How Much Should I Pay for My Wedding Photographer?
If you're looking for a wedding photographer most likely this is the first time. If you're like me, you don't like getting on a sales call with someone before you have a general idea of what other people are normally paying for a service. No one likes to be taken for a ride less than this girl right here. It’s icky.
Derpy face to represent my discomfort with sales.
I remember seeking a photographer for my best friends’ wedding. I was really feeling the pressure. I needed to find someone who was within their budget. But it was so important to me to find a photographer that took photos that didn't just look like anyone could've taken them. They had to be artfully done. They had to be sharp, well lit, and beautiful. I wanted Pinterest worthy photos for my friends’ big day. They deserved it. I'll tell you, the process was not easy.
We only had about $1000 to work with. For many of you, that sounds like a lot of money. It certainly was to them and me at the time. For others, you may know that $1000 for a full day of wedding photography is a lot to ask for. The truth of the matter is, if a wedding photographer is offering a full day of wedding coverage for only $1000 or less, they are just getting started, they’re not doing wedding photography as their only means of income, they are absolutely scraping by, they don’t yet know their own worth, or they simply won't be doing it for long and be out of business soon. It's not sustainable.
In my area of Cleveland Ohio, the average wedding photographer costs anywhere between $2000 - $4000. Of course you have the folks who are charging $1000 or less. On the flip side, and there are folks who are charging 10k-20k or more. And while even a grand seems like a lot of money to spend on photographs, even a photographer charing 10K is giving you a deal.
I know what you were thinking. This is coming from a wedding photographer who is probably making beaucoup bucks and would probably spend $100k on her own wedding, or comes from a wealthy family. She's just saying this to spread a misnomer about how much wedding photography actually costs so she can make herself and her friends richer.
And oh, how wrong you’d be. As I sit here writing this today, I am not and have never been “wealthy”. Most of the time, I’ve made just enough to scrape by. My gifts to family and friends are usually handmade. Huge fan of Ramen noodles, here. Personally, I don't like spending. I'm a saver. I've never been one to take risks either. I've never even purchased a single lottery ticket. Why would I want to gamble the money that I have? Last year, I was taken to my first “fancy” restaurant. When I saw that the cheapest menu item was $60, I started to cry panicked, guilty tears. “This is too much money! I don’t deserve this”, to which my man replied. “It’s on me, and yes you do”.
I've been in the wedding industry for nine years at this point. I used to charge very little, anywhere between $300 and $1200 per wedding. This was when I was a hobbyist. I had a full-time job and wedding photography was an enthralling and meaningful activity on weekends. I didn't have to worry that my prices were too low. Back then, I wasn't able to give my clients the experience they deserved. Here's why even, scared-of-spending-little-old me, would spend 20-25% of my wedding budget on my own wedding photographer.
Let's just take a moment to remember what a wedding is all about. Scratch that. Let's take a moment to remember what a wedding is not about. It is not about having memorable party favors on all of the tables. It is not about having all your best girlfriends looking like something straight off of Pinterest. It is not about everything being perfect and magical. It's not about the perfect shade of dusty rose. It's not even about your groom breaking down crying at the sight of you walking down the aisle. (I know we all love those videos, but the truth is- not every guy does this!) We all know at its core, a wedding is this celebration of you promising to continually choose to love your person, your best friend, your beloved and committing to making decisions around your togetherness. No, I'm not saying that weddings don't matter in the grand scheme of a marriage. I’m not even saying wedding favors can’t be fun. Like I said, I've been in the industry for nine years at this point. I love weddings! They’re a remarkable time when the people you both care about most come together and celebrate the life you're choosing to live together. It's a time of celebration and joy. A time to remember.
What I am saying is; after the ceremony arch you rented is returned, the flowers wilt, the dress is resold or put into storage, the curls fall out, the makeup is washed off, the invitations are stored away or recycled, and the cake is demolished by guests, the only part of your wedding planning that remains are the photographs. Personally, I would rather have a quarter of my budget spent on an amazing photographer that is going to help me feel comfortable and allow me the space to feel blissful on my wedding day. I would spend my money on a photographer to capture me and my new hubby looking the best will ever look in our lives in stunning, glorious, colorful, detail, with all the genuine smiles and emotions to look back on forever. After my wedding day is over, I am going to cherish those photos of him and I actually feeling and looking the most in love. What I'm not going to cherish are photos of me and him looking uncomfortable, stiff, forced, and disconnected from each other and from our big day.
The sad truth is, anyone can pick up a camera and learn to take technically great photos. But it takes a special person to be a great companion on your wedding day (and leading up to it!). Your wedding photographer actually spends more time with you, as a bride, than you spend with your fiancé. Crazy right? A photographer that will make the difference from your photos feeling stiff to feeling genuine can be found in these attributes, just to name a few:
Do they ask you good questions to help you communicate what you value most in your wedding photos?
Do they genuinely care about learning your values or are they simply going to show up with a camera on your wedding day?
Do they take time to help you build a timeline that aligns with those values to ensure a stress-free day for you and your loved ones?
Will they step in and make decisions or suggestions on your big day to ensure your photos end up amazing? Or will they simply let whatever happens happen?
Does the photographer plan an engagement session for you to teach you poses and help you feel confident in front of the camera?
Does she ask you questions to get to know you as people?
Is she genuinely in love with what she does? Or is this just a moneymaker?
TLDR: In short, 20-25% of the budget. There are a lot of cheap photographers out there and if the things I mentioned above are not as important to you, you go and get that deal! But if these above attributes are important to you, consider the amount you pay a wedding photographer not as an expense, but as an investment. You will end up with great returns.
