How Much Time Do I Need to Schedule for Wedding Photography?
Do not assume that the package you picked out has the appropriate amount of photo time for your needs. Many people come to Kauai and get married with no guests. Some packages do not always allow enough time for the number of guests you have. The amount of time you’ll need for your wedding photos depends mostly on 4 things:
- How many guests are in the photo shoot?
- Are there any young kids in the photo shoot?
- How many types of photos do you want from the photo shoot?
- Do you have a videographer?
So how much Kauai wedding photography time do you need? Here are the bare bones: the ceremony normally takes around 15 minutes (unless you have a lot of extras or your own minister). That means you need about 25+ minutes of your photo time to go towards the ceremony, congratulations and signing of the official documents. Then, each couple will need a good 30 minutes alone with their photographer to really capture their love and the best shots of the day. That only leaves about 5 minutes extra if you are considering having your photos done in an hour. If you have no guests, kids or videographer, this is enough time; but if so, you’ll need more time – read below.
1. How many guests are in the photo shoot?
Obviously, the more people you have at your wedding, the more photography time you need. If there are less than 4-5 people, and it’s a simple straightforward photo shoot with no multiple purposes for the photos nor clothing changes, then 75 minutes is often enough. If there are 5 or more people, we highly recommend considering the 90+ minute option.
A good rule of thumb is to count on it taking 3 minutes per pose, assuming there are no kids.
Here’s an example of how long the “bare bones/no fluff” photos take with only 2 guests and no kids: let’s say you are a small group of 4 people total (bride and groom plus 1 couple), and you don’t think you need much of any photos with your guests. Then let’s say you want at least 2 poses of the whole group. This would mean 2 poses x 3 minutes, which equals 6 minutes. Then let’s say you want a photo with each of your 2 guests with the bride/groom, that would mean 2 poses x 3 minutes, or an additional 6 minutes. That would still be a total of 12 minutes of photos.
You can imagine if you have more than 2 guests, that the combinations of what photos you want would add up fairly quickly. We recommend making a list of what photos you might want, multiplying that list by 3, and you’ll have a good estimate of how many minutes you’ll need for guest photos.
General estimates if you don’t want to do the math:
- No guests 60 min photo time
- 2-5 guests 75 min photo time
- 6-10 guests 90 min photo time
- 10+ guests more than 90 min photo time
2. Are there any young kids in the photo shoot?
Obviously, the younger the kids are, or the more kids there are, the more time you need. Kids do not do well being rushed! Kids will likely become cranky if they feel they have to perform under pressure – we know from personal experience! (That is, unless you are lucky enough to have a photo loving little girl who just loves to smile for the camera every time!)
3. How many types of photos do you want from the photo shoot?
People often say they only need a few photos, and that’s totally fine. However, before you throw away a chance to get a lot of bang for just a little extra buck, consider this: the most expensive part of hiring a professional photographer is the first 30 minutes. After that it’s fairly inexpensive to add on more time. Since most people do not have professional photo shoots very often, we recommend doing everything you can in a few minutes at the end if there is time. The most important aim of the photo shoot is normally to get some GREAT couple shots and a couple of good group shots too if there are guests. However, once that is achieved, in the same photo shoot for little or no additional cost Timory would also like to help you get Individual Shots, Couple Shots and the same group/individual/couple shots with a Different Background nearby (often just a few feet away facing a different direction) with no lei on so the photos have a unique feel to them.
4. Do you have a videographer?
If you have a videographer, you will simply need an additional 15-30 minutes of still photography time. The reason is simple: if you have 2 people trying to take the same shot of you and your love, you need to do most of the same things twice, once looking at the still camera, then again looking at the video camera. The little bit of extra time is WELL worth the priceless value of having a video to cherish and watch together each year on your anniversary!