The default that works for most weddings

27 frames per guest covers a full reception, ceremony through last dance, without anyone running out mid-party or rationing shots so hard they stop taking them at all. It's the number most hosts land on, and it's a reasonable place to start.

When to go higher

A longer day, ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing all in one continuous stretch, can justify 36. More frames per guest also make sense for a smaller, closer guest list where everyone's likely to actually use them.

When to go lower

A shorter, single-location event, a rehearsal dinner or a smaller party, doesn't need the same allowance. Fewer frames per guest keeps the scarcity feeling intentional instead of arbitrary.

Why the limit matters at all

A truly unlimited camera stops feeling like a disposable one. Part of what makes the format work, digitally or physically, is that every shot costs something: guests think for half a second before they take it, and that's usually the difference between a candid moment and a hundred nearly-identical photos.