How Much Should You Charge For Wedding Photography

Money = Real Compensation

The defining feature of a professional wedding photographer is they will charge money for their services.

As we started to charge to shoot weddings and other sessions, we began to approach things as a business instead of someone just dabbling in what is virtually a new hobby. The money we made we invested again and again into new camera gear, professional services to make our workflows better and give our clients better experiences, and over time allow us to do things with money on a personal level like travel more.

We think its entirely reasonable if a person is just starting in in this industry to get their feet wet with little or no financial incentive, but that is not a sustainable way of living. Our efforts have value even if they are ultimately artistic pursuits.

If youre a newbie wedding photographer, consider charging even $50 for your first wedding. If you dont have the photography portfolio established, at least make people value your time and efforts.

If youre a potential client looking for a wedding photographer on the cheap, be willing to spend at least a little bit of money on someone who will be present and documenting one of the most important days of your life. If the photographer is against charging you, considering dropping them a tip at the end of the night as a way of saying thanks for their time.

Create Your Wedding Portfolio Website And Brand

You need to work on creating value for yourself as a wedding photographer. Your brand logo, business name, wedding portfolio website, blog, business card, and even the way you present yourself – all of these make an impression and influence people. Establishing a premium and exclusive positioning will not just attract more clients, it would also help you sell your services on higher wedding photography prices.

Make sure that your wedding portfolio website looks stunning and works brilliantly. A positive first impression while seeing your wedding portfolio online can persuade prospects to become your clients. Check out samples of wedding portfolio websites from top wedding photographers to get inspired. Here are best wedding photography websites that you will fall in love with.

The reason why owning your own website matters is because it helps you funnel client-traffic from different channels into one single, controllable window of exposure. Owning your website puts you in charge of the entire user experience and the management of your brand image. You are free to organize your content, insert testimonials, publish educative blogs, and display and deliver images from your online store. Well positioned design also helps you with better digital marketing and online visibility. Your website is your ultimate digital office the headquarters of your creative outpourings.

So How Much Should You Spend On Your Wedding Photographer It Depends On These Factors:

Im not really a believer in % amounts for budgeting to plan your wedding. A wedding budget goes sooo much deeper than that, and the planning should be as unique as your desires and wants. No wedding is one size-fits all, and chances are, no one budget is either.

Today Im going to offer you advice for planning your budget that is a bit more flexible, and is based on actively thinking about what the prices reflect in the photography market where you are booking.

Once you read this post about how much do wedding photographers cost, youll be equipped with the following knowledge:

• The 10% myth
• What are the price ranges of wedding photographers ?
• What are the factors that influence cost, and which ones are most important ?
• Is the wedding photography market overpriced?
• A more in-depth look at wedding photography prices in the state of Georgia
• Considerations for you to decide your own custom budget, based on needs *and* future long term goals as a couple!

This post is meant to go hand in hand with my How to Choose Your Wedding Photographer article, so be sure to check that out after you finish this!

Don’t Miss: Officiate Wedding California

What Is The Average Price

Over 60% of people dont plan their wedding budget properly and are taken aback when they see a for the first time. Therefore, hiring a wedding photographer is one of the most crucial things, so many experts advise couples to set aside at least 10-15% of their budget to hire a true professional.

On average, it will cost you around $1000-3000 to hire a good photographer. But, of course, the price might range depending on the area you live in.

While it might seem to be overly expensive at first, you need to understand that a wedding photographer spends between 30-40 hours on each wedding on average. In addition, photographers take part in planning sessions and often travel to your location unless you hire a local professional.

After a wedding is over, a photographer still needs to spend hours on photos post-processing. So if you need to have a beautiful wedding album, keep in mind that it will also cost extra.

Understand Who Your Client Is

Sometimes, the groom or the mother of the bride or groom will hire me, but most of the time, my job is to win over the bride. Brides are not educated art buyers. In most cases, this is the first time they have ever hired a photographer. They don’t necessarily know what “good” or “technical” photography is, and instead, they will make decisions based on emotions. If your work and your website can win them over, money probably won’t be an issue.

