How Many Hours of Wedding Photography Coverage Do I Need for an NYC or NJ Wedding?
This article is written by George Pompilio, a NYC and New Jersey wedding photographer with over 20 years in the wedding industry. George has 80+ five-star Google reviews and has been recognized as Top 100 in the 2025 WPE Awards and Top 10 by Flash Masters 2025.
How many hours of wedding photography do you need?
Most full wedding days need 10 to 12 hours of wedding photography coverage, while micro weddings may only need 4 hours. The right amount depends on your timeline, locations, travel time, the size of your family photo list, and whether you’re planning a first look.
At George Pompilio Photography, we help couples choose coverage based on what matters most to them, so the day feels smooth and never rushed. We want you to enjoy your wedding.
As a Brooklyn wedding photographer, George works with couples across New York and New Jersey, including Long Island, NJ, and Westchester, for couples looking for a more personalized boutique experience.
What Affects How Many Hours of Coverage You Need
There is no one-size-fits-all answer — the amount of coverage you need depends entirely on how your wedding day is structured. Several factors play into this: whether you're getting ready at one location or two, how much travel time exists between your hotel, ceremony, and reception, whether you're planning a first look, the size of your family photo list, your wedding party size, ceremony length, how much of the reception you want documented, and whether you're ending the night with a sparkler exit.
Travel is one of the biggest things couples underestimate. Driving from Saint Mark's Roman Catholic Church in Sheepshead Bay to Russo's on the Bay in Howard Beach looks like 15 minutes on Google Maps — on a Saturday it can easily be an hour. The same goes for Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark to Crystal Plaza in Livingston — what looks like a 20-minute drive can stretch to 45 or more in peak traffic. I always build an extra 15 minutes into every travel leg of your timeline, because on your wedding day you're always better off arriving early than rushing — and rushed portraits show.
Family photos are another place timelines quietly fall apart. A list of 15 groupings typically takes 30 minutes — but can stretch to 45 if people aren't where they're supposed to be. If you only have an hour budgeted for family photos, bridal party photos, and bride and groom portraits, that's a disaster waiting to happen. This is exactly why during our planning calls I help you build a realistic family photo list and a timeline that actually works.
Which coverage option fits your wedding day?
12 Hours of Coverage
Twelve hours of coverage is ideal for couples who want more complete storytelling and breathing room throughout the day. It tends to be the best fit for weddings with multiple locations, longer travel windows, larger guest counts, or church ceremonies where a first look isn't part of the plan. It's also a great choice if you're looking for extended reception coverage or want extra time carved out for creative portraits.
If your goal is to have the entire day documented from prep all the way through the reception, this is the option for you.
10 Hours of Coverage
For most weddings, 10 hours is enough but only if the timeline is built right from the start. Ten hours that are planned well will always beat twelve hours that aren't.
What that actually means in practice: hair and makeup has to finish on time. The groomsmen need to arrive dressed and ready. We can't be waiting on the last bridesmaid to get out of the chair when it's time for the champagne spray during bride prep. And getting the bride into her dress? I've seen that take 10 minutes and I've seen it take 45 and that 35 minute difference comes straight out of your portrait time.
When the timeline holds, 10 hours gives you getting ready coverage, a first look, the ceremony, family photos, bridal party photos, bride and groom portraits, and all the key reception moments entrances, first dances, speeches, and cake. It works well for church weddings with minimal travel and for couples who are realistic about what the day actually requires.
This is why during our planning process I go through your timeline in detail before the wedding day ever arrives — so nothing catches us off guard and no hour gets wasted.
4 Hours of Coverage
Our 4-hour coverage option is designed for micro weddings and intimate celebrations. It’s often a great fit for smaller guest counts, one location, shorter timelines, and days that include the ceremony, portraits, and limited reception coverage. If your day is intentionally simple and intimate, 4 hours may be all you need.
