When Should You Book Your Wedding Photographer & Videographer? (The 2026 Honest Answer)
We get a call every February that breaks our hearts a little.
It goes something like this: "We just set our date — May 17th. Are you available?" And then we have to tell them the truth: that May is already full. That it's been full since the previous September, when a couple just like them called us before the calendar turned.
We share that not to make anyone feel behind — but because it's the most honest thing we can tell a newly engaged couple. The timeline moves faster than almost anyone expects. And the photographers and videographers you love most? They're often the ones who book earliest.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The Honest Booking Timeline
There's no single answer that works for every couple, but here's what 15 years of booking weddings has taught us:
Spring and fall Saturday weddings — the most popular dates of the year — should be on a photographer's calendar 12 to 18 months in advance. If your date falls in April, May, October, or November, that window isn't a suggestion. It's a reality of how the industry works.
Summer Saturdays in active markets tend to go just as fast. Plan for the same 12 to 18 month window, and don't assume summer is "less competitive" because the weather is warm.
Friday and Sunday weddings have a little more flexibility — 8 to 12 months is usually sufficient — but the same photographers who are booked on Saturdays are often protecting their weekends overall. Don't push it.
Elopements and intimate ceremonies can often be planned in 3 to 6 months, and sometimes less. We love elopements, and the timeline is genuinely more flexible. That said, if you have a specific date or location in mind, don't assume you have all the time in the world.
Weekday weddings — Wednesdays, Thursdays — give couples the most breathing room. A 4 to 8 month window is usually workable, and sometimes shorter.
Why the Window Is Tighter Than You Think
Here's something couples don't always realize: most engagements happen between November and February. The holiday season and Valentine's Day together account for a huge percentage of proposals each year — which means a huge percentage of couples are suddenly planning at the same time.
Everyone wants the same Saturday in October.
At the same time, the photographers and videographers couples tend to fall in love with — the ones with the cinematic style, the documentary storytelling, the real emotional connection to the work — are usually intentional about how many weddings they take each year. We are. Not because we're being precious about it, but because a wedding deserves our full attention, creativity, and energy. When a calendar is overloaded, the work suffers. So we cap our year deliberately.
That cap fills up. And when it's full, it's full.
What Happens When You Wait
We've heard the reasoning: "We're not totally sure about our budget yet." "We're still looking at venues." "We want to meet a few more people before we decide."
All of that is valid. But here's what the waiting actually looks like in practice.
Your first-choice photographer is unavailable. You move to your second choice — and they're unavailable too. By the time you find someone with your date open, you may be choosing between photographers whose work doesn't move you the way your original choice did. The portfolio looks fine. The price is right. But that instinct — that feeling when you saw their gallery and thought yes, that's it — isn't there.
That's the cost of waiting. Not just a logistical one. An emotional one.
What to Do Right Now
If you just got engaged, here's the sequence:
Step one: Set your date and secure your venue. Everything else — including your photo and video team — follows from those two anchors. Venues drive dates, and dates drive availability.
Step two: Start reaching out to photographers and videographers within days, not weeks. You don't have to be "ready." You don't need a full vendor list. You just need a date and a sense of the style you're drawn to.
Step three: Have a conversation before you feel pressured. The best photographer relationships are built over time. The more we know about you before your wedding day, the better we can serve you on it. Reaching out early isn't rushing — it's giving yourselves the gift of a real creative partnership.
Step four: Secure both photography and video at the same time if you can. When your photo and video team work together — same crew, same aesthetic, same approach to the day — everything is more cohesive and your day runs more smoothly. Separate teams mean competing angles, competing light setups, and competing priorities. One team means everyone is pulling in the same direction.
A Note on "Too Early"
There is no "too early" when it comes to booking your photographer and videographer. There is, unfortunately, "too late."
If you've found someone whose work makes you feel something — reach out. Even if your date is 18 months away. Even if you're still figuring out the details. A quick conversation costs nothing and holds your place in a way that waiting never can.
We'd love to be part of your story. And the best way to make sure that's possible is to start the conversation sooner than you think you need to.
Ready to check your date? CONTACT US— we'll let you know right away if we're available, and if we're not, we'll do our best to point you toward someone whose work you'll love just as much.
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