It is customary, at least in America, for the bride’s family to pay for the wedding. This certainly isn’t guaranteed, but most of the time, my clients are not writing the checks. Therefore, you must remember that the bride who is hiring you isn’t spending her own money. If you’re meeting with a potential client who has seen your rates, chances are that the budget has already been determined and the money has already been allotted for the photography.

If you want to know how much money they have for photography, I wouldn’t suggest directly asking them. Instead, if you can get a bit of information about the wedding location and number of guests, it’s pretty easy to estimate the cost of the entire event and then determine how much money they have budgeted for wedding photography based on the 15% estimation we talked about above.

Recommended Reading: F Wedding Hashtags

How Much Should I Spend On My Wedding Photography

Have you wondered how much should I spend on my wedding photography? yet? If so, youre going to love this post. Im so excited to chat with you today, because if youre reading this, chances are youre engaged! And of course, youre thinking about wedding planning. Naturally budgeting is a massive question! And we dont talk

Intrepid Travel. Kindness. Love, in all its forms. This is what lights me up, and probably why you’re here now. Let’s have some open and honest conversations relationships and weddings, self love, wellness, travel, and anything else that fuels a lifestyle of freedom!

Hola,

I’m so there for you. Just say when and where, and tell me about your self.

Have you wondered how much should I spend on my wedding photography? yet? If so, youre going to love this post.

Im so excited to chat with you today, because if youre reading this, chances are youre engaged! And of course, youre thinking about wedding planning. Naturally budgeting is a massive question! And we dont talk about it enough because talking about budgets and money is awkward for a lot of us.

Real Estate Photography Pricing

Professional real estate photographers typically charge $150 to $350 per shoot , depending on where you are located. A high-end architectural photographer will charge a day rate of about $1,500, with the price including lighting, assistants, and the post-production photo editing.

Real estate photography rates will increase depending upon additional equipment that the photographer may have to rent, travel expenses, setup time, etc. To cover the base expense of performing the photo shoot, an architectural photographer may set a fixed minimum number of photos that the client agrees to purchase before they start the shoot.

Interior Photographer Rates

Interior photography rates to get magazine-quality photos for interior designers, home sellers and architects are around $299 for a property less than 2,000 square feet. The price increases according to the size of the area photographed.

Also Check: How To Address Wedding Invitation To Family

What Comes Standard In A Package

Some photographers will create packages that include certain things and begin at a higher price point, while others may include almost nothing, and allow you to up the price by adding more onto the basic package.

In this way the latter photographer may begin at a lower price point, but quickly becomes as expensive than the former. This is all because of the manner in which they craft their packages.

Some examples of what to look for as being included or not are:

• Do they include one shooter only, one shooter + second shooter, or two professional shooters?
• Does this photographer include a heirloom quality album?
• Do they include an engagement session?
• Will they include any timeline review sessions and/or venue walk-throughs?

How To Save Money On Wedding Photography

iSave to

Splurging on your wedding photos will give you some feeling of satisfaction, especially when the pictures are divine. But what do you do if you need to save some cost on your wedding?

Remember, the pictures alone take up to 15% of your wedding budget. It may be little for some, but what if you cannot afford it?

Well, we will show you some ways to save a couple of dollars from wedding photos.

• Ask the photographer if you can cut out some excesses which you dont need. Things like getting ready bridal photos, engagement sessions, and all. This will cut back on at least 3 to 4 hours, saving you money in thousands.
• If you are hell-bent on a particular photographer because they are so good, negotiate! Ask for discounts and the least price possible.
• Look for photographers who are comfortable shooting alone. The more staff there are, the costlier your shoot gets. As for one photographer instead of two. But be sure that they have experience with shooting alone.
• Patronize ones in your locale. If you bring in a photographer from out of the state or country, youd spend more. Asides from their expertise, youd foot the bill for airfare, food, accommodation. Better you work with one around you.

i

Engagements last for 14 months on average. But the best time to book your photographer is 9 months before your wedding.

