One of the things couples often worry about when planning their wedding is how much time they’ll actually spend having their photographs taken. Once you have planned all the fun, you might suddenly realise that you could miss the entire drinks reception disappearing for photographs and feel like you’re spending lots of time away from your guests.

And if you’re not particularly comfortable in front of the camera, the thought of having to pose for photographs all day probably isn’t top of your list!

The good news is that you really don’t need hours and hours of photography time to get a lovely collection of photographs from your wedding. With a little planning, we can fit in the important photographs without taking over your day.

So, how much time do you really need? Here’s my guide to the different parts of your wedding day, how long I’d recommend allowing for photographs, and how to make sure you still have plenty of time to enjoy yourself.

How much time should you allow for wedding photographs?

There are really only a couple of points in the day where you might feel like you are in-front of a camera smiling. These are your couple portraits and your formal group photos. And really, this should add up to no more than about an hour of posed photrapgraphy! As a general guide, here’s how that usually breaks down:

Photographs	Recommended time
Couple portraits	20 minutes
Group photographs	30 minutes
Golden hour portraits (optional)	10–15 minutes

These timings aren’t set in stone, and some things can overlap. Group photographs and couple portraits are often fitted into your drinks reception. Golden hour is totally time-of-year dependent, but often falls during or after your wedding breakfast.

The rest of the day is photographed as it naturally unfolds. I’m promise I’m not stopping you every few minutes or asking you to pose – I’m capturing what’s happening around you. Read more about my style here.

How long do couple portraits take?

Around 20 minutes

This is probably the part of the day couples tend to worry about most, particularly if they’re not used to having their photograph taken.

My approach is always to keep things relaxed and fairly simple. Rather than spending ages posing you in different locations, we’ll usually go for a little wander somewhere lovely at your venue. I’ll give you a bit of direction where needed, but mostly I’ll let you enjoy being together and capture things as they happen.

I actually think of this as a little breather in the middle of your wedding day. You’ve just got married, there’s lots of excitement and it’s one of the few opportunities you’ll have to spend a little time together, just the two of you.

You don’t need to disappear for an hour to get some beautiful photographs. Around 20 minutes is usually plenty, and if the light is particularly lovely later in the day, we can always pop out again for a few more.

And if you’re camera-shy? Don’t worry. I’m not going to expect you to know what to do or suddenly become professional models. That’s my job! I’ve put together a guide on how I run my couple portrait sessions for camera-shy couples so you can read a bit more about how they work.

How long do group photographs take?

Around 30 minutes

Group photographs are often one of the things that can take longer than couples expect, particularly if there’s a long list of combinations.

I’d usually recommend keeping your list to around 8-10 groups, which should take approximately 30 minutes. Allow 2-3 minutes per photo. If there are more photographs you’d really like, that’s absolutely fine – just make sure you allow a little extra time.

A few things that make group photographs much easier:

• Decide which family and friends you’d like photographs with before the day.
• Keep your list manageable and prioritise the combinations that matter most.
• Ask someone who knows both families to help gather people together.
• Let your photographer know about any family circumstances or photographs that need a little extra thought.

You don’t need a photograph of every possible combination of family members. A handful of meaningful group photographs is often plenty, leaving you more time to enjoy your drinks reception. See here for how to plan for which group photos you need!

Do we need golden hour photographs?

Allow around 10–15 minutes, if you’d like them.

Golden hour is that lovely warm light just before sunset, and it’s a beautiful opportunity to get a few extra photographs together.

If the weather and timings allow, I love sneaking out with couples just before the end of my coverage. It’s usually a completely different feel to the photographs we took earlier in the day, and it’s another chance to have a little moment together.

In winter, when the sun sets much earlier, we might instead make the most of the darker evenings for a few atmospheric night-time photographs.

But this is very much an optional extra. There’s no need to interrupt the party if you’d rather stay on the dancefloor!

How does all this fit into your wedding day?

For a typical wedding with a 1pm ceremony, your day might look something like this:

11:00am – Photography coverage begins at getting-ready location.

12:30pm – Photographer arrives at ceremony venue; guests begin arriving.

1:00pm – Ceremony.

1:45pm – Confetti and congratulations.

2:00pm – Group photographs.

2:30pm – Couple portraits.

3:00pm – Drinks reception, canapés and time with your guests.

4:00pm – Wedding breakfast.

5:30pm – Speeches.

7:30pm – Cake cutting and first dance.

7:45pm – Dancing!

This is just an example, of course. Your venue, ceremony time, caterer and the kind of celebration you’re planning will all make a difference. You might also choose to move your speeches, skip the cake cutting or have a completely different evening schedule.

If you’re planning something a little less traditional, have a look at my alternative wedding timelines blog for three real examples of weddings that did things differently.

A little tip for winter weddings

One thing that’s particularly important when planning your wedding photography is daylight.

During the summer months, there’s usually plenty of time to get outside for couple portraits and group photographs. Winter is a little different, with daylight disappearing much earlier.

If you’re having a winter wedding and would like outdoor photographs, I’d recommend thinking carefully about your ceremony start time. A 1pm ceremony can work well because it gives us a chance to photograph your group photographs and couple portraits while there’s still natural light.

Of course, we can always make use of indoor spaces and create some lovely photographs without relying on daylight, but it’s worth discussing your plans with your photographer before settling on your timings.

The most important thing? Enjoy your wedding day!

I know it’s easy to get caught up in making sure every part of your wedding day runs perfectly. You’ve probably spent months planning it, and there are lots of things you want to fit in.

But please don’t feel that you need to spend ages having photographs taken to get a lovely collection of memories.

My approach is to keep the organised photographs fairly short and relaxed, then spend the rest of the day capturing all the good stuff as it happens. The hugs, the laughter, the slightly chaotic moments, the people you love and all the little things you might not even notice on the day.

I want you to look back at your photographs and remember the day you had, not the hours you spent having your picture taken.

If you’re planning a wedding in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, London or further afield and would like to chat about your photography plans, I’d love to hear from you!