Average Wedding Photographer Cost
Average wedding photography prices range from $1,500 to $3,500, with most spending $2,200. Wedding packages from beginners building up their photography portfolio could cost between $300 to $500. On the other hand, a professional destination-wedding photographer could start their pricing at $10,000.
How To Hire A Wedding Photographer
Your wedding is only one day of your life, but your wedding photos will last foreverâespecially in the age of social media.
Any bride or groom will tell you that the actual wedding day can be a bit of a blur. Thatâs why itâs even more important to hire a top-notch wedding photographer who can provide a thorough perspective of the day, recording and preserving those moments forever.
Good photographers often book up many months in advance, so itâs important to start your search as soon as possible.
Here are a few things to consider:â
Inquiry Is Sent Now What
Sending out that inquiry is a huge first step to hiring a wedding photographer! That gets the ball rolling and starts conversations. Once the inquiry is out, the responses will start rolling in. In my opinion, the faster the response, the more attentive the photographer to their couples. There are exceptions, of course, because life happens to all of us but as a general rule, quick responses are the only way that your wedding day will go smoothly.
After they respond, schedule a phone call or video call and ask all of the great questions Ive given you and add your own too! This phone call also helps you figure out if you like their personality, if they make a good fit for the two of you. It will help you gauge how organized and overall invested in you they are as well. Once the phone call is over, your photographer can compile all of that detail and get back to you about your wedding day.
Don’t Miss: 5000 Dollar Wedding Budget
Locations And Wedding Photography
Your location may be a fantastic investment.
It is likely that he or she will be able to advise you on where the finest natural light will be situated in the room.
From his point of view, the fact that he “understands the property well” is “phenomenal.”
Professional wedding photographers are well-versed in the finest locations for photographing weddings, as well as how to organize the wedding party, relatives, and other guests in order to take the best images possible.
It is also feasible to save money in this way.
If your wedding photographer is necessary to travel substantial distances on your wedding day in order to capture your memories, he or she may charge a travel fee.
It is conceivable to fall in love with the aesthetic of another photographer, despite the fact that this is quite unusual.
While using a local vendor, you typically scope out the wedding venue with you in order to assess the situation before the big day.
Choose a photographer who is local to your region or locating a photographer who is willing to go to a location that is more convenient for you.
If you want to get to know your photographer better and feel more comfortable on your wedding day, instead of doing it the traditional way, consider doing it this way.
Consider enlisting the assistance of a photographer who travels regularly to various locations throughout the world.
She notes that, while both options are possible, connecting with a foreign photographer may prove to be difficult.
Professional Photographers Always Edit Their Shots
And theyll show you during your day! Wedding photographers always edit their shots. From the myriad photos taken, he or she will spend time sorting through to find the best version of each pose to show to you. It used to be that they didnt know if a shot was good or bad until they developed the film. Nowadays, with digital cameras, they can see the digital album right away to see if everyone was smiling and had their eyes open or if your flower girl suddenly made a face that was not oh-so-cute-and-charming.
Also Check: Self-uniting Marriage California
Tips When Booking Your Wedding Photographer
Here are some top tips from weddings by butterfly and Alja Hafner, two professional wedding photographers when it comes to hiring and booking one.
Award winning Devon wedding photographer, Ashling of weddingsbybutterfly.com said A professional photographer knows where to be at the right time, is a dab hand at putting shy couples at ease on front of the camera to ensure they come away with the most gorgeous, natural photos of them. And at the end of the day, these photos will be all you have left when the cake is eaten and the dress is put away. These photos will be cherished for the rest of your life, by both you, your family and your children.
So how do you pick a photographer when there are so many of us!? Well, once youve found a few where you like their instafeed and website portfolio, the next step is to get in touch!
Ask to see a full wedding gallery. This will give you a good idea as to what to expect.
When looking at a photographers portfolio, consider the time of year/venue lighting and does it compare with what youve got planned. For instance, if youre planning a January wedding with a ceremony at 3pm, and its only light until 4.30pm, is a photographer whos main body of work is shot in the summer, with lots of sunny outdoor shots the perfect fit? If there is a photographer you love, but you cant see a comparable wedding on their portfolio, get in touch and ask! They might very well be able to show you a gallery of a similarly timed/lit wedding.
Work With A Skilled Wedding Warrior
Picture this: your cousin is shooting your wedding. But in a rush from the getting-ready location to the ceremony site, she couldnt find parking and thus missed the bride being walked down the aisle. Then, she happened to be standing to the side during the first kiss, so in the resulting photos, all you see is the back of the grooms head.
Wedding photographers know how to navigate the chaos of wedding day timelines and know precisely where they need to be and when. As practised artists of the craft, they know how to position themselves to capture the perfect shot.
More importantly, they know they need to arrive early and constantly prepare for the worst . Theyre master improvisers because theyve had plenty of experiences in which something has gone wrong on a wedding day , and theyve had to react quickly.
And whats possibly most important because they have experience in these sorts of situations, theyre there to calm you down when you start to get stressed about timeline discrepancies or unaccounted for obstacles.
Your photographer is like your day-of ally, a skilled wedding day warrior who can problem-solve and act quickly.