This is especially for those whose wedding is a year away. If your wedding is in less than a year, begin the scout now.

i

Recommended Reading: How Long To Plan A Wedding

Rates Based On Experience

It should go without saying that experience is a major factor in how much photographers can reasonably charge for their services. But if youâre looking for some specific examples, here is a brief photography pricing guide for different experience levels.

Students: There are a ton of photography students out there who are eager to start working. These photographers can usually ask for more money than hobbyists since they have some formal training. The typical hourly rate is between $50 and $100 an hour, depending on which school they attend, how far along they are in their studies, and whether they have any professional experience.

Entry-level photographers: Those who are just getting started in the world of professional photography after taking some formal education typically charge $50-$150 per hour or $25-$125 per image. Since their amount of professional experience is probably limited, the same factors that affect the rates of student photographers also apply here.

Professional photographers: Photographers who have some real experience under their belts can typically charge $75-$250 per hour. With the higher pay, clients expect these photographers to know all the ins and outs of the craft, including having great pre-production and post-production skills.

Top photographers: Those who climb their way to the top of the field to become high-end photographers can charge way more, from about $250-$500 per hour ranging up to as much as $10,000 per day.

How Much You Should Charge For Photography

Tanya Goodall Smith 5 years ago

Take a Time Out with Tanya, art director & graphic designer turned commercial photographer who really just wants a break from her three kids. Sign up for her weekly email here so youll never miss a Time Out.

One of the most frequently asked questions I hear from aspiring photographers is How much should I charge for my photography? This is a question Im constantly asking myself, even after Ive worked through multiple formulas, watched countless CreativeLive courses and tried several different pricing strategies. The fact is, theres no simple answer to this frustrating question. Through the years Ive gathered several resources that may help you figure it out though.

Recommended Reading: How To Address Families On Wedding Invitations

Read More: 22 Amazing Wedding Tips When Planning Your Big Day

To build a good overall story coverage should start when then the hair and make-up has begun. These morning moments are special. Think about what emotion is going through the bridal party. They are about to get married, emotions are extremely high with lots of smiles and happy tears. Missing these moments and the story just isnt the same. I aim to be with the bride and bridesmaids as soon as I can in the morning, normally around 10:00. I dont charge per hour, I charge to create a story for you.

For wedding photography that cost under £800, I would expect you to get between 200-300 with a very basic edit and not very creative.

I recommend you set aside 8-10% of your wedding budget for your photography, including an engagement shoot and any albums you would like. With the average wedding costing £27,000 in the United Kingdom, setting aside around 10% for your photography budget works out at around £1,500-£3,000.

A Peek At Average Photography Rates

Professional photographers arent cheap. Their gear includes hundreds and thousands of dollars of camera, lighting, and software that is most likely getting upgraded every few years.

Below weve outlined a short pricing guide that covers beginning photographers to seasoned pros. A good thing to note here is the price you charge may differ depending on what the work is being used for. For instance, if someone wants to use your photo on their local website, you would probably charge less than if it were for a multinational marketing campaign. A good rule of thumb to follow would be the more eyes see your work, or the more its reproduced, the more you can charge for a licensing fee.

Beginner/Amateur PhotographersIf you mainly photograph as a hobby in your spare time, and you dont have plans to make it a business, then you likely fall into this category. You have some skill with a camera, and you can get the job done for someone on a budget, but you wouldnt feel comfortable charging hundreds of dollars to clients.Free $50 per hour | $25 $50 per image

Student/New ProfessionalsYou probably have some formal or informal training under your belt and some decent gear. But you are still new to the photography scene, so your pricing will affect your growth and demand for your work.$50 $100 per hour | $25 $100 per image

Recommended Reading: Wedding Excel Spreadsheet