Finding the perfect wedding photographer can be a daunting task, but once you understand their cost, it becomes a relatively simple process.
The wedding images tell the story of your special day and budgeting for your wedding photographer is one of the important things to put considerations thought into. In this article, I will give exclusive tips on how to properly set prices as a wedding photographer.
I have given insight too of how much a professional wedding photographer should cost and where your money will be spent.
How Much does a Wedding Photographer Cost?
The average cost of hiring a wedding photographer in the USA is $400 to $3000 depending on various factors. They include the following:
- How long you will hire your wedding photographer
- The number of photographs
- The size of the wedding
- Whether an assistant will be needed
- The experience of the wedding photographer
- Location of the photographer
- Wedding photographer style
The cost of hiring a wedding photographer in the UK is around £1500. Sound like a lot? The wedding photography industry is quite competitive with tons of newbies offering affordable prices so they can build their portfolio.
Soon-to-be married couple will be interested in taking up these offers to save on their budget. Wedding photographer prices vary with different packages and should be clearly stated in
I recommend you book your wedding photographer early and don’t hesitate to put down a deposit. It is a good practice to give deposit from 10% -50% and the remainder you can give after the date you agreed.
Experienced wedding photographers offer a variety of wedding photographer styles so choose the one that will fit your budget. Soon-to-be-married couples may request traditional, aerial, fashion or artistic wedding photography styles which have different prices.
Factors that Influence Wedding Photography Pricing and Packaging
Time
How long you will hire your wedding photographer will significantly contribute to cost. A lot of time is spent shooting the following crucial moments of the ceremony;
- Bride and groom getting ready
- Bride and groom heading to church
- Exterior and interior location of the wedding
- The bride walking down the aisle
- Bride and groom exchanging vows
- Cake cutting
- The married couple greeting guests outside
- Group photos of the newlywed and their families
- The couple leaving the location of their wedding
The average shooting time in a wedding is 8 to 10 hours to capture all crucial parts of the wedding but will depend on the time agreed in the contract.
The Experience of the Wedding Photographer
Shooting for 8, 10 hours or more requires an experienced wedding photographer especially if you anticipate weather change. A wedding photographer that has technical expertise and artistic talent is more costly than a newbie.
A photographer who has years of experience will be able to anticipate and capture special moments better than a new one. A skilled photographer will conform to hard situations and are ready for anything.
There is a lot of work that takes place in post-production, adding sparkle, editing and fine-tuning. All these require a skilled wedding photographer to deliver glowing photos.
Experienced wedding photographers have high-quality equipments. To get excellent photos, shooters are sometimes forced to hire expensive cameras, lenses and even drones if needed, and this adds to their photography cost.
The cost of buying premium brands of camera plus lenses adds to their cost, and you can clearly understand why the rates of an experienced wedding photographer are higher than those of a beginner with low-quality cameras.
Number of Photographers
If your wedding is big, you might require two photographers. An extra photographer will handle additional equipments and take important moments if your photo list is long. He or she will help ensure there is proper lighting and assist with an editorial style.
Adding an assistant will increase the cost so make sure you agree with your client before bringing extra hands.
Wedding Photographer Packages
A good wedding photographer has flexible packages that clients can choose from. Wedding photography packages have pricing, number of hours, number of photos, assistant and other extra work. The more hours, photos and work a client will receive, the more costly the package.
Other factors that affect wedding photographer packages include the following:
- Digital or printed photos
- Location of the photographer
A professional shooter will recommend the best package depending on your budget, wedding photography needs and size of your wedding. Here are examples of the standard packages that your wedding photographer will give you.
True love
Price is $600.
- Professional equipment is used
- This package has full coverage of the entire wedding starting before the ceremony when the bride and groom are preparing, bridal party heading to church.
- Every package is fully edited
- Have high-quality images of the ceremony and shooting from ceremony location to the reception.
Head Over Heels
Price is $1200
- Professional audio equipment will be used
- Multi-camera filming in 1080 HD quality
- Shooting starts before the ceremony when the bride and groom are getting ready, bridal and groom party heading to the church, coverage of the church and reception.
- Every package is fully edited
Forever and Ever
Price is $1500
- This package costs $1,500 and will have everything covered.
- Professional audio equipment will be used
- Shooting starts before the ceremony, transport of the bride and groom to their wedding venue, full coverage of the ceremony and reception. Aerial photos are included in this package.
- It will be multi camera filming in 1080/4k HD quality
- High-quality photos will be available
- Every package is fully edited
Some packages of other wedding photographers can be as high as $3000 and include up to 10 hours of coverage. Some prefer to charge hourly instead of offering packages. They can opt to charge $250 per hour, and this includes shooting everything.
High-quality wedding photos can be available either in digital form, ready for download, or printed form. Any additional photographer or time will cost you more.