Behind the Lens: answering the questions I get asked most often

There is a question that comes up almost every time in the first conversations with the couples who write to me, right after the date and the venue: "How many hours of photographer do we need?"

They usually ask it a little shyly, as if they were asking for a favour. In fact it is the smartest question you could ask me, because behind a number lies the way your day will be told. I always answer the same way: let's start from your day, not from the package.

Time Is Part of the Story

I have been a photographer for thirteen years and I grew up in reportage, where nothing is staged: you wait, you observe, you breathe together with the scene. But waiting takes time. The most beautiful photographs of a wedding almost never arrive in the announced moments. They arrive at the edges: a hand adjusting a veil, a father silently looking at his daughter, an unplanned hug between two friends.

Hours of coverage, then, are not "hours of shots". They are hours of presence. The wider the window, the richer the story, and the less you will have to think about me.

Building the Day, Moment by Moment

There is no timeline that fits everyone, but there is a logic. Here is how I live it in the field.

Getting ready: an hour and a half, better two. It is the beginning of the story and the most intimate moment: shoes on the windowsill, the bouquet, the bride's hands held by her mother's. Hair and make-up almost always run past the planned time, and if you get ready in two different places the time doubles. Don't take it away from this part: it cannot be rebuilt later.

The ceremony: from half an hour to an hour. A civil ceremony in a villa is short. A religious ceremony, or a symbolic ritual with readings in several languages, takes much longer. There is nothing to plan here, only to be there.

Couple portraits: twenty to thirty minutes. I don't want them to become a session detached from the wedding. I prefer a walk, a pause that you truly live, in the late afternoon when the light turns golden. In June the sun sets after nine in the evening, in autumn much earlier: the season changes the whole timeline.

Cocktail hour, dinner and party. Between toasts, speeches and the cake cutting, more time passes than you would think. And the moment when the party comes alive, with the first dance, parents and friends taking the dance floor, almost always arrives in the last hours.

Six, Eight or Ten Hours?

Six hours work for intimate weddings, under fifty guests, with everything in the same place. They cover ceremony, portraits, cocktail hour and part of dinner, with a short stretch of getting ready.

Eight to nine hours is the measure I recommend most often. It lets you start from the preparations without rushing, live the ceremony, take portraits in the right light and reach the speeches and first dance.

Ten hours or more are needed if you want the entire day, from the morning to the cake cutting, or if ceremony and reception are in different places and the transfers weigh heavily on time and logistics.

A practical tip: look at the day backwards. Set the time when you would like the last photograph to have been taken and work back from there. Often the number emerges on its own.

Three Mistakes I Often See

Underestimating the preparations. Half an hour is set aside, then the make-up runs late and the most intimate part of the story gets shorter.

Stealing portraits from the cocktail hour without a plan. Guests look for you, you rush, and nobody enjoys the moment.

Cutting hours at the end. The first dance and the party are where emotions let go. Stopping an hour earlier means missing them.

The Questions You Ask Me Most Often

First look or not?

If seeing each other for the first time at the altar moves you, don't give it up: I never ask anyone to change who they are. A first look frees up time for portraits before the ceremony and lets you be with your guests at the cocktail hour. It is a choice of the heart before it is a matter of timeline.

Is a second photographer better?

It depends. With many guests, two locations or simultaneous preparations, a second photographer lets us be in two places at the same time. And above all it is a living "back-up" should the unthinkable happen; as professionals we have to be ready for this kind of event too.

What happens if the day runs over?

It happens, and it is not a problem. Let's talk about it beforehand: how extra hours are handled is clearly written in the contract, so nobody has to think about it while celebrating.

Do we need to meet before the wedding?

For international couples I always recommend it, even by video call or with an engagement session. You get to know each other, break the ice, and on the wedding day there is a friend in front of you.

What if we celebrate for several days?

More and more couples live a whole weekend: welcome dinner, ceremony, pool party the next day. I can cover a single day or several moments, even just two or three hours for the ones you wouldn't want to miss.

Does the photographer need to eat?

Yes, and it is written in the contract too: having a quiet "base" where I can recharge, both my equipment and myself, makes the difference between a photographer who is present and one who is exhausted.