Choose your bookends
Imagine the first photograph and the last photograph in your wedding story. Is the first one your family helping you get ready, or the two of you arriving at the ceremony? Does the story end with portraits, speeches, a first dance or your friends properly getting into the party?
Put a time beside those moments. If the early photo is Mum helping with your jacket at midday and the last is a toast at 5.30 pm, the gap is five and a half hours. A six-hour booking then has half an hour to spare. Try your own start and finish in the wedding coverage planner.
What fits in the day?
| Your priority | What to work through |
|---|---|
| Ceremony and portraits | Ceremony length, congratulations, family groupings and time together nearby |
| Getting ready to reception | Where each person gets ready, travel, ceremony, portraits and the start of the evening |
| Getting ready to dancing | All of the above, plus dinner, speeches, first dance and how much of the party matters to you |
For a lunch wedding, a shorter window can include both the ceremony and speeches. Check when the first toast actually happens. An evening reception with speeches after dessert can put those moments several hours apart.
Count the in-between time
Travel, waiting for dinner and moving between venues still sit between the start and end of the day. Ask how a quote treats these gaps and whether coverage is consecutive. If preparations happen at two different addresses, check whether one photographer can cover both without rushing.
For a Taranaki wedding with several locations, send the actual addresses when asking for a quote. A simple route and fewer moves can make the day calmer. The timeline guide helps you turn those stops into a workable outline.
A second photographer?
A second photographer may help when important things happen in different places at the same time, such as preparations at separate addresses. They may also give a different view during the ceremony or time with guests while you are having portraits taken.
If you’re both getting ready at the same place, one photographer may be able to move between you. Share the room locations, guest numbers and any overlapping moments, and ask whether a second person is included or quoted separately.
Compare the whole quote
- The agreed start and finish times, and what happens if the day runs late.
- Travel arrangements and any accommodation needed.
- Whether there is one photographer or more, and for which part of the day.
- Which gallery, image files, prints, album or film you’ll receive.
- The delivery timeframe, payment terms and booking conditions.
Johnny’s Silver photography collection covers six hours with one photographer. Gold and Platinum start at 11 am and run until late, with one and two photographers respectively. See the 2027 photography packages for prices including GST. For dedicated full-day videography, Your wedding, in motion starts with an 8–10 minute film for NZ$5,999 including GST and travel within New Zealand. Photography is separate.