How many hours do I need a wedding videographer? Count from the start of getting ready to the last moment you want on film, add a little margin, and pick the package that covers it: 8, 10 or 12 hours.
I'm Andrew with Peak Wedding Films in Colorado Springs. Here is the simple way I help couples land on the right number.
Step 1: Write Down Your First and Last Moment
Start with two times. The first is when you want filming to begin. The second is the last moment you would be sad to miss.
For most weddings, the first moment is getting ready: the dress, the letters, the nerves. The last one might be the first dance, the last toast, a sparkler exit or the final song.
Everything between those two times is your coverage. Add 30 minutes of margin, because weddings run late more often than they run early.
Step 2: Do the Math on a Real Day
Here is an example. Say your day looks like this:
- 1:00 pm: getting ready
- 4:00 pm: ceremony
- 5:30 pm: dinner
- 6:30 pm: toasts
- 7:15 pm: first dance
- 10:00 pm: send-off
From 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm is nine hours. With margin, that points to 10 hours of coverage. If you would be fine ending after the first dance, 8 hours covers 12:30 pm to 8:30 pm with room to spare.
Step 3: Match It to a Package
Peak has three packages, and the hours are the main difference:
- The Film: 8 hours of coverage, one videographer, a 4 to 5 minute cinematic film.
- The Feature: 10 hours of coverage, one videographer, a 6 to 7 minute cinematic film.
- The Legacy: 12 hours of coverage, two videographers, a 10 to 15 minute cinematic feature film.
Every package includes the ceremony and speeches edit and aerial drone footage. You can see what each package includes in full, along with the add-ons.
When 8 Hours Is Enough
Eight hours fits a day where getting ready, the ceremony, portraits, dinner and the first big reception moments sit close together. Many ceremony-and-dinner days fit here.
It often fits an elopement too. Coverage is built around the hike, the vows and the hours on either side, not a long reception.
When 10 or 12 Hours Makes Sense
Ten hours makes sense when there is a gap in the day, like a first look early and a ceremony later, or when you want the send-off on film.
Twelve hours is for the full day, start to finish, with nothing missed. The Legacy also adds a second videographer, so the aisle and the reactions are both covered at the same time.
What If the Day Runs Long?
It happens. Extra hours are available by the hour if the day runs longer than your package covers. We talk about it before the wedding, so nobody is negotiating at 9:45 pm.
A good timeline prevents most of it. Every booking includes a pre-wedding call, so I understand your day completely before it arrives.
Book the Hours, Then Lock the Date
I film one wedding per day, so every hour you book is mine for your wedding only. Pick your hours, then tell me your date and venue and I will check it myself.