Why Is Wedding Photography Expensive
The industry is pretty saturated right now and this can work both ways. So, how much should a wedding photographer cost? Id definitely recommend finding a photographer whose style you can connect with. They may be out of your price range. But their price range is set for a reason. More often than not they are happy to work something out if they know that wedding photography and their style is important to you.
Maybe theyll be able to cover a shorter package to meet your budget. Some, like me, even offer hourly rates. I recommend searching for a photographer in your area with your preferred style, rather than bringing out of area wedding photographers to your venue. Documentary wedding photographers in Wales or reportage wedding photographers, for instance, will give you images that show how things felt on your wedding day. While images from a Fine Art wedding photographer should have an artistic and bright & airy feel to them. As for micro wedding and elopement photographers make sure you find a local wedding photographer who is super familiar with the area and can take you to THE BEST off-the-beaten-paths locations for those all important dramatic backdrop shots.
So What Makes A Photographer A Professional Wedding Photographer
Good question! The industry is not regulated and we dont need to study for exams to become a professional wedding photographer. So pretty much anyone can buy themselves entry-level equipment, watch a few tutorials on YouTube, photograph a friends wedding, set up a website, and claim to be a professional wedding photographer.
How Much Should I Spend On Wedding Photography
Im assuming if you are on this page you are most likely engaged! So let me start by saying CONGRATULATIONS! This is such an exciting time for you. Whether youre in the beginning stages or you have already booked most of your vendors, budget is always an important factor! I hope this article equips you with the knowledge to make the best decision for your big day!
If you have shopped around at all for wedding photography pricing, you may have seen that it can range anywhere from $0 if you use a family friend, to $10,000 or more if you hire a luxury wedding photographer. The range is pretty large! It can be hard to decide what YOU should pay for wedding photography. Below we will go over a few factors you should consider during your search for the perfect photographer. So lets get straight to it!
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The Average Cost For Wedding Photography
Has the how much should I spend on my wedding photography? question arisen? If so, this article is for you!
With so many options at all different price ranges, it can be tough to get a good idea on the average cost of a wedding photographer. On top of that, blogs will tell you to spend either a specific amount, or even a certain percentage.
We, on the other hand, have advice that is a little more open-ended and based on making sure you get the quality youll be happy with.
Once you read this post about how much do wedding photographers cost, youll be equipped with the following knowledge:
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Average wedding photographer cost in 2021
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The 10% myth
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What are the factors that influence cost, and which ones are most important ?
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Is the wedding photography market overpriced?
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A more in-depth look at wedding photography prices in the Kentuckiana area
Also, if you havent already, check out our Average Cost of a Wedding Photographer calculator to get a ballpark price on how much you can expect to spend based on whats most important to you!
Please read on as this post will help you have a full understanding of wedding photographer cost!
How To Save On A Wedding Photographer
If you dont know how much do wedding photographers charge and are wondering whether you will be able to pay them, try using these simple tips to avoid shelling out your money:
- Dont hold a wedding during the high season. Its a smart idea to hold a wedding in off season which lasts from November till March since it wont cost you an arm and a leg. The same is true for photo services. Whats more, you will save money on cakes, flowers and hotels.
- Book in advance. Professional photographers are in high demand, which is why they offer generous discounts to those who book early. You need to contact a photographer right after deciding on a wedding date.
Even if a photographer doesnt offer discounts, it might be worth paying them in advance since prices might skyrocket during the year.
- Hire a photographer for fewer hours. By booking a photographer for several hours, you will significantly decrease the overall cost. A photographer wont take many photos, but it will be easier to edit them. Besides, you will pay less for fewer hours. For instance, if you dont need to have any photos of pre-wedding preparations, you can invite a photographer directly to your wedding.
- Find a local professional. You will need to pay extra for travel expenses if a photographer you are going to hire doesnt live in your city. In most cases, you are expected to cover the cost of plane tickets, meals, accommodations, etc.
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How Much Does A Wedding Photographer Cost
Wedding photographer prices can vary depending on many factors including your weddings location , the type of services and packages youre looking for, and your chosen photographers experience and level of expertise. In general, wedding photographer prices in the U.S. tend to range between $1,150 and $3,000, with the average wedding photographer cost hovering around $2,000.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Videographer For A Wedding
Wedding photographers and videographers often work in tandem throughout your wedding day to fully capture all of the amazing moments. On average, a wedding videographer in the U.S. costs about $1,799 with most couples spending between $1,000 to $2,500, though, as with photographers, there are many factors that contribute to a wedding videographers cost.
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Other Factors That Contribute To Wedding Photography Cost:
Similar to other goods and services, exclusivity plays an important role in how much a given wedding photographer will charge. Some photographers limit the number of weddings they shoot per year to give themselves the time and mental bandwidth to do each wedding justice and give each couple the customized experience they deserve. These photographers calendars tend to fill up fast, and for good reason.
Also, some photographers run a more professional business than others. They have liability and equipment insurance policies, backup camera gear in case of emergency and backup photographers on-call in case of accidents or illness. As I mentioned earlier, you only get once chance to capture your wedding day, so if you hire a hobbyist and they dont show up or their camera breaks, youre out of luck.
One other factor that contributes to wedding photography cost is the time of year and/or the day of the week. Some photographers will offer slightly reduced rates for weekday weddings or off-season weddings, since most couples like to get married on weekends in the summer.
Keep in mind, exactly when the off-season happens will also depend on location. For Colorado weddings, the off-season is November through March. So if you have your wedding on a Tuesday in January, you could potentially save money on not only your photography, but on your wedding venue and other wedding vendors as well.