Why Timeline Planning Matters
Coverage hours and your timeline go hand in hand. Choosing wedding photography coverage isn't just about picking a number of hours — it's about planning a timeline that gives your day room to breathe. As an editorial and documentary wedding photographer, George Pompilio captures moments as they are unfolding but creates moments when necessary so that you're not just staring at your significant other clueless of what to do next. That means your coverage recommendation is based on both the logistics of the day and the type of imagery you want most. If you want a relaxed portrait experience and more time for candid moments, you may benefit from 10 or 12 hours, while a shorter, more intimate day might be perfectly suited for 4 hours of coverage. This is one reason couples look for a boutique wedding photographer over a larger studio.
Not sure how many hours you need?
During your consultation, we'll help you choose the right amount of coverage based on your timeline, locations, priorities, family photo needs, and overall wedding-day flow. Because we are a boutique wedding photography studio, you work directly with award-winning wedding photographer George Pompilio — not a middleman or rotating associate team. That direct relationship allows for a higher level of communication, attention to detail, and care from planning through the wedding day itself.
FAQ: How Many Hours of Wedding Photography Do I Need for an NYC or NJ Wedding?
1. How many hours of wedding photography coverage do I need for
an NYC or NJ wedding?
Most NYC and NJ weddings require between 10 and 12 hours of wedding photography coverage depending on your timeline, number of locations, travel time, and which moments matter most to you. Micro weddings may only need 4 hours, while larger multi-location weddings often need the full 12. Because every wedding is different, George Pompilio Photography creates a custom timeline for every couple and provides a personalized coverage recommendation based on your specific day.
2. What affects how many hours of wedding photography coverage I need?
The biggest factors are whether you are getting ready at one or multiple locations, travel time between venues, whether you want a first look, the size of your family photo list, ceremony length, and how much of the reception you want documented. NYC and NJ weddings often need additional coverage due to traffic, parking, and multi-venue logistics. George Pompilio Photography works with every couple to build a custom wedding day timeline so your coverage hours are built around what actually matters to you.
3. What is the difference between 10 and 12 hours of wedding photography coverage?
Ten hours is the sweet spot for most full wedding days, covering getting ready through key reception moments like first dances, speeches, and cake cutting. Twelve hours is ideal for couples who want maximum flexibility, more creative portrait time, extended reception coverage, or have a wedding with multiple locations and longer travel windows. George Pompilio Photography creates a detailed timeline for every couple to help determine which option is the right fit for your day.
4. Do I need more photography coverage if I have multiple locations in NYC or NJ?
Yes. Weddings with multiple locations almost always need more coverage because city traffic, parking, building access, and travel between venues can add significant time to your day. Getting ready at a hotel, having your ceremony at a church, and hosting your reception at a separate venue is a common NYC and NJ scenario that typically requires 10 to 12 hours of coverage. George Pompilio Photography builds a custom timeline for every couple to map out realistic travel and transition times before you decide on coverage hours.
5. How do I decide what moments are most important for my photography timeline?
Start by identifying the moments you cannot imagine not having photographed, such as getting ready, a first look, family portraits, your ceremony, first dance, parent dances, speeches, or a sparkler exit. George Pompilio Photography creates a personalized wedding day timeline for every couple so your coverage is built around protecting the moments that matter most to you, and nothing important gets rushed or missed.
6. Can a wedding photographer help me figure out the right number of coverage hours?
Absolutely. An experienced wedding photographer can review your venue, travel logistics, and priorities and give you a concrete coverage recommendation based on your actual day rather than a generic package. George Pompilio Photography creates a custom timeline for every couple during the planning process, making it easy to see exactly how your day will flow and how many hours of coverage you truly need. Reach out at georgepompilio.com to get started.
Wedding day timing is everything — and getting it right starts long before the wedding day itself. To help you get ahead of it, I put together a complimentary Wedding Day Timeline Guide based on what I've seen work and what I've seen go wrong across hundreds of weddings in NYC and New Jersey. Check it out before your consultation so we can hit the ground running.