How Many Hours of Wedding Photography Coverage Do You Need?

One of the most common mistakes couples make is not booking enough coverage. Here is an honest breakdown of how many hours you actually need.

Typical Wedding Day Timeline

4 hrs coverage — The sweet spot for micro weddings and elopements. Covers preparation, ceremony, and portraits. AlphaRes Studio offers a 4-hour limited deal on individual bookings.
6 hrs coverage — Getting ready through first dance. The starting point for AlphaRes Studio Premium packages.
7 hrs coverage — Included in the Elite package. Covers full ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception start.
8 hrs coverage — Full wedding day. Included in the Luxury package. Getting ready through send-off.

Hour-by-Hour Breakdown

• Hour 1–2: Getting ready — details, dress, prep portraits
• Hour 3: First look and wedding party portraits
• Hour 4: Ceremony
• Hour 5: Family formals and couple portraits
• Hour 6: Cocktail hour candids
• Hour 7: Reception — grand entrance, first dance, toasts, dinner
• Hour 8: Dance floor, cake cutting, golden hour portraits, send-off

When to Add More Coverage

• Getting ready at a different location than the ceremony
• More than 150 guests
• Multiple venues or ceremony locations
• Wanting a grand send-off captured

Adding Extra Hours

All AlphaRes Studio packages can be extended with additional coverage at 49 per hour (add-on rate for photo or video). This is the most cost-effective way to extend coverage beyond your package if the day runs long.

Prefer to build from scratch? Use the Build Your Own tool to choose exactly how many hours you need — with live pricing as you go.

View AlphaRes Studio package coverage hours — or get a free planning consultation.