. 

ElcaB

Our contract was for six hours, but we added one so we weren't as pressed for time. 

Peaseblossom55

We had our main photographer and his assistant there both for 12 hours. 

penguin44

Our contract was for six hours. Ceremony was at 6, and we had him from 4-10. We did a first look, but I didn't want getting ready pics. We got pictures of the first dance, cake cutting, toasts, and dancing. I didnt feel rushed at all.

goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826

I think my guy is scheduled for 8-10 hours.  I don't want to have getting ready photos either, just maybe a picture of my mother adjusting my veil or something.  He said we'd have a chat closer to the day.  

WinstonsGirl

We had our husband/wife team from about 1:30 - 8-ish pm, maybe??  She came to see me get ready, he went with DH.  We also got a second day the next day from about 4-7 for a sunset shoot (or TTD).  It was a destination package though, so I think they do the second day as part of their DW package  since we kinda flew them out with us.  

ashley8918

Our contract is for 6 hours, and I am actually pretty concerned about being rushed. We are doing a first look, so I am worried that we wont have enough reception coverage.

SmileDamnit

Our contract was technically for 8, but she was there longer - came early to get the lay of the land, experiment with lighting, yada yada yada and stayed through the entire reception. Granted our reception was only a dinner, and we invited her husband and their baby to join, so while she was working she was also enjoying the time as a guest.

sarawifenow

We have ours for 5 hours.

smalfrie19

My contract says "all event coverage" so I have them all day. They are however very close friends of the family so to them its just like going to a family wedding, but working, which they like to do. 

cupcait927

Our photographer will probably stay about 8 hours in total - our ceremony isn't until 6:30 but I want a few getting ready pics and then we're doing first look and all family before the ceremony.

AprilH81

We had two photographers for 7 hours, but they showed up early and went right to work.  We probably had them both for 8 hours.

Alikat9614

8 hours. Our ceremony was at 3 and our reception immediately followed until about 9. So we had our photographer from 1-9. It worked our really well for us

JCbride2015

Our contract says "all day coverage."  The ceremony is at 6:30 and we're doing a first look, so I think the earliest we'd ask him to arrive is about 1:30-2:00 for "finishing touches" pictures and then go from there.  I also don't expect him to stay until midnight, just probably until the cake cutting.  

theartistformerlyknownas

I should add... my photographer stayed long enough to clean up my nephew's vomit on the dance floor after my sister bounced him around a bit too much. She is a saint. And the second shooter helped bustle my dress.

jenna8984

JCbride2015 said:

Our contract says "all day coverage."  The ceremony is at 6:30 and we're doing a first look, so I think the earliest we'd ask him to arrive is about 1:30-2:00 for "finishing touches" pictures and then go from there.  I also don't expect him to stay until midnight, just probably until the cake cutting.  

@jcbride holy crap over 3 hours of first look photos? I gotta say, we did me alone, me and bridesmaids, DH alone, DH and groomsmen, whole group, me & DH in exactly one hour and we got plenty. Honestly I was sick to death of posing and smiling after that hour, I could not have handled much more. We did 10 minutes after the ceremony of parents/ grandparents.

southernbelle0915

I think we had ours for 9 hours. Two shooters - guy photographed guys getting ready, woman photographed women getting ready.

JCbride2015

jenna8984 said:

JCbride2015 said:

Our contract says "all day coverage."  The ceremony is at 6:30 and we're doing a first look, so I think the earliest we'd ask him to arrive is about 1:30-2:00 for "finishing touches" pictures and then go from there.  I also don't expect him to stay until midnight, just probably until the cake cutting.  

@jcbride holy crap over 3 hours of first look photos? I gotta say, we did me alone, me and bridesmaids, DH alone, DH and groomsmen, whole group, me & DH in exactly one hour and we got plenty. Honestly I was sick to death of posing and smiling after that hour, I could not have handled much more. We did 10 minutes after the ceremony of parents/ grandparents.

I don't know yet really what timeline we're having.  That does sound like too long, doesn't it? Ah!

We want to get bridal party and close family pictures done before the ceremony, too.  I was thinking we wouldn't start pics until 4, but our photog actually suggested he'd arrive around 2:00 while we're finishing up getting ready to take some pics of that.  We are in the same hotel and only have the one guy, so maybe he wants some extra time to go back and forth between the ladies and guys.

jenna8984

JCbride2015 said:

jenna8984 said:

JCbride2015 said:

Our contract says "all day coverage."  The ceremony is at 6:30 and we're doing a first look, so I think the earliest we'd ask him to arrive is about 1:30-2:00 for "finishing touches" pictures and then go from there.  I also don't expect him to stay until midnight, just probably until the cake cutting.  

@jcbride holy crap over 3 hours of first look photos? I gotta say, we did me alone, me and bridesmaids, DH alone, DH and groomsmen, whole group, me & DH in exactly one hour and we got plenty. Honestly I was sick to death of posing and smiling after that hour, I could not have handled much more. We did 10 minutes after the ceremony of parents/ grandparents.

I don't know yet really what timeline we're having.  That does sound like too long, doesn't it? Ah!

We want to get bridal party and close family pictures done before the ceremony, too.  I was thinking we wouldn't start pics until 4, but our photog actually suggested he'd arrive around 2:00 while we're finishing up getting ready to take some pics of that.  We are in the same hotel and only have the one guy, so maybe he wants some extra time to go back and forth between the ladies and guys.

Seems like a very long time...what time is your hair and makeup expected to be done? I'm just thinking if you finish hair and makeup at 2-2:30, what are you supposed to do until you start photos at 4? Seems like a long weird space right there. Unless you literally plan to take an hour worth of just getting into your dress?

Starting the pics at 4 will be plenty ample time to get all the bridal party, and family, and couple. I'd honestly aim to have your hair and makeup and dress done by 3:45 (instead of 2) and just head right to pictures. Up to you, just a thought that that's a long time sitting around in the suite doing nothing.

Inkdancer

6 hours. They started shooting at 9 am, 2 hours before the wedding. The reception ended at 3, so that's when they finished up.

Junebug2015

Two shooters for 5 hours. I'm in the very very small minority of people who would rather pay more for great food and top shelf liquor than photography. It was hard to forgo all-day coverage, especially because people continuously remind me that "the pictures are all you have to remember the day!" 

Simky906

We had ours for 6 hours. He arrived at 3:30 so we could get first look photos as well as pics of the ketubah signing and immediate family photos before our 5pm ceremony. We got the rest of the formats done during cocktail hour and there was plenty of time to get in the cake cutting and the hora before r coverage ended at 9:30.