Wedding planning is a lot of work and it can be really confusing to know exactly what you need on your wedding day, especially when you’ve most likely not planned a wedding before. In addition to finding the perfect venue or location, plus the catering, invitations, flowers, and, of course, the dress, you might also have questions about wedding photography. Specifically, you might be wondering how many hours of photography coverage you’ll need for your wedding.

At Love Life Images, we’re a team of wedding photographers based in the Washington, DC area. We work with engaged couples to photograph their special day so those most precious moments are captured and can be cherished for generations to come. We work with our couples to develop a realistic wedding day timeline and schedule of events to ensure that not a moment is missed. We specialize in photographing your entire wedding day to perfection from getting ready to the sparkler exit.  

What Is Photography Coverage? 

First things first, we should talk about what exactly is photography coverage for your wedding day and why you even need it in the first place. Photography coverage refers to the amount of time that your photographer will be present and available to take photographs at your wedding ceremony and reception on your wedding day. It’s usually listed or contracted in hours. 

For example, if your photographer arrives at 2 pm to photograph you getting ready before the ceremony and leaves at 10 pm while you and your guests are dancing the night away that would be considered 8 hours of photography coverage on your wedding day. 

What Is Included In Photography Coverage?

During your contracted coverage time, your photographer will be ready and available to take photographs and use his or her discretion to take photographs during the optimal moments and most appropriate times throughout the time coverage timeframe. The photographs taken during your coverage hours will then be made available to you after the wedding based on the package you selected. 

Just because your photographer is hired for 8 hours of coverage, that doesn’t mean that he or she is photographing for the entire 8 hours. In addition to taking photographs, the coverage time also includes breaks, time for traveling to new locations and more. 

Do I Need Extra Coverage? 

Are you wondering if the coverage that you purchased for your wedding day will be enough?

Sometimes couples feel that they need extra coverage for their wedding day, which means that they’d like their photographer to stay longer at the end of the night, or come earlier in the day before things get started. Extra wedding day coverage can also include a second photographer to capture more locations and images throughout the day. 

At Love Life Images, we offer many different extra coverage options, including providing a second photographer as well as photographing for extra hours. We also offer extra coverage that can be added on right up until the moment we leave. Many times, our couples like to add extra coverage in the early part of the day, either for those special getting ready moments with family or maybe for a “first look”  before the ceremony is started.

The most important thing to consider when thinking about adding extra photography coverage hours to your wedding day is your timeline for the entire day. Is it a realistic and practical timeline? Have you included all of the events and allowed enough time to move through the different parts of the day? 

An experienced wedding planner is the best person to put together your schedule and to talk about your wedding day timeline. Wedding planners are helpful for so many reasons, but ensuring a smooth, stress free wedding day schedule is at the top of the list.

After you’ve gone over your schedule, think about the different “moments” that will happen that you’ll want to have photographed, such a the ceremony start and cake cutting. What time exactly will these moments happen and will your photographer be there to photograph it? 

A great example that sometimes needs extra coverage is a sparkler exit at the end of the reception. Oftentimes, it’s the very last thing to happen at the end of the night. If you’d like this moment to be photographed, it’s important that your photographer knows about your planned exit so that they are not only in the right place to photograph it, but is also contracted to be available and present for the exit. 

About Love Life Images

Here at Love Life Images, we’re a team of trusted, experienced and talented wedding photographers based in the Baltimore, MD and Washington DC areas. We’ve photographed the love and life of hundreds of couples for their wedding and engagement sessions. From the most luxurious hotel ballrooms, to DC’s famed historic houses and museums, even small weddings in a couple’s home backyard, we’ve worked at just about every wedding venue and location in the DMV region including the vineyards of Leesburg VA, to downtown Washington DC and Baltimore, to the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Annapolis. 

Love Life Images is the best wedding photography team in the Washington DC area. We’re known for our elegant and sophisticated approach to photography so that you can enjoy your family and friends at your wedding. Our goal is for you to be stress-free, relaxed and confident knowing that we’re hard at work photographing your most special wedding day moments for you to enjoy and love for many, many years to come. 

Wedding Photography Questions?

Do you have more questions about wedding photography? Are you wondering if you need extra photography coverage?

Send us and email at info@lovelifeimages.com or click here to book a call to talk about photographing your wedding. We can’t wait to hear from you!