Budget for Wedding Photography
Posted by desatapa
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Budget for Wedding Photography April 23, 2010 02:15PM | Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 1 |
carolineB
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 25, 2010 09:58AM |
We were also shocked by prices for photographers. We were given advice to make sure we got an excellent photographer as the day would be a blur (ie around £2000!). However, after doing some research and considering our budget we have booked a photographer that is costing £850 to arrive 1 1/2 hours prior to ceremony, to stay until the cake cutting after the speechs. We get around 20 prints and a cd of around 100 images that is NOT copyright so we can then go to photo shop and arrange our own albums for much less money. Photographer gives an optin to provide our albums but it is much more money and she is budget conscious and very helpful in keeping our costs down. Best advice we had...make sure that any cd you get from the photographer is not copyright and find someone you get on with (remember that wedding with the irritating interfering photographer?!)
LindaR
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 26, 2010 11:36AM |
Whilst I agree with both your comments, you should take into account that getting CD of 100 images which you can print at Asda, Tesco or wherever you choose will give you second rate images of what is always a very special day to remember, a professional photographer will have spent considerable time and money on ensuring they have colour corrected screens, excellent equipment (not the £300 - £500 consumer camera), with professional lenses, ensuring image quality and colour tone) etc.. My sister used a professional, cost around £1750, got a beautiful album with 50 very high quality pictures, 2 parent albums of exactly the same pictures, and the CD with all the images (around 350) set for the web, and set to print if they wished ... as well as a proofbook showing all the pictures taken. He was excellent, even after all the arrangements, she was changing what pictures she wanted and with who on the day, without any problems at all. I think do your research but pick a photographer who will work with you, and does not take ok shots with the hope of rescuing the images in photoshop after the event.
Kaz
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 26, 2010 12:36PM |
Hi Linda
I don't think the print quality from Asda etc is much lower than a professional studio but the difference is in the editing. I have several friends who are photographers and all say that there are thre are three stages:
1. Taking the photograph
2. Editing
3. Putting the album together
In getting a CD of images you are missing out on stage 2 and 3.
However, there is a time that you have to get a grip on reality. £1750 is a lot to pay for something that might end up under the coffee table.
As with everything, it comes to overall budget, and where your priorities are.
Kaz x
I don't think the print quality from Asda etc is much lower than a professional studio but the difference is in the editing. I have several friends who are photographers and all say that there are thre are three stages:
1. Taking the photograph
2. Editing
3. Putting the album together
In getting a CD of images you are missing out on stage 2 and 3.
However, there is a time that you have to get a grip on reality. £1750 is a lot to pay for something that might end up under the coffee table.
As with everything, it comes to overall budget, and where your priorities are.
Kaz x
LindaR
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 26, 2010 02:21PM |
Hi Kaz,
Fair point, but then you will never a second chance at the wedding day, and memories soon fade. Still it is all individual choice, like wanting the dress at £2500 as you look fantastic, but taking the one at £650 cos they miss out a few stages and it will just end up in the wardrobe anyway.. the editing of the prints is always done before the cd is prepared, surely ? Maybe I just don't know enough about photography.
My photographer friend always edits and prepares all his pictures before any prints or cd etc.. are even considered.
But what you say is very very true, it is all about budget and priorities, its the bride and grooms one day after all.
Lin x
Fair point, but then you will never a second chance at the wedding day, and memories soon fade. Still it is all individual choice, like wanting the dress at £2500 as you look fantastic, but taking the one at £650 cos they miss out a few stages and it will just end up in the wardrobe anyway.. the editing of the prints is always done before the cd is prepared, surely ? Maybe I just don't know enough about photography.
My photographer friend always edits and prepares all his pictures before any prints or cd etc.. are even considered.
But what you say is very very true, it is all about budget and priorities, its the bride and grooms one day after all.
Lin x
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Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 26, 2010 04:36PM | Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 44 |
Budget is very important but so is the quality of their work and the rapport that you have. I made sure that I had a really good look at their work and eliminated those that I didn't like. I also ruled out those photographers that I didn't instantly get on with.
If money is no object then go with who and what you like, but if a budget is needed set a figure and then search accordingly.
If money is no object then go with who and what you like, but if a budget is needed set a figure and then search accordingly.
