Book your wedding photographer and videographer as soon as your venue and date are confirmed if you are marrying on a Saturday between May and September. Those dates go first. For weekday and winter weddings you usually have more time, and even a few weeks’ notice is often enough for a simple film.
This guide covers how far ahead to book for each kind of date, where booking fits in a typical engagement, what to think about for multi-day Asian weddings, and what to do if you have left it late. It is part of our wider guide on how to choose a wedding photographer and videographer.
The short answer: For a summer Saturday, book 18 to 24 months ahead, straight after your venue, which is what Bridebook’s 2026 guidance suggests. For weekday or winter dates, 6 to 9 months is usually enough. For a multi-day Asian wedding, book as soon as every event’s date is fixed. If your wedding is close, ask anyway.
How far in advance should you book a wedding photographer?
It depends mostly on your date. A studio can only be in one place on any given Saturday, so the busiest dates are booked first.
| Your date | When to book | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, May to September | 18–24 months ahead, right after your venue | Bridebook’s 2026 guidance for popular summer Saturdays |
| Friday or Sunday in summer | 12–18 months ahead | In our experience, these are the next to go |
| Monday to Thursday | 6–9 months ahead, often less | Bridebook’s guidance for off-peak dates |
| Winter (November to March) | 6–9 months ahead, often less | Fewer weddings, more free dates |
| Multi-day Asian wedding | As soon as every event’s date is fixed | The same team needs to be free on several days in a row |
| A few weeks or days away | Ask straight away | Midweek dates and simple films are often still free |
Bridebook’s video guide suggests about 18 months for summer Saturdays, so the timings for a filmmaker are much the same as for a photographer. If you want both, look for them at the same time.
Why do summer Saturdays book up first?
Because that is when most people marry. According to the Bridebook UK Wedding Report 2026, 47% of 2025 weddings were on a Saturday, and the most popular months were August (17%), May (13%) and September (12%).
There are only 21 or 22 Saturdays between May and September, and every couple marrying on one of them wants an experienced photographer and filmmaker. Weekday weddings are growing, though: the same report found 27% of 2025 weddings were held from Monday to Thursday, the highest share it has recorded outside the Covid years. If your venue offers weekday dates, you will have more choice of suppliers as well as lower prices.
Where does booking fit in your engagement?
The Bridebook UK Wedding Report 2026 puts the average engagement at 23.8 months, and 68% of couples are engaged for less than two years. So for most couples, booking 18 months ahead means booking within the first few months of being engaged.
The order that works best is simple: venue first, then the photographer and filmmaker. A studio can only hold a specific date, so it helps to have yours confirmed. Venue decisions tend to be quick once you start looking: Bridebook found 79% of couples book their venue within four weeks of first contacting it.
| Months before the wedding | What to do |
|---|---|
| 24–18 | Set your budget and guest numbers; book your venue and date |
| 18–15 | Book your photographer and filmmaker (summer Saturdays) |
| 12–9 | Book your photographer and filmmaker (weekday and winter dates) |
| 12 or fewer | Give notice of marriage at your register office, if needed |
| 2–1 | Final planning call: timeline, family list, venue rules |
Notice of marriage can only be given in the 12 months before your wedding, and at least 29 days before it, according to GOV.UK, so your suppliers will usually be booked long before the legal paperwork. Check the details with your local register office. Our UK wedding planning checklist puts all of this in month-by-month order.
When should you book for an Asian wedding?
A multi-day Asian wedding needs the same team free on several dates, often across a long weekend, so it pays to book early. Two things are different from a single-day wedding.
Dates are often fixed by the family. Many Hindu families ask their priest for an auspicious date, Sikh couples need their gurdwara free on the morning they choose, and the hall must be free too. Muslim families often plan around Ramadan and Eid, which fall earlier each year in the calendar. Once your date is settled, book the photographer and filmmaker alongside the hall and caterer rather than after them.
Every event needs to be held, not just the wedding day. When you enquire, list each event: the mehndi, haldi or maiyan, sangeet, the ceremony, the reception and any civil ceremony, with dates and rough times. That way the same team can be held for all of them. Our guide to the multi-day Asian wedding timeline helps you map out each day, and how photo and film are priced for an Asian wedding explains how the events add up.
Asian weddings happen all year round, and winter celebrations, with every event indoors, can be easier to book than summer ones. Jewish weddings follow their own calendar too: there are no weddings on Shabbat or festivals, and Orthodox communities avoid most of the Omer and the Three Weeks, so check dates with your rabbi before you enquire.
Should you book your photographer and videographer at the same time?
If you want both, yes. Bridebook says over 90% of couples hire a photographer but only about one in three hire a videographer, and many couples only decide they want a film once the date is close. Booking both together means one team, one plan and, with us, a lower price than booking separately. Our guide to booking your photographer and filmmaker as one team explains what changes on the day.
If you haven’t decided about film yet, book your photographer first and keep the conversation open.
Is it too late to book? Short-notice options
Not necessarily. Weddings from Monday to Thursday and in winter are often available at shorter notice, and our simple wedding film was made for couples who decide on film late: one filmmaker for up to four hours, your ceremony and speeches in full and a short highlight film. If we are free, we will confirm straight away, even when the wedding is only days away.
To help us say yes quickly, send:
- your date, and your ceremony and reception venues
- your ceremony start time
- roughly when the speeches will be
- whether you want photography, film or both
You can check your date online or call us on 07958 351 282.
From behind the camera
The enquiries that make me happiest are the ones that arrive with a date but no rush. When a couple books early, we have months to get to know each other: a coffee, a proper planning call, time to visit or ask about the venue, and time to learn how their families want the day to run. A late booking can have all of that too, just in a shorter space of time. So if you are reading this with only weeks to go, please still ask: a short-notice wedding simply means one focused planning call instead of several.
Questions couples ask about when to book
How far in advance should you book a wedding photographer in the UK?
For a Saturday between May and September, book as soon as your venue and date are confirmed: Bridebook’s 2026 guidance is 18 to 24 months ahead for popular summer Saturdays. For weekday and winter dates, Bridebook suggests 6 to 9 months is usually enough, and many studios, ours included, can often help at shorter notice. Booking your venue first means you know the date you are asking about.
Should we book the venue before the photographer?
Yes. A photographer or filmmaker can only hold one specific date, so you need your venue and date confirmed first. Once they are, book the photographer and filmmaker next, especially for a summer Saturday. If you are choosing between two venues with different dates, you can still talk to us: we will tell you which dates we have free.
Is it too late to book a wedding videographer?
Often it isn’t. Many couples only decide they want a film once the date is close. Our simple wedding film, with one filmmaker for up to four hours, your ceremony, your speeches and a short highlight film, is often available at short notice, sometimes only days before. Midweek dates are the easiest to fit in, so ask as soon as you decide.
How do we hold our date with a photographer?
With most studios, a booking fee and a signed contract hold your date, and the balance is paid closer to the wedding. With us, you receive a written proposal and contract after we talk, a booking fee secures your date, and the balance is due a few weeks before the wedding. If another couple asks about your date while you decide, we will let you know, but we never pressure you.
Keep reading
- 30 questions to ask your photographer and videographer: what to ask on the call before you pay a booking fee.
- How to spend less on photo and film: why weekday and winter dates are cheaper as well as easier to book.
- Winter weddings in the UK: light, timings and the case for a quieter month.
Check your date
If you have a venue and a date, the next step takes a minute. Check your date with us and we will reply within one working day with whether we are free and what your day would look like.
