In short: For an elopement or a small wedding, book 5 hours of wedding photography (€1,390 with us). For a wedding that runs from the ceremony to dinner, book 6 to 8 hours (€1,590 to €1,990). For a full wedding day with getting ready, portraits, dinner and dancing, book a full day with no time limit (€2,190). Film is priced the same, each on its own. You can book any package and change it later, as long as the date is locked.
Our prices by hours of coverage
These are our public prices. We are a team of six photographers and filmmakers with one documentary style, and we charge no extra travel fees anywhere we work. Photo and film are priced the same, each on its own, and photo plus film is the plain sum.
| Coverage | Photo or film | Photo and film | Edited photos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 hours | €1,390 | €2,780 | 250+ |
| 6 hours | €1,590 | €3,180 | 300+ |
| 7 hours | €1,790 | €3,580 | 350+ |
| 8 hours | €1,990 | €3,980 | 400+ |
| Full day, no time limit | €2,190 | €4,380 | 500 to 1,000 |
Hourly coverage gives 50 or more edited photos per hour, so the counts above are minimums. A 20% deposit holds the date. The sneak peek arrives within days, the full gallery in 3 weeks and the film in about a month. The calculator on our prices page, linked at the end of this guide, adds it up for you.
How much per hour does a wedding photographer cost
With us, a package works out to about €278 an hour for 5 hours, €265 for 6, €256 for 7 and €249 for 8 (our arithmetic: price divided by hours). If a full day runs 12 hours, it works out to about €183 an hour. The longer the day, the lower the hourly rate. That is why the jump from 8 hours to a full day is only €200. For prices from other photographers in the market, see our destination photographer cost guide, which puts full-day quotes from established European photographers at roughly €2,000 to €6,000, usually before travel.
Andreas & Nina · Málaga · see the full wedding →How many hours do you need: the answer by case
| Your day | Hours we suggest | Package |
|---|---|---|
| Elopement for two, one place | 3 to 5 hours | 5 hours, €1,390 |
| Small wedding, 10 to 30 guests, ceremony to dinner | 5 to 6 hours | €1,390 to €1,590 |
| Wedding from ceremony to the end of dinner, no getting ready | 6 to 8 hours | €1,590 to €1,990 |
| Full wedding day: getting ready, ceremony, dinner, dancing | 9 to 12 hours | Full day, €2,190 |
| Two or three days of events | One full day plus extra coverage | Ask us |
Other photographers’ guides give similar bands. One well-known New York wedding photographer’s published guide offers 6 hours as the shortest option, for intimate weddings and elopements, says most couples choose between 8 and 10 hours, and recommends 10 for larger days and several locations. Destination days run later than that, so we add the full-day option. Count from the first thing you want photographed to the last, and add travel between places. Two locations always cost more time than one, and so does a long lunch. For small days, our guide to a micro wedding in Europe shows how those days are built.
choose the hours by the last moment you cannot do without. If you want the first dance, count from the ceremony to that dance, then add getting ready if you want it. If the number is over 8, take the full day.
How many hours do wedding photographers work
The hours in a package are the hours on your day. Around them sits work you do not see: planning the day with you, the drive, the edit and delivery. We do not publish editing hours, because they vary with the size of the day. What we publish is delivery: a sneak peek within days, the full gallery in 3 weeks and the film in about a month. When you compare photographers, ask for their delivery times in writing. Waiting times differ between photographers.
A photographer’s note: a day with no time limit is not a day of constant shooting. Much of it is waiting for the light and the next moment, so the extra hours buy you calm, not more of the same photographs.
Wedding photography timeline: four examples
These timelines are templates, free to copy. Move every row by the same amount for your date. Our wedding day timeline guide has four more. On 15 July 2027 in Positano, sunset is at 20:32 according to the US Naval Observatory, so we write it as 20:30.
5 hours: an elopement at golden hour
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 16:30 | We arrive, details and dressing |
| 17:15 | Walk or drive to the place |
| 18:00 | Ceremony and vows, 30 minutes |
| 18:30 | Toast, family and friends |
| 19:30 | Portraits in golden hour, 25 minutes |
| 20:30 | Sunset, dinner begins |
| 21:30 | Coverage ends |
6 hours: ceremony to speeches, no getting ready
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 16:30 | We arrive, a few frames with you and your parents |
| 17:30 | Ceremony |
| 18:20 | Family groups, 20 minutes |
| 19:40 | Couple portraits, 25 minutes |
| 20:30 | Sunset, dinner begins |
| 22:30 | Speeches and cake, coverage ends |
8 hours, no first look: getting ready to speeches
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 14:30 | We arrive, getting ready, 90 minutes |
| 16:30 | Leave for the ceremony |
| 17:30 | Ceremony |
| 18:20 | Family groups |
| 19:40 | Couple portraits in golden hour |
| 20:30 | Sunset, dinner begins |
| 22:30 | Speeches and cake, coverage ends |
This day ends before the first dance, which comes after 23:00 in a southern wedding. If the dance matters, take the full day.