Fran
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 27, 2010 02:37PM |
Yes the cost of photography can be excessive we used Peagreen Photography last year and my sisterin law is using him this year, he provided over 100 photos on a disc for us but before giving them to us he had edited them and turned some to b/w and so on....he also gave us some good tips on where to get them printed, prints cost a bit more than asda or boots but was worth it. he cost us ariund £700...my sister has asked him to do an album for her of her fave 50 or so pics and i think he is charging £850 for that...
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Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 28, 2010 02:41PM | Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 3 |
Only advice I can offer is making sure you get a decent photographer and even budget on other things such as cake, favours etc to ensure you don't compromise on quality. 3 years after the wedding, the photos may be the only things you have left and they do last a lifetime. My sister budgeted on her photographer and was so upset with the end result but it was too late by then.
Maggie May
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 29, 2010 10:23AM |
Alister
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 29, 2010 03:53PM |
Hope you don't mind some insights from someone who is a professional photographer! I started into photography well over 12 years ago progressing from landscape to portrait and then into weddings.
It's true, anybody can pick up a camera and take shots - some will take some very nice shots while some will...well...could form part of an abstract modern art collection!
As a pro, there are a few key skills needed to get the best out of your special day - there's no option to pause, rewind or replay!
Firstly, pros have to have excellent interpersonal skills - they deal with you, the bride's parents (!), children and the guest. If they're good, they'll make you feel at ease, have a tremedous amount of patience and humour to make the day a success.
Secondly, they must - real must(!) have an artistic eye - to be able to see things out of the ordinary and bring those into context with the day. Without this key ingredient, all you get is a snap-shooter - point and click....
Thirdly, they must have the right gear and be able to use it! Unfortunately, too many photographers shoot primarily with a flashgun - what you end up with are "cold" images that have a tendency to be fixed by transforming them into black & white. Using the best optical quality lenses and a pro-level camera cost well over three grand! And it would be a shame to rely on a flashgun when the best images are often captured in the ambient light. Of course, to shoot in low ambient light and capture that elusive wedding atmosphere requires expensive gear! Oh, and what happens when the weather is overcast or raining....a pro would know how to adjust their gear and also the surroundings to capture the best of the day!
Lastly, given the digital age of photography, taking the image is now only part of the photographic workflow. All good professional photographers shoot only in RAW data format not JPEG. The latter does not provide enough latitude for bring the best out in an image when preparing it for printing. Shooting in RAW does require more technical skill in the post-processing phase and pro photographers will calibrate their workflow directly to match a professional printer. Typically this post-processing phase takes about 1 to 2 weeks.
So if someone is only charging a a few hundred pounds for all that skill and time....well I'll seriously be asking myself do they really have that experience! At the end of the day, you'll have a budget and that's important....no point in going into a life long debt for life long memories!
Find a photographer who's creative not only in their photography but also their wedding packages....that makes it a win win for both you and them!
Hope that helps!
Alister
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2010 11:44AM by gfbadmin.
It's true, anybody can pick up a camera and take shots - some will take some very nice shots while some will...well...could form part of an abstract modern art collection!
As a pro, there are a few key skills needed to get the best out of your special day - there's no option to pause, rewind or replay!
Firstly, pros have to have excellent interpersonal skills - they deal with you, the bride's parents (!), children and the guest. If they're good, they'll make you feel at ease, have a tremedous amount of patience and humour to make the day a success.
Secondly, they must - real must(!) have an artistic eye - to be able to see things out of the ordinary and bring those into context with the day. Without this key ingredient, all you get is a snap-shooter - point and click....
Thirdly, they must have the right gear and be able to use it! Unfortunately, too many photographers shoot primarily with a flashgun - what you end up with are "cold" images that have a tendency to be fixed by transforming them into black & white. Using the best optical quality lenses and a pro-level camera cost well over three grand! And it would be a shame to rely on a flashgun when the best images are often captured in the ambient light. Of course, to shoot in low ambient light and capture that elusive wedding atmosphere requires expensive gear! Oh, and what happens when the weather is overcast or raining....a pro would know how to adjust their gear and also the surroundings to capture the best of the day!
