Wedding Photography and Videography Forum

8 hour photo/video package

I'm currently looking at an 8 hour photo/video contract with the studio we plan to use for our wedding. My ceremony and reception will be at the same place and will begin at 5 pm and run until 11 pm.

The venue said we can be on the premises and use the bridal suit at 2 pm. I can spend a little more money to be there at noon as well but so far, we haven't decided that we need to. As of right now, we plan to get ready at our hotel about 15 min away. I just need some advice as to the best way to utilize my 8 hours and how the timeline should look. How have all of you ladies done it?

My thoughts were that it might be good for them to get to the hotel at about 1 pm and stay until 9 pm, which would be 2 hours into the reception (1 hour ceremony, 1 hour cocktail, 4 hour reception). We are also planning a first look.

Not sure yet when hair and makeup will start but will be figuring that out soon as well. We will also have the option of adding hours to the package later on down the road (and we still have plenty of time) however, we are already slightly outside our budget with this package because we really loved the photographer and his cinematography team.

Re: 8 hour photo/video package

  • I think an 8 hour package is more than enough. They don’t have to be present for everything getting ready and if you have bridal party members, they may not be comfortable getting fully ready with the camera going. I would have the photographer come in for the last 15 minutes of getting ready to have a few photos of you touching up makeup/ getting a necklace put on by a parent/ your FI doing up cuffs on his tux or similar. 

    That at means they can stay for longer into your reception and get pictures of the party going into full gear. 
  • Yeah 8 hours is plenty! We had our photographers show up around 5 pm. They took shots of the venue, then got the end of getting ready (mom trying to zip my dress, accessories, etc etc). We did a first look & all of our pictures before our 6:30 ceremony, rolled right into the reception, and the photographers stayed until the end (11 pm). 

    If you wanted your photographers to start earlier & be there for hair/makeup, you could cut the last couple hours of the reception. Those pictures get a little repetitive, and people start looking not so great lol. In other weddings I've been in, the photographers have been there for hair/makeup, and they're kind of awkward pictures. You could re-create some of those looks by touching up makeup or having someone pretend to fix your hair when the photographers get there.
  • 8 hours is definitely enough. We did a first look and had the photographers (primary and second shooter) meets us about 2.5 hours before the ceremony; they did some dress/getting ready/bridal suites photos, then the first look, and all our photos with the wedding party before the ceremony. Then ceremony, family photos, and cocktail hour. They had dinner, then shot for a few hours of the reception. Worked out great, we had pictures of everything we wanted and didn't feel like we missed out on anything. 
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