8 hours with a first look, October
A first look means seeing each other privately before the ceremony. It moves portraits and family groups before the ceremony, which helps when sunset is early. On 15 October 2027 at Bellagio on Lake Como, the US Naval Observatory’s sunrise and sunset tables give sunset at 18:38; the mountains hide the sun earlier in many spots.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 11:30 | Getting ready, 90 minutes |
| 13:00 | First look, 15 minutes, then couple portraits |
| 14:00 | Family groups and wedding party, 30 minutes |
| 15:30 | Ceremony |
| 17:45 | Golden hour, ten minutes for the two of you |
| 18:40 | Sunset, dinner begins |
| 19:30 | Coverage ends |
With a first look, you can book fewer hours for the same pictures, because the portraits no longer wait for evening light.
Manuela & Konstantin · Zakynthos · see the full wedding →Full day: what the extra hours buy
Take the July timeline above and keep going. With no time limit, the same day continues past speeches into the evening.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 14:30 | Getting ready, details, parents |
| 17:30 | Ceremony |
| 19:40 | Golden-hour portraits |
| 20:30 | Sunset, dinner |
| 22:30 | Speeches and cake |
| 23:15 | First dance and the party |
| 00:30 | Last dance, coverage ends |
That is 10 hours. A full day gives 500 to 1,000 edited photos, and it protects you from the usual problems of a destination wedding: a late ferry, a ceremony that starts 40 minutes late, a dinner that runs long. Weddings in southern Europe start late and end late. With a 17:30 ceremony in July, dinner begins around 20:30 and the first dance often comes after 23:00. Eight hours that start with getting ready at 14:30 end before that dance.
Common mistakes when choosing hours
- Counting only the ceremony and dinner, and forgetting that getting ready takes 90 minutes.
- Forgetting travel between places, which counts as time on the day.
- Booking 8 hours for a late wedding and finding the dance is after the photographer has left.
- Booking a full day for an elopement of two people at one cliff. Five hours is plenty.
Is a second shooter worth it?
A second photographer covers two places at once: both getting-ready rooms, or your guests’ faces during the ceremony. For an elopement or a day with 30 guests it is rarely needed. For 100 guests, two getting-ready rooms or a large church, it helps. Tell us your guest number and the plan of the day, and we will say what your date needs. We reply within 24 hours.
Is a wedding videographer worth it
Photographs keep faces. Film keeps sound: the vows, the speeches, the laughter in the corridor, the music that was playing. Ask yourselves which of the two you would miss. With us, film costs the same as photo for the same hours, from €1,390, and both come from the same team in the same style. Watch finished wedding films before you decide.
How much is a good wedding videographer, in Europe or in Poland?
We did not find solid public price data for videographers in Europe or in Poland, so we give none. Ask any videographer for one total in euros, including travel and the hours you need, and compare totals. Ours is on the table above. It is the same wherever we work, because there are no extra travel fees.
Nacho & Bea · Mallorca · see the full wedding →Questions to ask a wedding photographer
Before booking, at the first call
- Are you free on our date, and who would come?
- Can we see one full gallery from one wedding, not a selection?
- What is the total in euros, including travel and any taxes?
- How many hours does the package include, and does travel between venues count?
- How is overtime charged?
Before signing, in the contract
- How much is the deposit, and what are the terms if the date moves?
- When do we get a sneak peek, the gallery and the film?
- What happens if you are ill on the day?
- Who owns the files, and can we print them?
After booking, at the final meeting
- Which shots matter most to us, and who must be in the family list?
- What does the timeline look like, and where is the buffer?
- Where is the sun at ceremony time, and what is the rain plan?
- Who is the contact person on the day?
With us, a 20% deposit holds the date, and you can book any package and change it later if your plans change. What matters is locking the date. See what couples say on our reviews page, and look at a full wedding at Lake Como, or more weddings and elopements on our wedding photographer in Italy page.
FAQ: hours of wedding photography
How many hours should we book a wedding photographer for?
5 hours for an elopement or a small wedding, 6 to 8 hours from ceremony to dinner, a full day for a day that includes getting ready and dancing.
Is 6 hours of wedding photography enough?
Yes, for a ceremony, portraits, family groups and dinner, with no getting ready. The 6-hour timeline above shows how.
Is 8 hours enough?
For most weddings, if getting ready is covered. Without a first look, 8 hours from 14:30 ends before the dancing.
Can we change our package later?
Yes. Book any package and change it when your plans become clear. Locking the date comes first.
Do we need a photographer and a videographer?
Not both. Many couples choose one. Choose film if sound matters to you.
Is a wedding timeline template free?
Yes. The four above are free to copy, and our best-light timeline guide, linked in the timeline section, adds more.
Planning yours?
We are a team of six photographers and filmmakers with one documentary style. Photography and film packages from €1,390, with no extra travel fees anywhere we work. Check your date on the contact page and we reply within 24 hours. Prices are on the prices page.