Lastly, given the digital age of photography, taking the image is now only part of the photographic workflow. All good professional photographers shoot only in RAW data format not JPEG. The latter does not provide enough latitude for bring the best out in an image when preparing it for printing. Shooting in RAW does require more technical skill in the post-processing phase and pro photographers will calibrate their workflow directly to match a professional printer. Typically this post-processing phase takes about 1 to 2 weeks.
So if someone is only charging a a few hundred pounds for all that skill and time....well I'll seriously be asking myself do they really have that experience! At the end of the day, you'll have a budget and that's important....no point in going into a life long debt for life long memories!
Find a photographer who's creative not only in their photography but also their wedding packages....that makes it a win win for both you and them!
Hope that helps!
Alister
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2010 11:44AM by gfbadmin.
Alister
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 29, 2010 05:30PM |
michyboo
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 30, 2010 04:22PM |
my partner has just decided that his friend is no longer good enough to take our wedding pictures and wants to higher a proffesional... now bearing in mind we have just 28 days to go before the big day and everything is in place and budgeted for... i nearly fell off of my seat when seeing the prices that photographers charge.
yes i understand that its their career and that they will take 1st class pictures but does it really need to cost that much money.... im now at a point in thinkin that we wont be able to afford a photographer and will just have to use pictures taken from an everyday digital camera n hope n pray they come out perfect.
yes i understand that its their career and that they will take 1st class pictures but does it really need to cost that much money.... im now at a point in thinkin that we wont be able to afford a photographer and will just have to use pictures taken from an everyday digital camera n hope n pray they come out perfect.
Alister
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography April 30, 2010 10:18PM |
Quote
michyboo
my partner has just decided that his friend is no longer good enough to take our wedding pictures and wants to higher a proffesional... now bearing in mind we have just 28 days to go before the big day and everything is in place and budgeted for... i nearly fell off of my seat when seeing the prices that photographers charge.
yes i understand that its their career and that they will take 1st class pictures but does it really need to cost that much money.... im now at a point in thinkin that we wont be able to afford a photographer and will just have to use pictures taken from an everyday digital camera n hope n pray they come out perfect.
Hi michyboo,
Just to shed more light on why pro photographers charge "so much", let's start at the minimum wage which is £5.80 per hour. Typically a pro photographer spends between 40 to 80 hours (up to 2 weeks on average ) on "finishing" the final photographs. At the minimum wage, just to cover their effort they need to charge £464! That's excluding any prints or albums that might be supplied!
There's also the investment costs in equipment (camera gear, professional imaging software - big sums here! ) & insurance needed. Obviously, there are ways for a photographer to reduce their cost - spend less time on post-processing the photos - buy cheaper lower quality equipment - use cheaper materials - indequate insurance....not really the way to go for pro level!
Not forgetting that the actual wage needs to reflect their skill....and how much is that worth? Is worth 100%, 200%, or even 500% more than the minimum wage? The answer to that is in the eye of the beholder!
Saying all that does it help your situation? Probably not!
Look, if you're serious about having a pro take pictures in less than a month's time and looking for some creative packaging to meet your needs....feel free to have a chat with me. I can't promise anything but I'll try and help. See GuidesForBrides for details.
Linseyw1
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography May 21, 2010 01:50PM |
The other option is to have your own pictures professionally edited. You can save a fortune this way, and I do it regularly for brides in Durham who have actually used a professional but the results weren't good. I can't give my website but I am listed in the Guide for Brides directory.The other tip to save money is never use disposable cameras on tables at a night event. Cost a fortune to process and the results are nearly always awful! Better off leaving CDs on tables asking guests to put their photos on them then you can view the photos before incurring printing costs and they can also be professionally edited.
IzzyS
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography May 21, 2010 01:58PM |
Alister
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography May 24, 2010 03:25PM |
Hi Izzy, got to admit my other half wanted to say a few words here! Apparently, she doesn't see enough of me 
Joking aside, other photographers that I know of take typically 2-3 weeks before delivering proof images to clients (whether that be weddings or studios). So apart from the day with the client, the post-processing work is staggered and as you suggested, for larger businesses they may have someone else to edit the photos for them. There are various job boards for photographers and I often see last minute requests for an extra pair of hands - whether that be for shooting or post-processing.
Some photograhers/studios do very minimal post-processing and that's very much down to style and the market that they're aiming at.
