Here's the truth...

When you envision your wedding in your head, it seems so beautiful, lovely, and perfect, but there is a moment when you start booking your vendors where everything starts to get overwhelming. The questions that vendors like us will ask you can seem big and scary. We intend to make sure that everything turns out perfect for you, but in the midst of all of that perfection, we need to gather all the details. The details are difficult for any couple, but in today's blog, I am here to make it easy! When you book trusted and professional vendors your day will run smoothly and you can be assured your needs will be met with the utmost respect and professionalism.

Hourly Photography and Videography Wedding Coverage:

We have packages that work with your vision!

Typically our couples have a rough timeline of what their wedding day will look like when they first inquire with us. Usually, the first vendor that is booked in the wedding planning process is the venue. Not all venues are created equally. Some come with bridal suites, some have beautiful outdoor spaces for group photos, and some are at restaurants or hotel ballrooms. Where you choose to get married will play a huge role in determining your timeline and the details that all of your following vendors will be asking you.

For us photographers and videographers, one of the first decisions that you will need to make is the hourly coverage. If you have not locked in your venue yet, that is okay! Roy and I are here to help you with any stage of the process that you may want our advice on. When you first inquire with Hearts and Horizons, we will schedule a time that works for you to jump on a phone call. Our goal with these quick phone call consultations is to get to know a bit more about you, hear your vision, and show you what we have to offer. We are here to help guide you along this process. We are fully aware that we live in the wedding industry 24/7 whereas you may have just stepped in for the first time a few weeks ago!

Our packages are set up in a way that works with a wedding's timeline. We have done so many weddings by now that I am certain you will find your ideal coverage with us in our packages. Here is how we have packages laid out going into 2025:

• All-Inclusive Package - Up to 10 hours of coverage
• Luxe Package - Up to 8 hours of coverage
• Classic Package - Up to 6 hours of coverage
• Intimate Package - Up to 3 hours of coverage

These four packages will cover 99% of the clients that are interested in booking us. Let me explain below.

How our wedding packages are set up:

A good sign that you have found a professional photographer or videographer is by taking a glance at their packages. When you have a brochure in front of you that has a good variety of options, but a clear direction in where each package will land you, then you can rest assured that your photographer/videographer has worked on several weddings.

We set up our packages in a way that works with our workflow. You won't find a 4-hour package on my brochure because I know that wedding events take me a certain amount of time to capture. Hopefully, you are choosing a photographer based on their style, their professionalism, and the value they offer you. Each photographer/videographer is different and we each know how much time we need set aside to capture the details that you want. We will align our package structure to reflect that result.

We also know how the flow of each transition between wedding events goes. Sometimes there are mishaps, accidents, or drama that make the timeline run later than expected. Other times we know that reception may not need as much coverage as you think, after all, there are only so many dancing shots we can take before we all agree that it has gotten repetitive. After years of attending all sorts of weddings, we are confident that our packages will work for weddings in 2025. And if trends change, and packages need to be re-evaluated, then we are committed to doing so!

Let's take a second to get the juicy part. I will break it all down for you!

When to book your engagement session:

If you are working with a tighter timeline we will do our best to accommodate you! However, the ideal timeline would look like this:

• Book your engagement session approximately 7+ months before the wedding
• Traditional save-the-dates are sent out 6-12 months before the wedding and include photos from your engagement session

When to book your bridal session:

If I could give every bride one piece of advice, it would be this -

If you want your wedding day to be more about you and less about a photographer's shot list, make sure to book a pre-wedding bridal session with your photographer and videographer!

• Book your bridals at least 6 weeks before the wedding
• This gives us time to edit them and deliver them before the wedding
• Allows for printing time if you want to have them on display at the wedding
• Great opportunity to test your hair and makeup looks out

Most of our local packages even include a free bridal session! We find that pre-wedding bridal sessions are incredibly valuable to our couples so even if you are getting married in a place that is not local to us, we will do our best to accommodate you so that you can capture these photos at a separate time from the wedding day.

All-Inclusive Package (Up to 10 hours)

A wedding day package designed to capture every moment!

