How Many Wedding Photography Hours Do You Really Need?
- Munhoz Photography
- Sep 9
- 3 min read
Richmond Wedding Photographer
When couples reach out to me, one of the very first questions they ask is: “How many wedding photography hours do we actually need?”
It’s such a good question because the number of hours you choose will shape how your wedding story is told. Do you want your full day documented, from the getting-ready moments to the last dance, or just the highlights?
After photographing so many weddings in Richmond, Charlottesville, and beyond, I’ve seen that 10 hours of coverage is the sweet spot for capturing your wedding day fully, without feeling rushed.
That being said, I also know not every wedding looks the same. Some couples plan something more intimate, like a cozy backyard wedding or a small elopement where they only need a few hours captured. For those celebrations, I do offer smaller coverage options, because your story deserves to be told in a way that feels true to you.
But for most full wedding days with getting ready, first look, ceremony, portraits, and a reception, I’ve found that my Golden Collection is the perfect fit to capture the entire story as it truly unfolded.
And for couples who want even more, my Heirloom Collection offers 14 hours of coverage split across two days. This means you can have your rehearsal dinner photographed as well. It’s a beautiful way to preserve not just the wedding day itself, but the entire experience surrounding it.
10 hours of coverage?
Let me tell you why…
When I photographed Maeve & Liam’s wedding at Southern Pines, their timeline was seamless because we had time for everything. We started with the girls getting ready under soft morning light, slipped into the dreamy first look under a willow tree, and still had space to breathe when the timeline shifted (because weddings always shift a little!). By the time their sunset portraits came, I had photographed all the main moments of the day.
If we had cut their coverage to 6 or 8 hours, those dance floor moments would have been missed. And those are some of the photos they now treasure most.
What Shorter Coverage Looks Like
Sometimes couples think “We’ll just do 6 hours and it’ll be enough.” And yes, it can work if you’re having a small ceremony, everything is at one location, and you’re okay with trimming certain parts of the day.
But here’s what usually gets left out with shorter coverage:
Getting ready moments (your mom helping with your veil, bridesmaids popping champagne, the designed flat lay)
Reception dancing & exit (the fun photos that show your people celebrating you)
Buffer time if things run late (hair & makeup delays, traffic, etc.)
I’ve seen this happen at weddings like Bruna & Thiago's wedding at the Virginia Cliffe Inn wedding. If they had cut their hours, we would have lost those late-night laughter-filled photos of Thiago dancing with his niece and Bruna having the best time on the dance floor.
Why I Recommend 10 Hours or more!
10 hours gives you:
Breathing room so the day feels natural instead of rushed
Full story coverage from getting ready to your exit
Flexibility if the schedule shifts (and it usually does!)
Space for golden hour portraits without sacrificing reception photos
And here’s something my brides really appreciate: after our very first call, I create a sample wedding day timeline for you. This is a roadmap of your day that helps you picture how photography fits in with hair, makeup, first look, family formals, and your reception flow. Couples always tell me this timeline is a huge relief, because it makes planning so much easier and ensures we don’t miss anything important.
Think of it this way: your wedding album will tell the story of your entire day. Without those hours, it becomes just a highlight reel and most of my brides tell me afterwards that it was the little, in-between moments that meant the most.
Those are the moments you’ll want to relive for decades.
Richmond Wedding Photographer | Wedding Photography Hours | Wedding Photographers in Virginia
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