Have you officially made it to the wedding planning stage where you’re about to book your photographer and said, “Wait… But which package am I supposed to book?”
Welcome! I’m Ashley, a Boston wedding photographer who’s super type A when it comes to planning (but also LOVES to have fun!), and I’m breaking down how many hours of wedding photography you really need, with wedding photography timelines that show you exactly how your day can unfold with each option! And by the end, you'll have a much better idea of whether 7, 8, or 9 hours makes sense for your wedding, what each timeline actually includes, and which moments you might need to prioritize.
The Short Answer: How Many Hours of Photography Do You Need for Weddings?
The short answer: it depends.
For most traditional wedding days, 8 hours is a really solid starting point. If you're getting ready and celebrating in one location, that often gives us enough time for the big moments, portraits, and some reception fun. If you have multiple locations, extra travel, or want more getting-ready and dance-floor coverage, 9 hours might make more sense.
And if you're planning something smaller or shorter? Seven hours could be perfect. It all depends on what matters most to you.
A wedding at the courthouse will have totally different photography needs than a ballroom wedding, and trust me when I say that booking the wrong package can lead to stress, rushing, and some really important moments being missed. That’s why I’m breaking it allll down for you, as someone who’s at weddings quite literally ALL the time!
Wedding Photography Timelines Broken Down by Hours of Coverage
As a Boston wedding photographer, I’ve found that offering 7-, 8-, and 9-hour packages is what fits me and my clients the best. I used to offer 6, 8, and 10 hour packages, but as a Boston wedding photographer, I’m always adapting to what works best for my couples.
I’ve structured these so I can work with essentially any timeline so that I’m never missing the moments that make your day yours.
If you want to read more about my approach before we dive in, take a peek at my guide about what it’s like to work with me as your Boston wedding photographer!
A 9-Hour Wedding Photography Timeline
9+ hours is where we really thrive.
This package works best for couples who have more locations, some extra moving pieces, or who simply don’t want to feel rushed at all. And believe me… Weddings with 9-hour packages have such an ease to the day that I really love seeing.
We have plenty of time to get every little detail of the day: your mom helping you into your dress, the final touch-ups on your hair and makeup, the big events, and a ton of pictures of you letting loose on the dance floor. It gives your gallery a full look at the day, and it’s something I really love for a complete, well-rounded gallery.
Having one extra hour of coverage makes a huge difference in how your entire day looks, and it can play out something like this:
12:00 pm - 9:00 pm Coverage
9:00 am: Getting ready begins
12:00 pm: Photographer arrival for detail photos and final getting-ready photos
1:30 pm: First look, private vows, + couple portraits
2:15 pm: Wedding party photos
3:00 pm: Couple + wedding party hidden (for a breather) while photographer is capturing guest arrival
4:00 pm: Ceremony (TONS of candid photos and that iconic first kiss picture!)
4:30 pm: Cocktail hour begins while you’re taking family photos
5:00 pm: Your choice of hiding away with your love before the reception or entering cocktail hour while photos are being taken of guests enjoying their time
5:30 pm: Reception entrance and special dances
6:00 pm: Dinner + toasts
7:30 pm: Dance floor opens, which means direct flash, motion blur, and dance floor chaos images
8:45 pm: Optional staged exit or final reception photos before coverage ends
We will, of course, work together to shift this to make it tailored to your day, but that’s just a general overview of what 9 hours of wedding photography coverage could look like. And if you want to add even more, I can do coverage add-ons, which work really well for weddings that have multiple locations, a long driving time, or a gap between a ceremony and reception!
If we're traveling between locations, I'll build actual travel and buffer time into your timeline. Because Boston traffic is not something I want us gambling with on your wedding day. 😂
An 8-Hour Wedding Photography Timeline
My 8-hour package is my most popular package, and understandably so! It’s one that makes sense for a traditional wedding day where everything is in one location, and it lets us get a huge overview of the day without feeling rushed.
The 8-hour wedding photography timeline looks about the same as the 9-hour timeline, just with a few extra minutes shaved off (which usually looks like fewer getting-ready photos or fewer dance floor photos, depending on your preference).