Just surveying prices on the net, some photographers charge sub-£500 and some charge £2k+. Like any service, there's a range from the ASDA of photography to the Waitrose of photography. One sells primary for volume, okay quality and at low price to the other spectrum of higher quality with a matching price. The overheads may vary for each as well - location, equipment used, printing company, etc.
As suggest previously, if there is a bride working on tight budget, the best of both worlds is to pay for the unprocessed images and have the post-processing done at a later date. After all the most important aspect in photography is the photographer's "eye" and their technical adeptness with their gear. A great photo results from capturing first the "bare" character and emotions of a scene. When post-processing is applied creatively, the same character and emotions remains intact but hopefully more poignant.
Hope that helps.
Joking aside, other photographers that I know of take typically 2-3 weeks before delivering proof images to clients (whether that be weddings or studios). So apart from the day with the client, the post-processing work is staggered and as you suggested, for larger businesses they may have someone else to edit the photos for them. There are various job boards for photographers and I often see last minute requests for an extra pair of hands - whether that be for shooting or post-processing.
Some photograhers/studios do very minimal post-processing and that's very much down to style and the market that they're aiming at.
Just surveying prices on the net, some photographers charge sub-£500 and some charge £2k+. Like any service, there's a range from the ASDA of photography to the Waitrose of photography. One sells primary for volume, okay quality and at low price to the other spectrum of higher quality with a matching price. The overheads may vary for each as well - location, equipment used, printing company, etc.
As suggest previously, if there is a bride working on tight budget, the best of both worlds is to pay for the unprocessed images and have the post-processing done at a later date. After all the most important aspect in photography is the photographer's "eye" and their technical adeptness with their gear. A great photo results from capturing first the "bare" character and emotions of a scene. When post-processing is applied creatively, the same character and emotions remains intact but hopefully more poignant.
Hope that helps.
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Re: Budget for Wedding Photography May 25, 2010 08:34PM | Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 5 |
First post on site and reading about photography with interest!
I agree overall it does seem a lot of money, for something that will be put in the loft only to be viewed at your future kids 21st Birthday "just for fun" when his parents "had a wedding album" how amazing is that!! Think digital photoframes, will we still be using albums in the future???
Just a thought!
Personally would go for FULLY EDITED CD only everytime, then you can do what you want!
JAXSTER
I agree overall it does seem a lot of money, for something that will be put in the loft only to be viewed at your future kids 21st Birthday "just for fun" when his parents "had a wedding album" how amazing is that!! Think digital photoframes, will we still be using albums in the future???
Just a thought!
Personally would go for FULLY EDITED CD only everytime, then you can do what you want!
JAXSTER
Karen Wilson
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography June 23, 2010 11:16PM |
Hi!
I can recommend www.legendaryphotography.co.uk they do fantastic photos of very high quality for little money.
One of their best packages they have is 750GBP only!! and it includes:
- full day coverage (they stay as long as you need them)
- CD with 200 photos (all professionally edited),
- 1 large photo book (many pages, I think 50 pages!),
- 1 small photo book,
- DVD slideshow,
- 50 prints 9"x6" and 3 big prints 10"x15"
I couldn't find any cheaper offering so much for 750gbp.
Hope it will help some of you.
I can recommend www.legendaryphotography.co.uk they do fantastic photos of very high quality for little money.
One of their best packages they have is 750GBP only!! and it includes:
- full day coverage (they stay as long as you need them)
- CD with 200 photos (all professionally edited),
- 1 large photo book (many pages, I think 50 pages!),
- 1 small photo book,
- DVD slideshow,
- 50 prints 9"x6" and 3 big prints 10"x15"
I couldn't find any cheaper offering so much for 750gbp.
Hope it will help some of you.
Lee
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography July 01, 2010 11:09AM |
As a wedding photographer also, I just wanted to support Alister's comments and breakdown.
With a wedding photographer you aren't just paying for the 6-7 hours on the day. I spend approximately 30 hours editing each wedding I shoot, so you are in effect paying for a week of a professionals time. So if you pay around £1000 - which is my basic package price - you are getting a weeks work, and since my brides generally get between 400-600 photos, you are paying approximately £2.00 - 2.50 per shot.
