Coverage & Timelines

How many hours should we book our photographer for?

Short answer: It’s different for everyone. Elopements tend to book shorter sessions on average (6 hours or less), and microweddings or traditional weddings tend to book the full-day package as a minimum (up to 12 hours). 

Long answer: It depends on the kind of experience you want to have. You can book a shorter session and still have a handful of photos to commemorate your day, or you can opt for fuller coverage where each little detail is documented so you can relive the whole day through your gallery forever! Larger photography packages have a ton of benefits: more photos, less stress of a short timeline, and more opportunity to incorporate bigger adventures into the day. On the other hand, you shouldn’t let anyone tell you what to prioritize, and I don’t think anyone should step outside their budget for photos. Personally, my opinion is that every wedding day is the same 24 hours everyone else gets, and however you spend those hours is up to you. Whether it’s just you and your partner, or a larger group of loved ones, you deserve to have your dream wedding experience documented, and I’d love to help make that happen!

What’s a typical timeline look like?

I have to preface this by saying there isn’t a single, typical timeline for weddings or elopements. However, a full-day timeline tends to run 8-10 hours, and half-day averages 4-6 hours. 

Here is a breakdown of how much time is needed for each typical part of a wedding or elopement day. Depending on what you choose, you can kind of mix & match to estimate the hours you want to book:

• 1-2 Hours for Getting Ready: This includes individual portraits of the couple as they get ready, the last touches of hair & makeup, a shot of the dress/suit hanging before it’s put on, candids of the couple and their loved ones, plus details of the attire/jewelry/flowers etc. This time is also great for getting comfortable working with each other, shaking off the nerves, and setting expectations. This is when you savor the cup of coffee, take some deep breaths, and enjoy your morning rituals before jumping into the adventure of a lifetime!

• 30 Minutes for a First Look: If you’re planning to do a first look before the ceremony, where you reveal your full wedding-day look to your partner, this is also a great time to get some portraits of just the two of you. For couples eloping just the two of them, this can be before a hike/adventure, and for a traditional wedding it’s a “last chance” before spending the rest of the day with friends and family. At this moment you’re fresh and ready, hair & makeup is perfect, the clothes have no wrinkles, and it’s just about the two of you.

• 1-2 Hours Group Portraits/Cocktail Hour: This sounds like a lot of time to be posing for photos, but it’s harder than you might imagine to wrangle everyone on the photo list. Group photo time often overlaps with a cocktail hour before or after the ceremony, and is broken up into “hellos” and candid moments of hugs, greetings, and well-wishes. I don’t want you missing out on those special moments because we’re rushing through planned portraits where your cheeks hurt from smiling. If you don’t have guests, maybe this time is dedicated to going to a second location for portraits, or incorporating an activity into your day: hiking, canoeing, whatever you want!

• 30 Minutes - 1 Hour Ceremony: I’d say the average ceremony lasts closer to 30 minutes, but some ceremonies incorporating cultural traditions, feedback from loved ones, and speeches can last much longer. A couple of the longer ceremonies I’ve ever witnessed actually had zero guests—the couple took this time to read letters from family members offering advice and well-wishes for a lifetime of happiness!

• 1-3 Hours of Reception/Dinner Coverage: This time might look differently for couples who elope, but it’s the time dedicated to eating, resting, dancing, toasts, cake-cutting, and whatever else you want to cap the day with. It’s the time to mingle with guests, or sit on a picnic blanket and watch the sunset. Whether you’re dancing to a Spotify playlist playing through a bluetooth speaker on your backpack, or singing at the top of your lungs in a mosh pit of your favorite people, you can take the time to let this incredible day sink in.

• 1-2 Hours for Travel and a Buffer: If you’re going between locations, like beginning your day at a cabin and then getting married on a hike, this is the time allotted for driving between spots. It’s also the time built into your schedule for things to run a few minutes behind, which is totally normal and shouldn’t derail your plans. Being a little late is totally fine, especially if you planned for it and end up perfectly on time. 

Post-Production

Editing & Delivery

This is everything that happens from the moment we say goodbye on your wedding day until you receive a full digital gallery 8 weeks later. First, I go home and immediately create multiple backups of all your wedding photos. I dual shoot, which means every photo file is copied twice, so there is zero worry of ever losing these images. Then, I choose a select few (10-20) images for a quick edit and deliver within 48 hours. Once you have that preview gallery, I deeply appreciate any feedback, so I can make adjustments if necessary to the rest of the images. The full gallery you receive will always be edited in a style aligned with what you’ve viewed on my social media pages, and my website.

Digitals (Included in ALL photography packages)

This is the digital photo files delivered via Pic-Time. Expect an average of 50-60 images per hour of photography (400+ for an 8-hour wedding). These are all watermark-free, shareable via your own personalized link, and full-resolution for printing purposes. You’ll have access to this digital online gallery for a minimum of 1 year after your wedding.

Tangible Products (Can be ADDED to all packages)

These are things like prints, albums, and all tangible products you can make from your images. I don’t include these in my packages, but albums and prints can be ordered directly through the Pic-Time gallery where you receive your digitals. If you’re interested in album design, I’d be more than happy to help you create a book perfectly telling the story of your wedding with all your favorite images!