Here’s an overview:
12:30 pm - 8:30 pm Coverage
9:00 am: Getting ready
12:30 pm: Photographer arrival for detail photos and a few getting-ready photos, if time
1:15 pm: First look, private vows, + couple portraits
2:15 pm: Wedding party + immediate family photos
3:00 pm: Couple + wedding party hidden for guest arrival
4:00 pm: Ceremony + ceremony photos
4:30 pm: Cocktail hour + final family photos
5:00 pm: Where you can enter cocktail hour or have some one-on-one time with your new spouse
5:30 pm: Reception begins
6:00 pm: Dinner + toasts
7:00 pm: Dance party time!
8:15 pm: A fake sendoff before photographer’s departure
A 7-Hour Wedding Photography Timeline
Seven hours can work SO well for a shorter wedding day or a celebration where you're happy to prioritize certain parts of the day. It just means we'll be a little more intentional about where we spend our time.
For example, if getting-ready photos aren't a huge priority, we can start coverage later and still have time for your ceremony, portraits, and reception. Or, if you really want those getting-ready moments, we can start earlier and wrap up before the dance floor gets going.
1:00 pm - 8:00 pm Coverage
9:00 am: Getting ready
1:00 pm: Photographer’s arrival + detail shots
1:30 pm: First look, private vows, + couple portraits
2:15 pm: Wedding party photos
3:00 pm: Guest arrival while the couple and wedding party are hidden
4:00 pm: Ceremony!
4:30 pm: Cocktail hour + family photos
5:15 pm: Reception starts and special dances
5:30 pm: Dinner + toasts
6:30 pm: Dance floor opens
7:45 pm: A fake sendoff before the photographer departs
Or, it can switch to an earlier arrival and cut off some dance floor images and send off photos. I’m always happy to talk through this with you, to see how 7 hours of photography coverage could translate to your day!
How to Decide How Much Photography Coverage You Need for YOUR Wedding
If you’re reading this and still stuck on what to choose for your wedding photography package, I’ll break it down in a way that shows a few different wedding styles:
9 hours: best for weddings with more than one location, large weddings with a few different main events, and couples who want their full wedding day captured without having to rush
8 hours: best for traditional weddings in one spot that want a little bit of every part of the day captured
7 hours: best for small, short weddings, couples who don’t mind missing some moments in their gallery
Want to learn more about my packages? Check out my Boston wedding photography experience and investment guide here!
What Can Change How Many Hours of Wedding Photography You Need?
Need a quick breakdown of what actually impacts your wedding package? Here are the things I’m looking for when we’re chatting about your day:
Multiple locations: Getting ready at a hotel, marrying at a church, and celebrating at a separate reception venue all require travel and buffer time.
First look versus no first look: Without a first look, more portraits may need to happen after the ceremony, which changes the flow of the day.
Wedding party and family size: Larger groups can require more coordination, especially for formal photos.
Reception priorities: If you want plenty of dancing, late-night moments, or a real exit, coverage needs to extend far enough into the reception to capture all those moments.
One thing I always tell my couples is that the number of hours isn't just about how long your wedding lasts. It's about how you want the day to FEEL.
If we're driving between three different locations, coordinating a big wedding party, and trying to squeeze in portraits before sunset, we're going to need a different timeline than a wedding where everything happens at one venue.
And that's exactly why I help my couples work through all of this before finalizing their photography timeline. I want you enjoying your wedding, not watching the clock all day!
Ashley Olafsson | Boston Wedding Photographer
Still trying to figure out whether 7, 8, or 9 hours makes the most sense for your wedding? That's literally what I'm here for!
I LOVE helping my couples build timelines that give us plenty of time for the moments that matter without making the day feel like one giant photoshoot. So whether you're planning a big Boston wedding or something a little more intimate, let's talk through what you're picturing and figure out the coverage that actually makes sense for you.
Tell me all about your wedding here! I can't wait to hear what you're planning.
Xoxo,
Ashley
