Spend Your Wedding with Your Guests, Not your photographer.
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026
We asked award-winning documentary photographer Stuart Hornby how much time couples should spend having their photos taken on their wedding day. His answer? Far less than you think
You didn’t spend all that money on your wedding to spend all day having your photos taken
Let me start by saying something that might sound slightly strange coming from a wedding photographer. I don’t actually want you to spend your wedding day having your photograph taken.
You’ve spent years planning your big day. You’ve found the venue, sorted the food, chosen the music, and invited all your favourite people. The last thing I want is to drag you away from all of that for three hours while I make you stand in random, awkward poses and smile at me.
Your wedding day isn’t a photoshoot. It’s your wedding. My job is to capture all the amazing bits, while you actually enjoy it.
You don’t need hours of photographs
One of the things I hear quite often is couples worrying about how much time they’ll have to spend having their photographs taken. The good news is, it doesn’t need to be hours.
I usually suggest spending no more than 20 minutes on couple portraits. We’ll wander around your venue, having fun, and capture some incredible images along the way. There’s no awkward posing, just a quick, enjoyable break to capture the two of you before getting you back to your party.
Group photographs are like herding a bunch of lovely cats
Group photographs are always going to need a little organisation. You’ve got everyone in one place and you’re trying to find Auntie Sue, Uncle Dave, the bridesmaids, the best man, and your dad, while someone has mysteriously disappeared.
And there is always one person missing. Usually Uncle Dave. And where is Uncle Dave? At the bar, of course he is.
This is where your photographer needs to be organised, firm and, most importantly, able to have a laugh. I’ll keep things moving, round people up, and get the photographs you actually want without turning it into a military operation.
The quicker we get through them, the quicker everyone can get back to the important stuff: drinking, eating, dancing, and finding Uncle Dave.
Go and enjoy your wedding
The biggest thing I want couples to do is simply enjoy their wedding. Don’t spend the whole day thinking about the photos. You should be off having a brilliant time with your friends and family—laughing, crying, hugging, drinking champagne, eating cake, and dancing badly. I’ll be there capturing it.
That’s what I love about documentary-style wedding photography. You can’t manufacture the best moments; they just happen. Your best mate says something ridiculous during the speeches. Your dad gets emotional, and then your nan starts dancing like a 70s disco queen. Those are the photographs I want.
Not a perfectly staged version of your wedding that looks like it came straight from Pinterest. Your wedding doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. It needs to look like yours.
Some of the best photographs aren’t planned
Some of my favourite photographs are the ones people didn’t even know I was taking. A quiet moment with your parents. Your mates crying with laughter over the crazy stories in the speeches. The madness on the dancefloor.
You can’t really pose for those moments, and you shouldn’t. You just need to enjoy them all, and I’ll make sure I capture them all for you.
So, what do I actually want from you?
I want you to have a bloody brilliant day and forget I’m there. Spend time with your people, get a little bit emotional, drink champagne, eat cake, and have the best possible time.
I’ll give you some direction when we need it, organise the group shots, and steal you away for 15 or 20 minutes for some photographs of the two of you. Then I’ll leave you to it, because you didn’t spend all that money on a wedding to spend it having your photograph taken. You spent it to marry your favourite person and have an amazing day with the people you love.
And that’s what I want to photograph.
And if, somewhere along the way, it feels less like you’ve hired a photographer and more like you’ve got a friend at your wedding who happens to have a camera, then I reckon I’ve done my job properly.
Email: stuarthornby@outlook.com
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