Start with the moments that matter
Before choosing a package, write down the photographs you would miss most if they weren’t included. That might mean getting ready with your parents, seeing each other for the first time, family portraits, your vows, speeches or the dance floor.
Put those moments in order and add the times you already know. Your ceremony time is often the anchor. Reception entrance, dinner service and speeches help define the evening. Where your priorities begin and end gives you a better starting point than guest count alone.
Compare the coverage windows
| Coverage | May suit | Check before booking |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | An intimate ceremony and portraits | Whether preparations or reception moments fit |
| 6 hours | A focused ceremony-to-reception timeline | Travel time and the timing of first dances |
| 8 hours | Preparations through early reception | Which morning and evening moments fall inside the window |
| 10 hours | A longer day with more reception time | Multiple venues and breaks in the schedule |
| 12 hours | An extended morning-to-evening celebration | Your exact start time, end time and late events |
Two weddings with the same number of guests can need different coverage. A celebration at one venue may be simpler to schedule than a day with preparations, ceremony and reception in separate locations.
Include the time between photographs
For a Montreal wedding with multiple stops, account for the full move between locations: gathering belongings, getting to vehicles, travelling, parking and reaching the next room or portrait location. Use your actual addresses and allow a buffer appropriate to your plans.
Family photographs also involve gathering people, arranging groups and making space for guests who need more time. A schedule that includes only the ceremony and portrait session can underestimate how much of the coverage window is already committed.
An example of working backwards
Imagine a 3 p.m. ceremony and a first dance scheduled for 8 p.m. If those are your first and last priorities, the events alone already span five hours. Starting photographs at 1 p.m. extends that span to seven hours, before allowing for the dance itself or any later moments.
This is an illustrative timeline, not a recommendation for every wedding. Its purpose is to show why a package should be compared against actual event times.
Choose the team as well as the hours
Longer coverage gives a photographer more time. A second photographer can provide coverage in another place at the same time. Those solve different problems.
If both partners are getting ready in separate locations and want simultaneous coverage, discuss that explicitly. Similarly, booking photography and film together does not automatically mean two photographers: confirm who is responsible for each format.
What to send when asking for a quote
- Your wedding date and all venue addresses.
- Ceremony start time and approximate reception schedule.
- The first and last moments you want covered.
- Whether you want preparations photographed for both partners.
- Your priorities for family portraits, couple portraits and film.
Ask for the agreed start and finish times, crew size and approach to extra coverage in writing. That makes it easier to compare collections on what your day actually needs.
Have a date and venue in mind?
Tell us your priorities and the moments you want to keep. We’ll discuss how photography and film coverage can fit your celebration.
Talk about your wedding