So you’re wondering “how much time do I need for wedding photos and video on the wedding”? With our packages at VidMedia, we allocate "up to 10 hours" of consecutive coverage as we have found this to be the sweet spot that covers all of the key moments from the preparations up until a bit of the party.
Although we are not your wedding planners or co-ordinators, we are still always more than happy to help our couples plan their timelines based on what we think will work best. In fact, we even have pre wedding meetings with each of our clients prior to the day to ensure schedules are well planned out and everyone is on the same page.
But as many know, it wouldn't be a wedding if something didn't go sideways. So it is important to have wedding vendors who don't buckle under pressure and do their best to navigate accordingly.
Morning Prep
We recommend starting your photo/film coverage 60-90 minutes before you leave the preparation locations. Depending on the hair + makeup team you’re working with or what your morning getting-ready routine is, there is a lot of tired eyes, coffee drinking, and “still waking up” happening in the early a.m.
Starting 60-90 minutes before you leave for the next part of the day will give plenty of time for not only candid moments but detail shots and a quick portrait session getting dressed. (remember to factor in travel times and always leave buffers).
It is VERY important to ensure that all make up and hair is completed on time and everyone is where they are supposed to be at the corresponding locations because we have noticed this to be the biggest time delay factor on a wedding day. How well your make up team does with time management is HUGE!
First Look
If you are opting for a first look, it’s best to schedule 15-20 minutes for the overall experience. This will include time for the partners to arrive separately, get ready, and have some time together before heading to the next part of the day.
Tip: If you leave a nice gap here before your ceremony and arn't running late, it will allow time for creative photo and film captures!
Ceremony
The amount of time you need for a wedding ceremony will vary considerably depending on what kind of wedding ceremony you’re having. A ceremony with an officiant can be as short as 15 minutes while some religious ceremonies can be longer than an hour or more.
Tip: Guests not being present in time for the ceremony often delays the day so if your group has trouble with timings a strategy is to give people a false starting time.
For example, if your ceremony starts at 3pm, tell people it starts at 2:30pm sharp.
Reception
Wedding reception photography/video timing is extremely variable because there are so many types of receptions and so many different ways to schedule the events within your reception. Often times the key components that couples want captured are (in order of priority):
Grand Entrances+ First Dance
Parent dances
Speech
Cake cutting & Decor
Creating your wedding timeline isn’t always easy, and things will more than likely GET DELAYED.
Despite this, experienced wedding vendors will do their best to adapt and jump through hoops to accomodate as best as physically possible.
For example; in this wedding: due to delays, we unfortunately were not given the time to capture bride and groom solo portraits during the day but adapted later in the evening by sneaking out in between meals to produce a few gorgeous night location portraits - which turned out STUNNING!
For those who want reception coverage later into the evening, we recommend ending your coverage after about 30-60 minutes of dance floor time. Once the party really starts rockin’ the photos will all be similar. In lieu of having hours of dance floor coverage, consider renting a photobooth!
Our Touch Screen Mirror PhotoBooth is a great addition to the wedding day and a source of entertainment for guests after your main photography cameras depart! Guests can enjoy physical print souvenirs and digitals sent directly to their phones on the spot!
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