What Is The Average Cost Of A Wedding In Canada
Congratulations, youre getting married! But now youve got to plan the damn thing. The first thing you need to figure out is your budget and what youve got to work with. From the big costs to the smaller items, everything adds up but with the right financial planning, youll be able to make your big day perfect.
A poll conducted for Global News found that Canadians believe a realistic price tag for a wedding should be just under $9,000. But Jodi Gagné, wedding planner and founder of Simply Perfect, believes thats a serious low-ball. A more realistic number? $40,000 to $50,000. Thats based on 100 guests at $200 a person. A bit of a blow to the bank account? Maybe. But realistic nonetheless.
Read on for a breakdown of the average cost in Canada for what you can expect. Keep in mind, Gagné works out of Toronto, and while you may find similar costs in other popular metropolitan areas like Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary, the costs will differ slightly from province to province.
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How Much Do Wedding Photographers Cost
So, youre planning your wedding. Youve set your date and youve booked your venue. Now its time to start thinking about hiring a photographer to capture your day. The first question on your mind is probably How much do wedding photographers cost?
Its a great question, but its one that takes a little time to answer. Wedding photography prices vary widely based on factors such as location, the experience of the photographer, the quality of the service provide and product they offer, and many others.
Read on for a few quick guidelines that will give you a better idea of how much you should expect to budget for a wedding photographer.
Factors That Can Impact A Wedding Photographers Price
In what city do you live? The cost of living is higher in some areas and photographers there will cost more.
How much travel will be involved to get to your wedding? Remote locations may mean youre booking a wedding photographer from a bigger city and paying them to travel to your wedding.
How much experience does your photographer have? A photographer with 10-20 years of experience will charge more than someone just starting out.
What equipment does your photographer use? High-end equipment and lenses can result in clearer, better images in skilled hands.
Does your photographer shoot film? If the dreamy, classic look of film makes your heart happy, be prepared to pay a higher rate. The added expenses of purchasing film stock, shipping, developing, and scanning the film mean that the film and hybrid photographer will cost more to cover these added expenses.
Is your photographer in demand? Because there are only so many weekends available in a year, these dates would fill up right away with a high-demand photographer. So really popular wedding photographers will charge more.
Has your photographer been published on wedding blogs or magazines? This notoriety usually helps make them more in demand, and they may charge more.
How much education has your photographer had? Photographers who have invested a lot of time and money into perfecting their skill will charge more than those who are still figuring things out.
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How Much Does Post Processing Wedding Photos Cost On Average
On average, a photographer spends anywhere between 40 and 60 hours to edit a wedding. If you multiply that by $25 per hour, you will see that the direct cost with post processing is between $1000 and $1500. This is on top of the equipment depreciation, licenses, software, web hosting costs, gas, parking, second shooter and albums. Factor in the taxes and you will realize the profit margin is razor thin for those professionals.
What Influences The Price
If you are wondering what affects the price of wedding photographer services, lets see the main factors to consider.
Location. If you dont know how to choose a wedding photographer, pay attention to where a person you are going to hire is based as it will significantly affect the overall price. For instance, LA-based photographers usually charge from $4,000 to $6,000.
If you live in Louisville, the price will range from $3500 to $5500. Prices in your local area might be significantly different from those that other people pay.
Experience. Its hardly surprising that pro-level photographers charge more for their services as they have more experience and can take perfect photoshoots to capture the best moments of your wedding. They have impressive portfolios and have taken pictures of hundreds of weddings, which is why they know how to re-schedule photo sessions, keep tensions low and solve any timeline issues.
If you hire a local photographer, they might have already taken photos at the venue that you have booked, which will help them to organize everything more quickly. Experienced photographers have advanced skills, which helps them fix any issues with lighting, avoid possible misunderstandings and deliver the best possible results under any circumstances.
Equipment. A professional photographer uses expensive equipment. For instance, a pro-level digital camera might cost about $3,000. Lenses arent cheap as well since each of them will cost about $2,000.
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Average Wedding Photography Costs In The Louisville And Lexington Kentucky Area
For the Louisville and Lexington areas in Kentucky, it seems most photographers in this area get grouped in the following starting price ranges:$0-500 $500-1200 $1000-2000 $2000-3000 $4000+
$5000-$6000 and beyond starting prices
Again, these are general starting price ranges. You can spend $10k with many of the photographers that begin at the $4k range. And please remember, these categories of pricing are not fixed sometimes you can truly get a good deal at a lower price range. However, in those instances you are paying to forfeit the piece of mind and assume the risk.
Grow Your Photography Business
There are dozens of freelance photography jobs posted every day near you. Create a profile on Fash to help people discover you so that you can expand your business.
The critical difference in becoming a successful freelance photographer is to set yourself apart from other photographers. Be sure to create an award-winning profile once you sign up.
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What Do Wedding Photographers Usually Charge For A Wedding
As always, different requirements for your big day will determine how much your wedding photography will cost. For example, if nothing is kicking off until 2pm and you have an early finishing time, then that will reduce the cost of the physical time-on-site hours of the photographer in comparison to a wedding that begins at 8am and finishes at, well, 8am the next day!
We spoke directly to one of our One Fine Day photographers to get some physical numbers around what they typically charge for a wedding. Over to you Mr.Wigley Photography!
Our most popular package is our Full Day Package which is $4,499. It includes 8 hours of photography, an online gallery for sharing photos to socials, family and friends, and a personalised package containing a USB with all their photos.
However, there are more options and prices can vary greatly due to the day of the week youre having your wedding and the size of your ceremony and reception. Mr.Wigley Photography kindly gives us the dollars for those too:
Our other packages range in price from $1,499 to over $6,000 .
There can also be combination packages too if the photographer you are thinking of booking also offers videography which is something that Mr.Wigley Photography is looking to bring out themselves in the coming year!
