Using the time gap between your ceremony and reception
If your ceremony and reception are hours apart, this video explains how we bill the gap and how couples turn it into a second portrait location or a reset before the party.
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What we do with a two to three hour gap
Indian weddings, Vietnamese weddings, Chinese weddings and some church weddings often have the ceremony and reception scheduled hours apart, and it is common to find 2 to 3 hours of gap between them. The pause is not a problem, but it needs a plan for your budget and your photos.
Our studio handles it simply: we charge you an off-hour rate for the gap, so you are not paying the full rate while we are not shooting. Alternatively, put the time to work at another location for photographs or video; we can help you find spots close by, between your ceremony and reception, so we do not spend the gap traveling.
Two more things. We generally carry most of the permits needed around parks and public locations, but it is your responsibility to make sure they are good for your wedding day. If you plan to get ready again and freshen up, we want to capture that, so leave sufficient time for the cocktail hour and the portion before the reception gets started.
Picking a second location that does not eat the gap
A 2 to 3 hour window sounds generous until you subtract travel. Moving a wedding party across town and back can quietly use up an hour, which is why we favor spots between the two venues. A park ten minutes away usually beats a famous location forty minutes away.
Permits are the other detail. Many parks and public locations require a photography permit, and we hold most of the ones we regularly use. Permits are tied to dates, though, so raise the location with us early and confirm yours is covered; if not, we can suggest a spot that needs none.
Getting ready again before the reception
Many couples with a long gap change into a second outfit or simply reset with fresh makeup and different shoes. We treat this as real coverage rather than dead time; a second getting ready is often calmer than the morning one, because the ceremony is behind you.
The end of the gap needs protecting too. Cocktail hour and the minutes before the doors open are when the room is dressed and empty and guests are arriving. Budget the drive back so we return before cocktail hour begins, not partway through it.
What our team does about this on the day
Billing only the hours we shoot
When your timeline shows a 2 to 3 hour gap, we apply our off-hour rate to those hours instead of the full rate, so you are not paying full coverage for time when nobody is shooting.
Leading you to a nearby spot
We take you to a photo or video location between the two venues, chosen ahead of time so travel stays short, and bring the permits we carry for parks and public locations, having asked you to confirm they cover your date.
Covering the second getting ready
If you are changing or freshening up, a photographer stays with you for it, just like the morning. We then move on to cocktail hour and the reception space before it gets started, which is why we ask for sufficient time for both.
Couples usually ask
Do we pay the full rate for the hours between ceremony and reception?
No. When there is a 2 to 3 hour gap and we are not shooting, our studio charges an off-hour rate for that stretch rather than the full rate. Ask us to spell out how it applies to your timeline before you book.
What is the best way to use a long gap between the ceremony and reception?
Go somewhere close and shoot. A location between your two venues gives us a second setting for portraits or video without losing the gap to traffic. If you would rather rest, fine, but tell us if you are changing for the reception.
Do we need a permit for gap photos in a park?
Often, yes. Many parks and public locations require a photography permit, and we generally carry most of the ones we use. It is still your responsibility to make sure the permits are good for your wedding day, so raise the location with us early.
Which weddings usually have a gap between ceremony and reception?
In our experience it is most common at Indian, Vietnamese and Chinese weddings, where the ceremony and evening celebration are often separate events, and at church weddings with a fixed ceremony slot. If yours is one of these, plan for the gap from the start.
Related guides from the series
Twenty-eight short videos answering the questions couples ask us before the day.
See all 28 wedding planning guides, or read the studio FAQ.
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