Planning/What couples asked us in 2026
From a year of phone callsThe questions couples kept asking, all year long
Most of our weddings start with a phone call. We went back through a year of them and wrote down what couples really wanted to know, and what we tell everyone.
- Asked mostWho will photograph us?
- Worried aboutMissing cocktail hour
- Biggest trendFilm, everywhere
- Our usual adviceFewer hours, better timed
Couples rarely ask about cameras. They ask who will be there, how long it takes and whether they will get to enjoy their own party.
Between October 2025 and October 2026 we spoke with couples planning weddings from Malibu to Las Vegas, for ceremonies in temples, courthouses, ballrooms and on boats. The same questions came up again and again.
Here are the six we heard most, with the answers we give on every call, followed by what changed this year and a few moments that made us laugh. Nothing on this page identifies a couple.
“Who is actually going to photograph us?”
This was the question we heard most, on calls and in texts. Couples have heard stories about companies that send whoever is free that day, and they want to know whose work they are paying for.
We are a studio, not an agency. The photographers and filmmakers on our team page are the people who arrive on the day, and you can see their work before you book. With our Signature collection, Lulan or Alli photographs your wedding personally.
Before the day, you talk with your lead photographer on a vision call. The whole process is on what happens after you book.
“How many hours do we really need?”
Usually fewer than the checklist says. Most of the day’s moments happen before the ceremony and in the first two hours of the reception.
| Part of the day | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Before the ceremony | 2 to 3 hours | Details, getting dressed, first looks, family and wedding party photos |
| Ceremony and cocktail hour | About 1.5 hours | Vows, family groups, a few minutes of couple portraits |
| Reception | 2.5 to 3.5 hours | Entrance, first dance, toasts and cake, then about half an hour of open dancing |
After half an hour of open dancing the photos start to repeat, so we often talk couples down an hour rather than up. A small wedding without a wedding party can need far less. Our guide to 8, 10 and 12-hour days shows the maths.
“We don’t want to miss our own cocktail hour.”
Almost every couple said a version of this, often because a friend spent theirs posing in a parking lot. The fix is to take most of the photos before the ceremony.
About half of our couples now do a first look. The rest photograph each side’s family and wedding party separately before the ceremony, then do the combined family groups in about ten minutes after the vows. Either way, you walk into cocktail hour with a drink in your hand.
More in the day without a first look and making the most of cocktail hour.
“Do we need two photographers?”
It depends on where your day happens and how many people stand up with you, not on your guest count.
Two getting-ready rooms
When you get ready in different places, one photographer cannot be in both.
A church, then a reception
Two locations with guests arriving at each are easier with two people.
A big wedding party
Above about six people a side, groups take longer, and a second photographer keeps things moving.
One venue, any size
A wedding in one place runs in a line. A bigger crowd changes the faces, not the list of moments.
See do you need a second photographer for real examples.
“Will it be too dark?”
Couples worried about candlelit churches, art-deco ballrooms and winter sunsets. Three things we said all year:
- Don’t time the ceremony to sunset. A fifteen-minute delay puts your vows in the dark. Hold it 30 to 60 minutes earlier, and step out for ten minutes of golden light during dinner.
- Plan beach portraits for the cooler months. Around Santa Monica Bay the winter sun sets over open water; in summer it drops behind the Malibu hills.
- Dark rooms are workable. If you can see each other, there is enough light for us. We add soft light to faces rather than flooding the room, so it still feels like the place you chose.
More in our sunset photo guide.
“Do we even need video?”
Couples with a wedding film rarely watch the long version. Couples without one tell us they wish they could hear the vows and the speeches again. That is the heart of a wedding film, so if you trim video hours, keep the ceremony through the toasts.
There are lighter options too: a highlight film, the full ceremony on its own, or a phone-shot recap from a content creator. See how much video coverage you need.
What we heard more of this year
Film, everywhere
35mm, Super 8 and medium format came up on more calls than ever, often alongside digital.
Smaller casts
Many couples skipped the wedding party entirely, or kept one person each.
Guest interviews
Short messages from friends, filmed and woven into the wedding film instead of a guest book.
Coming home
Several couples moved destination plans from Mexico back to Southern California.
New style words
“Old money,” “1980s flash,” “stills from a movie” and, once, “dark academia.”
And a few things that made us smile
- Callers told our AI receptionist “Agent!” more times than we can count.
- One groom had an AI assistant find us, compare studios in a spreadsheet and write his inquiry.
- Several brides sent us timelines they had planned with ChatGPT. Good ones, too.
- A groom did all the vendor research while his fiancée finished school, then presented the shortlist to her like a pitch at work.
- And more than one couple admitted, “We don’t know what to ask.” That’s fine. Start here.
The best question anyone asked us this year was the simplest: “What should we be asking?” Ask who will be there, how long you will be away from your guests, and when you will see the photos. Everything else is detail.
Lulan Studio · wedding photographers & filmmakers
The short answers
How many hours of wedding photography do most couples need?
Most full weddings need six to eight hours: two to three before the ceremony, about an hour and a half for the ceremony and cocktail hour, and two and a half to three and a half for the reception. Small weddings without a wedding party often need less.
Should we do a first look?
About half of our couples do. A first look lets you finish most photos before the ceremony and join cocktail hour. If you would rather see each other at the aisle, we photograph each side’s family and wedding party separately beforehand.
Do we need a second photographer?
Only if your day happens in two places at once, such as separate getting-ready rooms or a church and a reception elsewhere, or if your wedding party is large. Guest count matters less than people expect.
When will we receive our photos and film?
Photos arrive in four to eight weeks and films in eight to twelve weeks. Every delivered photo is edited, there is no cap on the number, and your online gallery never expires.
Have a question we haven’t answered?
Ask us on a call. We will walk through your day, your venue and your light, and send you a proposal afterwards.