That to me doesn't sound too excessive to capture the memories of your great day - especially when compared to how much women spend on the dress.
If you spend a few thousand on a dress why skimp on the photos of you wearing it?
Plus with all the other costs - £20k of equipment plus insurance (professional, 3rd part liability) and office costs - we aren't ripping anyone off. My previous existence was in IT and I was much richer in those days - but photography (for most photographers) is about the art not about getting rich.
Finally, the choice between album plus prints, or a copyright free disc of your images (which is what I give) is something only you can decide on.
Hope that helps, everyone has a budget, but I can only suggest you think carefully about not having a pro providing those key memories, you may not look at them often after the first year, but I guarantee as you get older you will cherish them
Lee
GuidesforBrides
With a wedding photographer you aren't just paying for the 6-7 hours on the day. I spend approximately 30 hours editing each wedding I shoot, so you are in effect paying for a week of a professionals time. So if you pay around £1000 - which is my basic package price - you are getting a weeks work, and since my brides generally get between 400-600 photos, you are paying approximately £2.00 - 2.50 per shot.
That to me doesn't sound too excessive to capture the memories of your great day - especially when compared to how much women spend on the dress.
If you spend a few thousand on a dress why skimp on the photos of you wearing it?
Plus with all the other costs - £20k of equipment plus insurance (professional, 3rd part liability) and office costs - we aren't ripping anyone off. My previous existence was in IT and I was much richer in those days - but photography (for most photographers) is about the art not about getting rich.
Finally, the choice between album plus prints, or a copyright free disc of your images (which is what I give) is something only you can decide on.
Hope that helps, everyone has a budget, but I can only suggest you think carefully about not having a pro providing those key memories, you may not look at them often after the first year, but I guarantee as you get older you will cherish them
Lee
GuidesforBrides
barefoot
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography July 01, 2010 04:21PM |
I also support Alistair's comments. He speaks sense and his photography is amazing.
Girls I think it is very sad that wedding albums end up in the loft or under the coffee table. Why are you not chosing something that you love, looks beautiful and you want to show off? There are so many options for books and albums now that there will be something that you really love.
I love my wedding photos. Five years on I probably love them more than my hubby (!LOL!) but my point is they give me so much pleasure and bring back so many happy memories. My father and grandmother died within months of my wedding and I cherish those happy photos. For me my photos are priceless.
Girls I think it is very sad that wedding albums end up in the loft or under the coffee table. Why are you not chosing something that you love, looks beautiful and you want to show off? There are so many options for books and albums now that there will be something that you really love.
I love my wedding photos. Five years on I probably love them more than my hubby (!LOL!) but my point is they give me so much pleasure and bring back so many happy memories. My father and grandmother died within months of my wedding and I cherish those happy photos. For me my photos are priceless.
Syman Kaye
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography July 12, 2010 10:49AM |
kysia
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography July 15, 2010 03:40PM |
Hi,
I am one of those wedding photographers....but hopefully after 23 years experience a fair one!
Just wanted to say that the photographs are the one thing about your wedding day that encompasses all parts and aspects of the day and even goes on to become a family heirloom long after the cake has been eaten, the flowers have faded and dress faded ( and in my case 4 sizes too small). So please be careful, you do get what you pay for. Our packages start from £599 for a CD only. but story books can cost upwards from £1475.
Hope you have a great day
Kim
I am one of those wedding photographers....but hopefully after 23 years experience a fair one!
Just wanted to say that the photographs are the one thing about your wedding day that encompasses all parts and aspects of the day and even goes on to become a family heirloom long after the cake has been eaten, the flowers have faded and dress faded ( and in my case 4 sizes too small). So please be careful, you do get what you pay for. Our packages start from £599 for a CD only. but story books can cost upwards from £1475.
Hope you have a great day
Kim
Penke
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography July 17, 2010 04:01PM |
We recently got married and I must say I felt embarrassed having haggled our photographer down on price as it was a Friday wedding. She was there before anyone else, photographing the venue and church while the florist worked, and was the last to leave.
She worked so hard all day, and I know when she left she had to start putting the album together. We only paid £800 for her to be there all day, an album for us and a small one for both sets of parents and an option for guests to order on line, and I thought that was amazing value for money given how hard she worked on the day.
However, there are good photographers and lazy ones, and she could have got away with turning up 2 hours later and leaving 2 hours earlier and we wouldn't have known until we saw the album.
She worked so hard all day, and I know when she left she had to start putting the album together. We only paid £800 for her to be there all day, an album for us and a small one for both sets of parents and an option for guests to order on line, and I thought that was amazing value for money given how hard she worked on the day.
However, there are good photographers and lazy ones, and she could have got away with turning up 2 hours later and leaving 2 hours earlier and we wouldn't have known until we saw the album.
barefoot
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography August 05, 2010 02:48PM |
Quote
Anonymous User
We recently got married and I must say I felt embarrassed having haggled our photographer down on price as it was a Friday wedding. She was there before anyone else, photographing the venue and church while the florist worked, and was the last to leave.
She worked so hard all day, and I know when she left she had to start putting the album together. We only paid £800 for her to be there all day, an album for us and a small one for both sets of parents and an option for guests to order on line, and I thought that was amazing value for money given how hard she worked on the day.
However, there are good photographers and lazy ones, and she could have got away with turning up 2 hours later and leaving 2 hours earlier and we wouldn't have known until we saw the album.
I'm glad you were happy with your photographer. One of the best ways to thank her is to tell everyone who she was. Word of mouth (or a mention of her name on here) is the best advertising you get and she'll appriciate that.
Adam
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography August 05, 2010 10:15PM |
Good work on choosing your photographer, one word of warning, there is a reason that she charges £850, its becaue she is planning to up sell you. If she starts an hour and a half before the ceremony and doesnt finish until the speeches thats about 6 hours coverage, which equates to about 400 edited images. This is a standard photography industry practice, be careful, and how do I know? I'm a photographer I know all the industry tricks and dont use any of them. have a look at my ad might look expensive but there are no hidden extras [www.guidesforbrides.co.uk]
Please note I'm not trying to plug my business, just trying to expose the revolting upsell technique and emotional selling that goes on in this industry.
Hope you all have a fantastic wedding!
Please note I'm not trying to plug my business, just trying to expose the revolting upsell technique and emotional selling that goes on in this industry.
Hope you all have a fantastic wedding!
Penke
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography August 06, 2010 12:15AM |
Fair point. I imagine she goes on the reckoning that lots of guests will buy her photos after the wedding, but from my point of view I didn't have to worry about that in my budget and guests will have the choice. Admittedly we haven't seen the albums yet and if the best photos aren't in the albums but are available to buy as an extra I may not be so happy, so thank you for the warning about the "tricks of the trade" that is really helpful to know, and gives me the chance to subtly drop it in to conversation somehow before the albums are finished.
Thank you!
Thank you!
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Re: Budget for Wedding Photography August 11, 2010 04:32PM | Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 2 |
Hi all,
I read this post with interest because I often hear people say that wedding photography is so expensive. I'm a fairly new photographer and started covering weddings this year. Alistair and Lee have broken down the costs really well - I think that most people don't realise how much time goes into wedding photography both before and after the event, not the mention the cost of the equipment etc, which is thousands of pounds. Like Lee funnily enough, I used to be in IT, and I earned way more money doing that, but I love photography and am making a new career out of it. I need to make a little more than minimum wage though and I do think my customers feel they get good value for money.
I have one tip if you are on a tight budget - If you can find photographers with less experience, you may be able to get good deals. I'm not suggesting that you hire someone with no portfolio, amateur kit and no insurance, but we all have to start somewhere. A photographer with a few weddings under their belt will be able to show you what they are capable of. They will also recognise that they don't have the experience and expertise of some of these guys and girls that have been wedding photographers for 10+ years, so the price should reflect that. There was one comment above about getting what you pay for. I think this is an exception to that - you may find the new Annabel Williams or Crash Taylor just starting out (amazing work - check them out). Ask around for newbies, use social media and post your requirement to photographers.co.uk (hmm, am I allowed to post that link here?). People like me will be looking at those.
Adam - fair point on the up sell technique, but reading about that photographer, I thought "that could have been me". Again, because I'm new-ish, I'll often do more than I quote for, just because I want the couples to be happy. But girls - remember to ask all of the right questions of your photographer, so that you know exactly what is included and what isn't.
Happy wedding planning,
Vic
I read this post with interest because I often hear people say that wedding photography is so expensive. I'm a fairly new photographer and started covering weddings this year. Alistair and Lee have broken down the costs really well - I think that most people don't realise how much time goes into wedding photography both before and after the event, not the mention the cost of the equipment etc, which is thousands of pounds. Like Lee funnily enough, I used to be in IT, and I earned way more money doing that, but I love photography and am making a new career out of it. I need to make a little more than minimum wage though and I do think my customers feel they get good value for money.
I have one tip if you are on a tight budget - If you can find photographers with less experience, you may be able to get good deals. I'm not suggesting that you hire someone with no portfolio, amateur kit and no insurance, but we all have to start somewhere. A photographer with a few weddings under their belt will be able to show you what they are capable of. They will also recognise that they don't have the experience and expertise of some of these guys and girls that have been wedding photographers for 10+ years, so the price should reflect that. There was one comment above about getting what you pay for. I think this is an exception to that - you may find the new Annabel Williams or Crash Taylor just starting out (amazing work - check them out). Ask around for newbies, use social media and post your requirement to photographers.co.uk (hmm, am I allowed to post that link here?). People like me will be looking at those.
Adam - fair point on the up sell technique, but reading about that photographer, I thought "that could have been me". Again, because I'm new-ish, I'll often do more than I quote for, just because I want the couples to be happy. But girls - remember to ask all of the right questions of your photographer, so that you know exactly what is included and what isn't.
Happy wedding planning,
Vic
Nina Assam
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography October 04, 2010 03:13PM |
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Re: Budget for Wedding Photography November 04, 2010 11:52PM | Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 3 |
I know Alistar and Lee and a couple of other photographers have covered it all, but I just thought to break down the true costs here:
Time of wedding day coverage. 8 - 10 hours
Client meetings. 1-2 hours
Engagement session. 1-2 hours
Engagement session post processing. 4-5 hours
Time to upload engagement images to web and handle any questions clients may have about the ordering process and making changes. 1-2 hours
Drive time for entire job, (back and forth from wedding, drive to engagement shoot, and meetings. This could range in time depending hour far you typically drive to meet clients. 3-4 hours
Procession of wedding images. 6-8 hours
Album design. 5-6 hours
Final Delivery and finish any finial details. 1-2 hours
As you can see 8 hours can turn into 50 hours before you know it. Make sure you think about this when factoring in your costs. Then again other running costs have to be taken care of, these include, but arent limited to:
website costs
blog costs
internet cost
phone costs
insurance
equipment
advertising
office supplies
association dues
seminars and training
equipment repairs and maintenance
etc
So really any photographer charging sub £1000 will definitely be skimping on quite a lot of these.
Time of wedding day coverage. 8 - 10 hours
Client meetings. 1-2 hours
Engagement session. 1-2 hours
Engagement session post processing. 4-5 hours
Time to upload engagement images to web and handle any questions clients may have about the ordering process and making changes. 1-2 hours
Drive time for entire job, (back and forth from wedding, drive to engagement shoot, and meetings. This could range in time depending hour far you typically drive to meet clients. 3-4 hours
Procession of wedding images. 6-8 hours
Album design. 5-6 hours
Final Delivery and finish any finial details. 1-2 hours
As you can see 8 hours can turn into 50 hours before you know it. Make sure you think about this when factoring in your costs. Then again other running costs have to be taken care of, these include, but arent limited to:
website costs
blog costs
internet cost
phone costs
insurance
equipment
advertising
office supplies
association dues
seminars and training
equipment repairs and maintenance
etc
So really any photographer charging sub £1000 will definitely be skimping on quite a lot of these.
Alison Griffiths
Re: Budget for Wedding Photography January 31, 2011 02:52PM |
When I booked my wedding I didnt want to spend too much on a photographer but I also wanted my photographs to look professional . My friend went with a budget photographer I think he charged £500 and her photos were awful.
I chose somebody half way between cheap and expensive , I saved money by having the photographs on a disc instead of an album then put my photos in a digital frame.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2011 02:54PM by gfbadmin.
I chose somebody half way between cheap and expensive , I saved money by having the photographs on a disc instead of an album then put my photos in a digital frame.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2011 02:54PM by gfbadmin.
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