Recommended Reading: What Should An Officiant Say At A Wedding
What To Consider When Hiring Your Wedding Photographer
our recommendation
Will you post our photographs on your website/ social media/ blog?
The way wedding photographers market their business is by showing their work on social media and submitting photos to publications and blogs. Thats probably how you found your photographer and fell in love with their work in the first place. Scrolling through recent blog posts and their Instagram feeds helped you to decide if you like their style and made you reach out.You can see that posting your images is a really important part for a wedding photographer to generate new clients and keep the business running. If you dont feel comfortable about this and you are concerned about privacy, you can definitely request that your wedding photographer keeps your photographs to themselves. I promise you thats not a problem at all.However, if you would love to see your images submitted and published dont be shy about telling your wedding photographer. They will love the idea!
Your Guide To Hiring A Wedding Photographer
After the booking of your venue and the date of your big day confirmed, one of the next things you should consider looking at is the hiring of your wedding photographer.
Wedding photographers can be booked up to 1-2 years in advance so if you find someone you want to capture your day, it is important to get them booked.
Recommended Reading: Randy Fenoli Michael Landry
Things To Do After You Have Finalised Your Photographer
-
Sign a written contract
-
Keep a record of whatever agreement you have. This would help you in case of any misunderstanding or dispute.
-
Confirm the timeline of your events to the photographer
-
Get your photographer familiar with the names and faces of the most important people to be clicked.
Despite putting so much effort into planning, there are a lot of things that can still go wrong. So, keeping that in mind, weve jotted down a few things that can go wide of the mark, but you should totally AVOID:
Everything You Need To Know About Hiring A Wedding Photographer
Helps plan your wedding like a loved one
Contact Us
Get Latest wedding blog updates:
Most read articles and guides:
Wedding Vendors in over 100 cities
Wedding Photographers
Hidden Clauses Terms And Conditions
A contract is an agreement that you sign with the photographer to formalize the expectations of both the parties. Make sure that all details regarding the ceremony shoot are covered to avoid later confusion. The contract includes details like the date and time of the shoot, the rights that the photographer will retain on the photos, the fee or the security deposits etc.
You May Like: Wedding Address Etiquette Family
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.
Sketch Out A Budget Before You Inquire
Maybe you dont know exactly how much money you have to spend on a photographer, but few things are as hard on everyone as when a couple inquires with a photographer who is out of budget in the hopes that they will magically not be. Everyone gets invested. You get invested in work you love, and your photographer gets invested in starting the booking process and breathing a sigh of relief because, hey! They still have a job. You dont need to know your entire budget, but you do need to know if you have $1,000 for a photographer, or $2,500, or more than $4,000, and inquire accordingly.
Recommended Reading: Proper Way To Address Wedding Invitations To A Family
Hiring A Photographer From Out Of State
When hiring a photographer who is not in your state, its important to understand that its not any more difficult than hiring one from your hometown! It may be harder to meet face to face but that doesnt make it impossible. If you absolutely love a photographers work, reach out. The worst that can happen is that they say no or you decide otherwise. Many times youll find photographers are willing to travel to shoot your wedding. I also know for a fact that many times a photographer will discount their prices to come in from out of state for the crazy opportunity to shoot your wedding, especially if its a destination wedding, or even more preferred for me, an elopement or intimate wedding!
Thats all I have for you this time. Be sure to reach out for your wedding day and see if I have your date available! Follow my account on to see more about my travels, wedding bridals, and lots of amazing inspiration for your wedding day! Id love to meet and talk to you, and eventually become your wedding photographer. Make sure you ask me all of the questions I mentioned above though haha!
XOXO,
Always Communicate With The Team Leader
A good wedding photographer will never work alone. He will always have his team of experts. There may be two or more photographers to capture the best moments of your life. The moment you are communicating, always ensure that you only communicate with the lead photographer or the team leader.
He will be responsible for covering some of the most precious moments of your wedding day. These moments may not repeat back in your life.
You May Like: How To Become An Ordained Minister In Nj
Learn From Your Closed Ones
You can get some advice from your friends and family who have already worked with wedding planners. Ask them about the pros and cons of hiring a particular person for the job. They can give you a detailed description of their experience. As they have already worked with a particular planner, it is easy for them to tell the exact problems they faced while working with them. They will definitely recommend you the best, so learning from their experience will always help.
Professional From The Beginning To The End Of Your Wedding
Who says professional photographer says… professionalism. Well beyond taking pictures, the photographer has above all a reputation to keep. This is the key to his success. Thus, in case of unforeseen events or others, he will put all his professionalism at the service of your wedding. He will always have a plan B in his pocket in case of unforeseen events. His objective is simple: to provide you with the best photographs that it is for one of the most beautiful days of your life.
Thus, in the event of change of plan, of capricious weather or problems within the marriage, it will be able to make so that the photographs retranscribe only the success which will have been the marriage. Moreover, if he has a health problem on the day of the wedding, he will call upon one of his colleagues of whom he knows the quality of his work. On the contrary, an amateur will be distraught and there is a strong chance that you will find yourself without photographers for your wedding.
Don’t Miss: Wedding Vendor Spreadsheet
