can i ask the photographer to only be present at the ceremony?
Question Asked: 11/07/2017
Wedding Date: 9/08/2018
Most Helpful Response
(14) · Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, servicing all of South East Queensland.
Posted: 26/06/2026
Answered by: 8 Experts
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Sure, it's up to each photographer if they have a minimum booking time.
(I do one hour as a minimum, but I understand the case for those who book a minimum day or half day.)
Yes you can. Whether a photographer will be prepared to just shoot the ceremony with all the costs and time involved is up to them. They would normally charge an hourly rate which will be significantly more than the hourly cost in their packages. The ceremony is obviously a very important element of the wedding day to capture but the really unique and special photos come from the brides preparation and the location shoot. Cutting of the cake and first dance are also memorable moments not to miss. I would suggest at least a 4 hour shoot which would include brides preparation, grooms portraits prior to the ceremony, ceremony, candids after the ceremony and reception seating with cake cutting.
Yes you can. but our advice to extend the booking for at least 1 hour extra after the ceremony to take an amazing shots that can keep your big day memorable.
Yes you can, but the best photos are taken when you are getting ready, and also in the location shoot after your ceremony. You won't ever regret spending more money on your photos, but you could face a lifetime of regret it if you don't. I hope this helps :)
(1) · Sydney & Surroundings, Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore
Posted: 31/10/2017
Great question and the answer is, of course, YES! Its your wedding so it's important you get things your way.
Having said that, the ammount the photographer charges might not reduce that much vs having him/her there for some extra shots too. That's because there's a lot of set up time involved in shooting a wedding (checking venue, agreeing shot lists, travel etc etc) so the ammount you save won't be in proportion to the ammount of time that's reduced.
I'd also add that my clients usually love the shots to tell the story of the day (bride getting ready, guests arriving, bride arriving, post ceremony groups, reception, cutting cake, first dance etc etc), rather than just the ceremony itslef, so it's worth thinking about what you might be missing if the photographer is only there for the ceremony.
But if the photos that you want are just the ceremony, then go for it!
(22) · Servicing Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and surrounds
Posted: 31/10/2017
Of course you can! But why would you?! You look the best you've ever looked and you're celebrating the best days of your lives! Capture it! You'll never regret it!
Yes you can, the photographer will charge you an hourly rate.
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Yes, you absolutely can, and most of us will have a minimum booking time rather than charging by the single hour, so it's worth asking how that works for ceremony-only coverage. The honest thing to know is that the saving often isn't as big as you'd expect, because a lot of our time goes into the prep before we even arrive: confirming the run sheet, scouting the light at your spot, travel, and being set up well before you walk down the aisle.
The other thing I'd gently flag is that a ceremony in Australia is usually short, sometimes only twenty to thirty minutes, and often sits in the harshest light of the day if you're marrying in the middle of a Queensland afternoon. If we have you for just that window, we're locked into whatever the light and timing give us. With even a little time afterwards, we can pull you aside for ten or fifteen minutes once the formalities are done and get those relaxed portraits of just the two of you, which are almost always the frames couples end up printing big.
If budget is the reason, that's completely fair, and ceremony-only is a real option. I'd just suggest considering a short coverage block that includes the ceremony plus family groups and a quick couple's session straight after, rather than the ceremony alone. It tells the story of the moment you actually got married and what came right after it, without committing to a full day.
Whatever you decide, ask how your photos are edited too. Everything we shoot is edited in-house by our own team here in South East Queensland, never outsourced offshore, so even a small ceremony booking gets the same care as a full day.