Kona Wedding Photographers and Choosing the Right one for you!

Choosing a photographer to capture your dream Hawaii destination wedding is one of the most important and lasting decisions you’ll make. It also will be a substantial investment as the average cost of a professional top-rated photographer is $950 an hour. So how do you choose the right one and how much time do you need? In this post, we give you a sample time saving timeline to show you how you can maximize your coverage in Hawaii.

Big Island Wedding Planner Advice on Hiring a Photographer

When choosing a photographer it is important that you connect with their personality as you’ll be spending a lot of time with them on the day of your wedding. We also suggest being clear about what photos are your must-haves and see if their portfolio aligns with your style. Most photographers will have their own special “shot-list” questionnaire to assist with making sure all your key family and. group photos are done. We also suggest creating a photography inspiration board on your Pinterest account to show them exactly the style of photos you like for the two of you. Some are more posed while others are a more candid, documentary style. You’ll likely get a mix of both but it is helpful for them to know if you have any specific images you want to be sure not to miss.

Browsing their websites is a great way to learn about their offerings but be sure to also visit their social media accounts where you can see some of their latest work and get a general overview of their style as well.

How many hours of photography do I need for my Kona Wedding?

In regards to how many hours you need, it really depends on your timeline for the day. Ideally you would have a little bit of the getting ready process, perhaps a first look, then some pairings with the wedding party prior the ceremony. Then, you will want full ceremony coverage and likely through the cocktail hour for more photos with other special guests and the two of you for a sunset portrait shoot. From there it is really up to you what moments during the reception you would like to have captured with photo or video. Some key events would be the grand entrance, first dance, toasts, parent dances and cake cutting. In our opinion, once those moments are complete and the dance floor has opened up, the coverage is not as critical. However, you may want them to stay the entire evening if you have a special exit planned like a sparkler send off. Often photographers have a discounted full day rate which can be a good choice in that scenario.

Sample Hawaii Wedding Timeline by a Big Island Wedding Coordinator

If you want to limit the amount of coverage, we would suggest a condensed timeline similar to this but please consider our Wedding Planning Service so we can design the right fit for you specifically!

3:30pm Photographer Arrives for Final Touches of Getting Ready

4:00pm First Look (*Ideally, your main photographer will also have an assistant who can be capturing reception details at this time before the guests arrive in the space)

4:45pm Final Touch ups before the ceremony

5pm Ceremony (*The start time of the ceremony should be at least 1-1.5 hours prior to sunset which varies throughout the year so be sure to check the sunset time so you can have portraits during the precious golden hour!)

5:30-6:30pm Cocktail Hour and Additional Portrait Photography

6:30pm Sunset, Seat Guests, followed by the Grand Entrance which goes straight into the First Dance and Welcome Toast

7:30pm Formal Toasts by the Maid of Honor, Best Man and Parents

8:30pm Cake Cutting followed by Parent Dances and then opening up of the dance floor.

At this time you could have photography coverage end so you could have 5 hours of coverage rather than a full day but again be sure to check your photographers day rate in case there is a discount that makes it worthwhile to have them the entire evening.

The below photo is by one of our favorites: Rebecca Arthurs!