Prior to photographing the wedding, one of the primary functions of my career as a Kansas City Wedding Photographer is to answer questions and provide information and guidance to engaged couples. From start to finish, booked couples spend a significant amount of time with me, and I take note of the questions that seem to pop up most frequently at each point of the wedding planning process.

Today, I’m sharing some of the FAQs I hear most from engaged couples at various stages of planning their wedding, along with the answers to their questions. This is a unique glimpse into what it’s like to work with me as your Kansas City wedding photographer! My answers to these questions are usually only provided to booked couples via my wedding guides, engagement session guide, confirmation emails and conversations.

Whether you are a newly engaged couple planning your wedding in Kansas City or elsewhere, or a hobby photographer or portrait photographer who wants to learn how to become a wedding photographer, this post is for you!

FAQs from Engaged Couples for a Kansas City Wedding Photographer

Certain FAQs tend to pop up at various points of the booking and service engagement process. Those points are typically:

Pre-booking
Mid-booking
Post-booking/Engagement Session Planning
3-6 months to wedding
1 month to wedding
1 week to wedding
Post wedding

Frequently Asked Questions from Engaged Couples

Some FAQs involve the booking procedure and my policies, etc., but the majority of them involve details, traditions and trends to help plan the wedding day.

1. How many hours of photography coverage are needed for a wedding?

Most couples will want between 7 and 10 hours of wedding day photography coverage. This number is highly dependent on a number of factors, including whether you plan to have a First Look or not, how many people will be in family photos, whether you want to travel off site with your wedding party for wedding party photos, how much of your wedding reception you want covered and more.

Most of the time, couples who want to have a First Look will want 8 to 10 hours of wedding day photography coverage. If details and getting ready are very important, you’ll find you want 10 hours of coverage. If you aren’t too concerned about getting ready photos, or many detailed photos, you’ll likely be fine with 8 hours of coverage. Couples who do not want a First Look may be comfortable with 7 hours of coverage, but that is completely dependent on the structure of the day and the length of time between ceremony and reception.

My wedding consultations provide space and time to discuss wedding day plans with any prospective couples. During this time, I ask questions about your ceremony time, whether or not you’ll have a First Look, and how you envision your wedding day flow. Based on this conversation, I provide a recommendation for hours of coverage and explain how the day might go with that amount of time. From there, you are able to discuss and decide how much coverage you really need.

Bride and bridesmaids laugh in front of window on private estate in southern Missouri. © Merry Ohler, Kansas City Wedding Photographer

2. Do we need a second photographer for our wedding?

Whether or not you need a second photographer for your wedding depends on the size of your wedding party, and what is most important to you on your wedding day. An experienced wedding photographer is capable of handling a wedding solo, but if you have a wedding party of more than 8, it’s wise to choose a wedding package with two wedding photographers. In addition to saving time by splitting the guys and gals when it’s time for wedding party photos, you’ll have the added perspective of a second viewpoint for candid photos and detail shots.

I highly recommend a second photographer for all weddings with 50 guests or more, for a number of reasons. First, your wedding day will have the best opportunity to stay on target for time with two photographers because they will be able to “divide and conquer.” While one photographer captures getting ready shots, the other can get photos of the venue, details and decor. One photographer will be able to stay with the guys, while the other can stay with the ladies. This provides more opportunity for those candid, emotive shots you love, because one photographer will not be dividing their time between two groups of people.

Additionally, during the ceremony and reception, you’ll have the benefit of two unique perspectives. This will free your photographers to capture photos of your ceremony, but also of your guests and family members during the ceremony. During the reception, you’ll get the primary photos of the main events like first dances, toasts, cake cutting and more, but you’ll also have more candid photos of your guests interacting, photo requests from guests, centerpieces, details and more.

Bride and groom dance in center of a circle of guests. © Merry Ohler, Kansas City Wedding Photographer.

3. When should we take family photos on our wedding day?

The best time to take family photos at your wedding is immediately after the ceremony. While it is possible to take some family photos prior to the ceremony if you’ve planned a First Look, it can be difficult to get everyone there and ready in time for family photos. After the ceremony, the whole family is usually present, and can simply remain in their seats after the recessional.

If you do plan to take family photos before the ceremony, it’s still usually best to save any photos with children, grandparents and other extended family like aunts, uncles, cousins for afterward. An experienced photographer will request a list of the family combinations you want and can provide guidance on this.

I connect with my couples the month before the wedding and talk through the family members you anticipate to be present, and create a shot list of family photos for you to review and approve before the wedding. That way, when it’s time for family photos we are able to move through them in an orderly and timely fashion. This enables me to get through family photos much faster than if we were just winging it in the moment.

The bottom line is that when you should take family photos on your wedding day is dependent on how many people will be in your family photos, and when they will be present on your wedding day. Most of the time, taking family photos immediately following the ceremony is best.

Rings with seashell and ocean at private estate in Galveston. © Merry Ohler, Kansas City Wedding Photographer

Wedding Photographer in Kansas City

4. What are the usual “events” at a wedding reception?

Modern wedding receptions include a mixture of traditional events and current trends, but the flow and outline of your wedding reception is entirely up to you! That being said, most couples appreciate hearing about traditional wedding reception events and what’s trending in weddings now.

Some traditional wedding reception highlights include:

Grand Entrance
Welcome Speech by Couple
Parent Toasts
- Father or Parents of the Bride
- Father or Parents of the Groom
Prayer for Meal
Toasts/Speeches (following meal)
- Best Man
- Maid of Honor
First Dances
- First Married
- Father Daughter
- Mother Son
Cake Cutting
Bouquet and Garter Toss

Current trending wedding reception highlights include:

Table visits by Couple
Private Last Dance
Grand Exit

Bride adjusts collar of her vintage gown near window at private estate in southern Missouri. © Merry Ohler, Kansas City Wedding Photographer

5. How much time do we need for golden hour and couple photos?

Golden hour is technically the last hour before sunset, and is precisely the right time to capture those soft, glowy romantic moments with just the two of you on your wedding day. If you’ll have a First Look, your wedding photographer will want to capture the majority of your formal photos earlier in the day and just sneak away with the two of you for 15 minutes or so when the light is just right.

It’s best to give your wedding photographer the amount of time they request for your couple photos. If possible, I try to allow about 30-45 minutes for couple photos in a wedding day photo timeline. If there is a First Look, I’ll split that to allow a little time for sunset photos later on, but if there is no first look, we’ll use it at golden hour.

If I were to compile all the FAQ’s I get from engaged couples, it would be far longer than a single blog post, but these 5 Frequently Asked Questions seem to hit the top of the list for most couples!

What questions do you have for your Kansas City Wedding Photographer? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer!