How much does a Wedding Photographer Cost

How Much Does a Wedding Photographer Cost?

The cost of a wedding photographer can vary significantly depending on experience, location, and what is included in the package. My prices in the Netherlands range between 400 and €1000, but there are many photographers who will charge way more than this and they may be justified. Here is the research from fearless photographers for 2024

Why Are Wedding Photography Costs So High?

Many couples wonder why wedding photography is so expensive. Here are some of the reasons  that contribute to the price:

1. Time and Preparation

A wedding photographer’s work begins long before the big day. First we start with the initial meeting to get to know a couple, and we put time into creating a timeline for your day with you so that you get the most from your wedding photography package, Then we will do a venue viewing beforehand with you which involves travelling to the venue, doing a walk through and checking each location such as where the ceremony will be, where the reception will be , and areas for couple photos. Ths preparation is key to making sure veything runs smoothly.

2. Hours on the Wedding Day

Most wedding photographers work between 8 to 12 hours on the wedding day, capturing everything from the early morning preparations to the evening celebrations. This of course depends on your wedding photography package , but either way this time needs to be set aside, and often requires getting there earlier to make sure equipment is set up etc. And if things run over on the day these hours also need to be added, after a full day of already photographing.

3. Selection and Editing

After the wedding, the real work begins: selecting and professionally editing thousands of photos. This process can take days or even weeks to complete. For every hour of photography I allow about 4 hours of editing time as well. This time is not charged seperately, but is included in your original quote. So a charge for an 8 hour wedding also factors this cost in.

4. High-Quality Equipment and Maintenance

Professional cameras, lenses, lighting, and storage equipment are expensive. Not to mention top of the range programmes for editing, state of the art colour accurate computers or laptops such as apple mac. Photographers also invest in backups and maintenance to ensure the highest quality and security for your photos. On average I keep photos for up to 5 years on hard drives in case a client loses their photos.

5. Experience and Skill

An experienced wedding photographer has spent years mastering their craft. Capturing emotions, working with natural light, and handling unexpected situations are all valuable skills that make a difference. How to make customers feel comfortable in front of the camera, how to handle a crowd of wedding guests, how to liaise with different people such as the MC , pastor etc to make sure we get the right shots, which by the way there are no second chances for – are all part of the package.

6. Insurance and Business Expenses

Wedding photographers also have business expenses such as insurance, software, marketing, and administration. These costs contribute to their professionalism and reliability. These cost both money and time – there are often no additional staff or assistants to handle this – if they are they also cost money . So in many ways a photographer becomes a jack of all trades .

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and the photos are what you will cherish forever. A professional photographer ensures that all those priceless moments are captured beautifully. There is often not a second chance to capture those really authentic moments from your wedding day , so this is your chance to make sure they are cemented and recorded for a lifetime.  Choosing a cheap alternative can lead to disappointment and missed memories, while an experienced photographer knows exactly how to capture every special moment perfectly. Your wedding photographer cost should not be something you cut corners on.

As promised I will also give you an example of the hours break down for an average 8 hour wedding photographer cost,

8 hour wedding photographer cost breakdown in hours.

8 hours – wedding photography

1hour – putting a timeline together and quote

1 hour initial meeting, discussing the wedding dayand what the couple expects

2 hours travel to venue for venue viewing there and back (average)

1 hour venue viewing , seeing the venue and different areas with the client

2 hours travel to and from venue on the wedding day (average)

32 hours average on selection and editing of the final edit

1 hour uploading to cloud for customer to download.

1 hour other admin – questions answering, emails, instructions for download and storage, discussing other options etc.

In total this is about 50 hours worth of work for an 8 hour wedding at least.

It does not factor in company expenses, etc that also need to be deducted – this is just the labour alone.