How much does a wedding photographer cost?
Wedding photographers are one of the most important pieces of the puzzle that complete a wedding day. Not only having a wedding photographer on site, but also having a high quality wedding photographer that can capture those most beautiful moments throughout the day.
High quality work is hard to come by, especially a photographer that would suit your style too. So before you ask the question about how much does a wedding photographer cost, ask yourself what sort of budget you believe would suit your day.
The Average Cost of a Wedding Photographer
The average cost of a wedding photographer is $1500 for the day. This price and package usually includes several hundred edited photos, with the photographer usually staying from wedding prep until the first dance.
When thinking about the average cost of a wedding photographer, also take into account where you live, if you are in larger, more expensive cities like New York you should expect to pay around $2200, whereas in Coos Bay you would expect to pay around $1700.
Is The Average Cost of a Wedding Photographer Too High?
Absolutely not, and I’ll tell you why.
The average cost of a wedding photographer covers their time at your wedding, and also the countless hours after your wedding prepping the photos and working their magic.
From editing out unwanted tattoos, to whitening the teeth of your great grandmother, they really do work magic with all aspects of the photographs. If you imagine the sheer number they take it means they have a mammoth task ahead of them and that’s what they’re paid for. So when thinking about how much does a wedding photographer cost, it makes more sense why it’s a minimum of $1500 now.
How Long Does It Normally Take To Deliver?
Depending on how busy your wedding photographer is, it can take up to 6 weeks to get your wedding photos back. But trust me, if you have paid for a high quality photographer with a brilliant portfolio, rest assured that the wait will be well worth it.
What Equipment Do They Use?
Photographers and Videographers often use similar equipment, with some cameras more specialized towards photo and others video. For example, see the below camera, this one is a Sony A7R4, and the other alternative is a Sony A7S4. There aren’t huge differences on the surface, but under the hood of the lens, one is massively biased towards huge beautiful photos with a larger sensor, whereas the other is suited towards shooting those picturesque 4k scenes with a larger light opening. This is so they can capture all the details morning noon or night without having to carry lights around on their backs.
Talking about equipment, make sure you come well prepared for your wedding photoshoot too. Utilising small items to create a statement at different stages of your day can make a picture worth a million dollars. Items such as ear rings, rings, necklaces and clutch bags that will compliment your dress.
Do They Have Insurance?
Most wedding photographers are required to have insurance, and it all comes as part of the cost of how much does a wedding photographer cost. This is part of their service, and covers them in case their equipment causes any damages, or if they are unable to attend so you can be refunded.
Usually if a photographer is unable to attend, he will find his own likewise replacement through their extensive contact list, so that you don’t lose out on your perfect wedding day.
Wedding Videography – The Perfect Couple to Photography?
Wedding videography is almost if not just as important as photography and having both at your disposal really is the icing on the cake.
Wedding videography often costs more, as there is much more equipment involved, and a much more intense editing process, although delivery times are around the same. So when you’re thinking about how much does a wedding photographer cost, spare a thought for videographers too.
Wedding photographers often work with videographers too, combining knowledge and resources to create special moments throughout your day, sometimes in the background that you don’t even see until you receive your photos and video.
If you want to see a first person write up about why Videography is so important, have a look at our friends article about having a videographer for your entire ceremony and day here.
Budgeting
To budget right, they always say the average wedding is around $25,000. When they bring these figures together, they never include photography and videography, but they do include things such as the food, room hire, ceremony and all of the important make ups of the day.
So if your wedding is in the region of $25,000, add 20% to your budget, expecting 10% for a high quality photographer, and 10% for a high quality videographer too. It may take a little longer to save, but to have both at your day is worth every penny. Now that you have an idea of how much does a wedding photographer cost, it means you’ll have some budget for extras and accessories for the day too!
When you are working on your budgeting, be sure to think about location, location, location too. Our friends over at the Architectural digest have listed some of the most beautiful wedding venues across the US. You can also check out some amazing accessories to compliment your wedding dress out here.
To Conclude
I hope you enjoyed our article about how much does a wedding photographer cost, and I hope we answered all of the questions you had.
If you would like to hear more about wedding photography and videography, you can check out sides such as mywed where you can have a look at their top 150 photographers across the US.
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