What Is the Average Price for A Wedding Photographer?
Wedding Photographer Prices
How Much Does A Wedding Photographer Cost?
How much does a wedding photographer cost, and what is the average price for a wedding photographer? If you’re reading this, chances are you’re engaged or have a sneaky suspicion you may be getting a ring sometime soon. Congratulations! Now you’ve started your planning, but you really don’t have any idea where to start when budgeting for your wedding.
Wedding Forward shared that 10-15% of a couple’s budget will go toward their photographer. If you think about it, the photos are the one thing you’ll have to remember your day once the wedding is over. A survey conducted in 2019 by couples on The Knot indicated that the average wedding photographer cost is $2,400 nationwide (meaning some are more expensive than this price, and some are less.)
So what factors should you evaluate when setting your photography budget? Here are a few things that can impact how much a photographer charges.
Factors that can impact a wedding photographer’s 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 you’re 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.
Is your photographer a skilled editor? A lot of a photographer’s work they will do for you is behind their computer, not their camera. Make sure you look through their galleries and blogs and familiarize yourself with their work. A photographer with consistent edits is more valuable than one whose style doesn’t seem as defined.
Does your photographer offer a wedding experience? A photographer who is about providing a memorable experience for his/her couple will charge more than someone who is service-based. (Think fine dining versus McDonald’s or a 5-star resort versus a roadside motel.)
How big is your wedding? A wedding that requires 10-hours of coverage with a large guest count and wedding party will cost more than a weekday intimate wedding with family.
What is included in the wedding photographer’s packages? Some wedding packages include wedding albums, print rights, online gallery, engagement session, second photographer, and more. The more that is included, the higher the price.
Are you having a destination wedding? Destination wedding photographers who are also seasoned travelers will cost more.
How much does a destination wedding photographer cost?
Generally, a destination wedding photographer charges their normal wedding rate plus their actual travel costs. Sometimes, destination wedding photographers may discount slightly if your wedding is in a desirable location that they have always wanted to visit or photograph. Booking a destination wedding photographer near where you live can have other added benefits. For example, they can photograph your engagement session in the town where you live without added travel costs, and you can meet in person to chose heirloom print items, see album cover choices, etc.
What is the Average Price for a Wedding Photographer?
The range of what a photographer may charge is really large. I have friends in the industry who charge $2.5k, $10k, and even $20k. Most luxury fine art photographers start at $5k.
A good starting point is to determine your tastes, wedding day vision, and photography priorities. You can check out portfolios of wedding photographers on sites like The Knot, WeddingWire, and WedMatch.
What is WedMatch?
WedMatch is new! it is another fun, free way to look for wedding photographers. You choose your favorite images from pairs shown to you, answer a few questions, and the site will give you your ‘results’ of which photographers you matched with!
Once you’ve found a few photographers whose work inspires you, reach out to them and inquire as to their availability and rates. (If you really want to make their day, tell them you love their work and WHY!) At this point, you should be able to figure out a range for your wedding photography budget!
Good luck in your quest to find a photographer whose work you love and who will fit into your overall wedding budget! If there are any questions I can help you answer, leave me a question in the comments below, or contact me directly!