This package was designed for couples who are going all out. This is "THE DAY". The All-Inclusive package allows for artistic freedom and a relaxed wedding day full of precious moments. It basically ensures that we will be there to photograph and video the entire wedding from start to finish. If you have extra moments that you want outside of the "luxe package" then the all-inclusive package will likely cover your timeline perfectly. It really means you get us for your entire timeline with all the extra parts and nuances covered in full. Here are the moments that you are sure to pack into the all-inclusive package:

• Getting ready
• First looks
• Ceremony
• Group photos, family photos, and wedding party photos
• Moments with just the two of you
• Cocktail hour or dinner
• Speeches or toasts
• Reception

Timeline Example 1:

• 2 hrs dedicated to the finishing touches of getting ready and detail shots
• 1 hr dedicated to wedding day bridal session
• 1.5 hrs dedicated to family photos, group photos, and wedding party photos
• 30 minutes dedicated to capturing ceremony details and guests arriving 
• 1 hr dedicated to the ceremony 
• 1 hr dedicated to cocktail hour or mealtime
• -Vendor Break- 
• 3 hrs dedicated to reception festivities

Timeline Example 2:

• 1.5 hrs dedicated to the finishing touches of getting ready and detail shots
• 1 hr of first looks
• 1 hr dedicated to wedding day bridal session
• 1.5 hrs dedicated to family photos, group photos, and wedding party photos
• 30 minutes dedicated to capturing ceremony details and guests arriving 
• 1 hr dedicated to the ceremony
• 1 hr dedicated to cocktail hour or mealtime
• -Vendor Break-
• 2 hrs dedicated to reception festivities

Timeline Example 3:

• 30 mins of shots of wedding location(could include drone shots)
• 1.5 hrs dedicated to the finishing touches of getting ready and detail shots
• 2 hrs of first looks and wedding day bridals
• 1 hr dedicated to capturing ceremony details and guests arriving and the ceremony
• 1.5 hrs dedicated to family photos, group photos, and wedding party photos
• 1 hr dedicated to cocktail hour or mealtime
• -Vendor Break-
• 2 hrs dedicated to reception festivities

Luxe Package (Up to 8 hours)

Our most booked package!

This is our most booked package because it is the best bang for your buck, plus our couples get every detail captured. They have a big wedding day plan and want to take the time to enjoy every bit of it! This is the most complete package we offer for great coverage from start to end. The details and festivities will be captured in full with nothing being left out. Here are three examples of this package:

Timeline Example 1:

• 2 hours dedicated to the finishing touches of getting ready and detail shots
• 1 hour dedicated to the wedding day bridal session
• 1.5 hours dedicated to family photos, group photos, and wedding party photos
• 30 minutes dedicated to capturing ceremony details and guests arriving 
• 1 hour dedicated to the ceremony
• -Vendor Break-
• 2 hours dedicated to reception festivities

Timeline Example 2:

• 1.5 hours dedicated to the finishing touches of getting ready and detail shots
• 1 hour of first looks 
• 1.5 hours dedicated to family photos, group photos, and wedding party photos 
• 30 minutes dedicated to capturing ceremony details and guests arriving  
• 1 hour dedicated to the ceremony 
• -Vendor Break-
• 2 hours dedicated to reception festivities

Timeline Example 3:

• 30 minutes of shots of the wedding location (could include drone shots)
• 1 hour dedicated to the finishing touches of getting ready and detail shots 
• 2 hours of first looks and wedding day bridals
• 1 hour dedicated to the ceremony (this could include capturing ceremony details and guests arriving)
• 1.5 hours dedicated to family photos, group photos, and wedding party photos
• -Vendor Break-
• 2 hours dedicated to reception festivities

Intimate Package (Up to 3 hours)

A package tailored for couples that just want the big moments of their wedding captured!

Maybe your actual wedding day lasts longer than 3 hours, but what you need to be photographed or videoed will be short and sweet. This is really a great option for our couples who have a minimalist wedding with not too many festivities and value great imagery to capture their private and intimate day, hence the name. Here are two examples of weddings that I work on with this package:

Timeline Example 1:

• 30 minutes dedicated to the ceremony
• 1 hour dedicated to day of bridal photos, family photos, group photos, and wedding party photos
• 1.5 hours dedicated to the reception

Timeline Example 2:

• 1 hour dedicated to the first look and the day of bridal session
• 45 minutes dedicated to the ceremony
• 1 hour dedicated to family photos, group photos, and wedding party photos

Do you have a better timeline idea envisioned now?

Whether the answer to that question is a yes or a no, we are here to help. When you fill out our inquiry form, we will send you an email with more information about what it is like to work with us, and we will also give you schedule options to hop on a call with us. In the call, we will go over our brochure, hear more about your vision, suggest a package that we believe will work for you, and answer any questions you may have.

Roy and I believe that wedding vendors should be there to support clients. You deserve to get the coverage you want and feel confident that your vendors understand your day and your vision. We have found the perfect balance of knowing what we need to provide our best work all while making certain that your day is covered perfectly with the things you want to remember. We want to do more than just show up and capture your wedding! You will find a ton of information about weddings and advice on our website under the "resources" tab. If still in doubt, just send us an email!