Image by Nerida McMurray Photography
Couples buying their wedding photography usually have to decide how much reception coverage they should have. Some photographers have an all day only package, some go by the hour and others have options to cover various moments into the reception.
I don’t think there is a hard and fast answer to how long you should hire your photographer to cover your reception, as every wedding and couple is different so something different will suit each couple.
I recommend asking friends who have been married about their experience and expectations. Did they regret only getting coverage until the first hour of the reception? Did they think it was worth it to get the whole night covered? Your friends will give you honest answers and may help you make up your mind.
I also recommend looking at lots and lots of reception photos – and see what you like – do you want dancing shots ? Do you want random candids of your guests having fun? Speeches? Your reactions to those speeches ?
Speeches might be a big part of your evening and on the other hand there may only be a short welcome speech then the rest of the night is an informal party.
Only you can really know what you want your printed memories to consist of, so don’t be swung either way by anyone else.
I’ve had some clients say “I definitely don’t want photos of me dancing – I’m a terrible dancer !” or “We are having a lunchtime wedding and there is no dancefloor in the venue – the cake cutting will be before we sit down so we only need a couple of hours into the reception”… “we will be doing some traditional cultural dancing and traditions at the end of the night – these will make great photos so we definitely want this covered”
Think about what will be happening during your reception, talk to your photographer about what he or she can cover during the various times and you will be able to decide on what you want. 🙂
Ms Gingham says: And if it’s a BFGW (Big Fat Greek Wedding) you’re going to want to capture the dancing right up until the end where Uncle Stathi decides to balance a glass of whiskey on his head during the Zorba, trips and twists his ankle. Golden!
Nerida says: “I love weddings and I feel blessed that my job is a significant element of a very special day for people. Giving the couple their photos after their honeymoon, and seeing the delight and joy on their faces as they reminisce over one of the most memorable days in their lives, is one of my favourite parts of my job.”
Nerida is a regular contributor to the Wisdom blog with advice based articles like what to do if it rains on your wedding day. Read them all here.
Having images of the speeches, first dance and some party atmosphere captured is good from the story-telling point of view. Make sure your photographer has the equipment and can deliver good pictures in low light though.
Good point Mark. Thanks for the comment!
I think the best photography coverage tells the story of the day…which for me goes from the getting ready to the evening dancing. You only need a little dancing to finish off the story but that’s enough to finish the story. Anything less and the wedding album always seems like its missing something to me.