Wedding photography coverage is all the work a photographer does around a wedding, not just the photos they take on the day. It usually begins with a preliminary conversation to get to know the venue, the hours of daylight, the theme of the celebration and the couple's style. Then comes coverage of the day itself, from the preparations through to the party. It ends with the selection and editing of the images, which is where a good share of the hours goes. Some coverage adds video, and some photographers use a drone when the venue and conditions allow. Not all coverage involves the same dedication or the same work behind it. That is why it pays to ask what is included and what is not.
Much more than pressing the button
From the outside, it can look as though a wedding photographer simply turns up on the big day and presses the button. In reality, the camera is only the most visible part of a commission that begins weeks beforehand and ends well afterwards. What separates proper coverage from a pile of loose photos is that coverage follows a thread. The documentary style, for example, tells the story of the wedding as it happens: the mother arranging the veil, the grandfather welling up in the church pew, the table laughing during the speeches. Nobody poses in those images, and together they tell the story of the day in order. To achieve this, the photographer has to know in advance where each moment will take place and how the light will fall at each hour, because a beach wedding is not photographed the same way as a vintage wedding in an old manor house. There are also more planned portrait moments. There, anyone who does not feel comfortable in front of the camera is given guidance on how to position themselves. Each photographer divides up the hours of coverage, the balance between the spontaneous and the planned, and the care taken over editing in their own way. That is where the differences in results and price between them come from.
What to ask the photographer
A couple comparing photographers can ask each one to explain their coverage from start to finish. The useful questions are which part of the day they cover, whether they hold a preliminary meeting to see the venue, whether they include video or a drone, how they deliver the images and how much editing work goes into them. It also helps to ask for a complete wedding they have already delivered, and not just a selection of their best photos. With those answers in front of them, it is easier to understand why prices vary so much and to choose the coverage that suits the day the couple want to remember.
