How Much Does Wedding Photography Cost?

Budgets are probably the least fun part about planning a wedding, am I right? If you are just starting to plan a wedding, you might have no clue how much wedding photography costs. So lemme try to break down how much you can expect to spend on a wedding photographer. The thing with wedding photography is that the cost can range immensely! You can find a newbie photographer on Facebook who will charge you $500 for your whole wedding day or you can hire a high-end, luxury wedding photographer whose packages start at $20,000! When it all comes down to it though, there are four big factors that play into how much wedding photography costs.

Key Factors Influencing Photography Costs

Skill + Experience

A photographer who is just starting out is going to be considerably more affordable than a photographer who has been photographing weddings for 10+ years. As the quality and consistency of a photographer increases, so does their pricing. Remember, when the wedding day is over, the one thing you are left with is your wedding photos, so invest wisely in who you trust with your memories. I truly believe you get what you pay for when it comes to wedding photography, and therefore it is an area of your wedding budget that you can’t really skimp on.

Medium (Digital vs Film)

When you are looking at photographers and their pricing, keep in mind that the medium that they shoot on the wedding day will greatly affect the cost of your package. Film photographers and hybrid photographers are generally more expensive than digital-only photographers. Every time a photographer takes a photo on a wedding day with film, it costs at least $3+ whereas a digital photographer can take unlimited photos on a memory card at no extra cost. This added expense for a film or hybrid photographers greatly affects the package price.

Location

The average price of wedding photography varies drastically from city to city. For example, if you are planning a wedding in a small town, wedding photographers will be more affordable than a photographer from a large market like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, or Miami. Many photographers will charge additional travel fees including hotels, flights, and meals if they have to travel outside of their area.

Packages + Pricing

It becomes tricky to compare photographers because everyone offers something a little different in their packages. One wedding photographer might include an engagement session complimentary whereas another might include an album. Some might offer all-day coverage and others will charge you for each additional hour of coverage. Make sure you ask for a detailed breakdown of everything they offer so you understand what is included.

Why is Wedding Photography So Expensive?

Sticker shock is a real thing. You might be asking yourself why it is so expensive. Because there is a lot more that goes into it than just showing up to photograph your wedding day. A professional wedding photographer has $15,000 – $40,000 in camera equipment with them. Furthermore, if you are hiring a professional photographer, they will have business insurance. Most wedding photographers shoot weddings with another photographer and possibly an assistant, meaning you are paying for two – three peoples’ salary.

The Time Commitment

Does it seem like a wedding photographer is making $700 per hour? It isn’t 8 – 10 hours of work. Here is a rough idea of how many hours your wedding photographer is going to spend on just ONE wedding:

• Consultation and Meetings: 2 hours
• Engagement Session (Prep, Shoot, Editing): 8 - 13 hours
• Email Correspondence and Timeline Planning: 4 - 7 hours
• Wedding Day Prep and Travel: 4 - 8 hours
• Photographing the Wedding: 8 - 10 hours
• Backing up, Culling, and Editing: 15 - 20 hours
• Uploading, Slideshow, and Album Design: 5 - 8 hours
• Blogging and Social Media: 2 - 4 hours
• TOTAL: 50 – 75 hours

Average Pricing and Budgeting Tips

According to Snapknot.com, couples in Chicago will spend an average of over $3,400 on wedding photography but with most (nearly 70%) spending between $3,500 and $7,000. A good budgeting tip is to plan to spend 10-15% of your wedding budget on wedding photography. If wedding photography is one of the most important parts of your day, you might plan to spend more to get the photographer you really love.