Wedding Photography Prices | A Primer for Brides

Wouldn’t you like to get the most for your money when it comes to wedding photography? I know I would. But, with so much variation in wedding photographer prices, how do you know if you’re getting a good deal? How much does a cheap photographer charge…and how much does an expensive one charge? What is the difference, and should it matter to you?

As a wedding photographer myself, I think there are some basic things to keep in mind when it comes to shopping for wedding photographers, and I’d like to share them in hopes of clearing up some of the confusion. In the process, I don’t mean to step on anyone’s toes… I just want to clarify why wedding prices vary and what brides should be looking for as they search for their ideal wedding photographer.

Five Things Every Bride Should Consider about Wedding Photography Prices

1. Price does not measure quality, but it can be a good indicator.
As the saying goes, “You get what you pay for.” The fact is, a good professional photographer will have a lot of money invested in their equipment, upwards of $15,000. Then they will have a lot of experience and/or training to know how to use all that equipment. They did not just pick up a camera last week and decide to photograph their best friend’s wedding because “they like taking pictures.” The price they charge reflects not only their expenses, but also their time. This brings up the next point.

2. Time is money.
At first glance, it might seem a little ridiculous to charge $5,000 to shoot a wedding for eight hours. That’s an hourly rate of $625! Sheesh–where do I sign up?? Oh, if only that were the case…but it’s not. While the photographer may only be at your wedding for 8 or so hours, they spend a lot of time with you behind the scenes. First, there’s all the time they spent corresponding with you, handling administrative tasks, and preparing for your wedding day. After the wedding they spent time editing your photos, preparing albums, creating slideshows, blogging highlights, and yes, sending more emails. Then there’s things they worked on that maybe didn’t involve your wedding specifically–building and maintaining a website, organizing and managing financial information, and paying taxes…and so forth. And before they ever did any of that work, Uncle Sam had to have his fair share of the wedding fee, too. The hourly rate quickly dwindles….and there’s still bills to pay and a family to feed.

3. Photographers have a Zero-Sum Schedule
Things might be different if wedding photographers could photograph weddings on every day of the week, but the fact is, most weddings occur on a Saturday. Sure, there are some that land on a Friday or a Sunday, but by far the majority are on Saturdays. And we all know there’s only 52 Saturdays in a year. Depending on the climate in which they live, many couples may avoid getting married in certain months (ie, winter in Pittsburgh!). That leaves an even smaller number of days in which to work. Finally, it’s a Zero-Sum schedule for one-photographer studios: once they are booked for a wedding on a certain date, they can’t take on another one. So, wedding photography prices should include the opportunity cost of not being able to photograph more weddings on that day and other days (ie, Monday-Thursday).

4. It’s the Classic Story of Supply and Demand
It’s true…really sought-after photographers are more expensive than less-sought after ones. Duh! If a photographer is getting 100’s of inquiries a week for their services, their prices are probably going to rise to reflect that. Point number three comes into play here. If the photographer can only work a certain number of days a year, they need to make sure they are maximizing their time. On a side note, just because a photographer is “sought-out” may not always mean that their photography skills are superior to everyone else’s. Rather they may just have a great ability to market themselves. Or, in fact, they may just really be awesome.

5. At the End of the Day, it’s Art
OK, maybe we’re not talking Rembrandt and Monet here, but at the end of the day, good wedding photography is more than just “snapping pics.” A great wedding photographer must have a certain level of artistic ability and talent. A lot of people can play the piano…but how many truly excel at it? I think the same goes for wedding photographers. A lot of photographers may have technical know-how, but the ones who stand apart have more than that–they have talent, too. How much is that talent worth? That’s mostly subjective, which, again, is one more reason why wedding photography prices vary.

So, what can you do to find the best wedding photographer for you?
1. Ask yourself how important your wedding photos are.
2. Create a budget, but give it some room to grow or shrink as needed.
3. Know what you are willing and not willing to compromise on–DVD of images? Album? Engagement Session?
4. Search, search, search!
5. Choose what you LOVE.

And if you don’t know where to start, you can always check out my wedding photography website. 🙂

pittsburgh wedding photography

CTS - Good photographers will have extra equipment in case something breaks…and it does. Getting a $1000 photographer with one camera or nowhere to back up the pictures is a HUGE risk the bride it taking.

Good thoughts all around.

Leeann Marie - Amen, sistah! Uncle Sam, always ruining the party 😉

Milla - Great, great explanation, Mary! These are important questions to address… great idea.

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