How Much Do Wedding Photographers Cost?

The cost of a wedding photographer ranges from about $1,000 to more than $12,000 depending on the number of photographers, length of time they cover the day, extra pre-wedding and wedding-day services and post production services. The average price of wedding photos is about in the middle of the range.

This page includes specific details that will allow you to narrow down the cost to hire a wedding photographer – Cost factors, what you get for your money and tips for how to save on wedding photos.

What is the Cost of Hiring a Wedding Photographer?

The average cost across the country for all types of wedding photography packages is around $5,700.

• Basic wedding photographer package: $1,000 to $2,900. Entry-level photographer, 4-6 hours of coverage. No pre-wedding photos. Digital photos and limited number of printed photos.
• Average wedding photographer package: $3,000 to $6,000. Experienced photographer, 6-8 hours of coverage that includes “getting ready” photos. May also include basic pre-wedding photos like engagement photos, bridal portraits or “getting ready” shots. Digital or printed photos.
• High-cost wedding photographer package: $6,100 to $12,000 plus. Experienced photographer, 8-12 hours of coverage. Pre-wedding pictures. Second photographer. Added services like drone and video. Digital album plus printed photos with an album.

Keep in mind that the work of the photographer may begin with pre-planning before the wedding, working with the couple to plan out the day – where they want photos taken, what the schedule will be, what types of pictures they want, etc.

Then, the photographer usually works at both the wedding and the reception. And then after the wedding, the photographer sorts and edits the images, fixing color, white balance, composition through cropping images and other post-processing work. In other words, a lot of hours may be put into the job apart from the wedding day.

What Is Included in the Cost of a Wedding Photographer?

Most wedding packages include an hourly cost for one photographer. A second photographer can be added a la carte. Then, all the images taken are processed to sort out “bad” ones where people had their eyes closed or were looking in the wrong direction.

A photo checklist is created of desired shots including various family and friends groupings, candid shots like first dance, etc.

Some images that are otherwise good except for a small flaw can be repaired with the remarkable suite of tools used in software such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, GIMP or Affinity Photo.

The final set of wedding photos can be shared digitally or printed, or oftentimes both.

Other services that may be included are scouting locations for outdoor pictures, helping with schedule planning to ensure time is built in for taking photos without having to rush, and a whole range of pre-wedding and wedding-day photography services discussed below.

What Factors Affect the Cost of a Wedding Photographer?

Here are the most significant factors in the cost of wedding photographers. Use this list as a guide to determining what services fit into your budget, from around $1,000 to more than $10K.

Discuss these issues with the photographers you interview. Give them your budget, and work with them to design a package that meets your needs.

• Number of photographers and helpers: One photographer fairly new in their professional life will cost the least. A team of 2+ photographers with helpers for gear and photo op staging will mean they capture all the great moments of the day, but will push the price much higher. Cost per photographer per hour is $85 to $200 with an average around $125.
• Experience of the photographer: A wedding photographer with 5+ years of experience and 100+ weddings to their credit will cost more but will likely produce a better portfolio of pictures in terms of the image quality, photo composition and “wow” photos you’ll always enjoy.
• Number of hours worked: If the photographer shoots just the wedding, for example, and is there for 2-3 hours, the cost will be under $2,000. If you hire them to be at the hotel or venue to shoot “getting ready” photos all the way through the wedding, the reception and the couple leaving the reception, the cost for 10-15 hours of work will exceed $10,000.
• Pre-wedding pictures: Engagement photos or solo bridal portraits taken in a fully equipped photography studio, or special photos of other participants like flower girls and ring bearers or the groomsmen, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner shots are lovely keepsakes but can be expensive additions. Cost is $125 to $600 per session based on the quality and reputation of the photographer, location, props and length of the shoot.
• Drone and video: Drone use for both images and video, and a full-length video of the day’s events, can add $500 to $2,000 to the package.
• Value-added wedding photography services: If the photographer provides props, schedule planning, a photo booth, or same-day photo editing for immediate distribution, those are extra.
• Post Production: Basic post production and editing plus culling bad shots is a standard for most packages. If extensive retouching or other post-processing services are required, price will rise.
• Wedding albums: Hiring your photographer to create an album starts at a few hundred dollars but can exceed $1,500 for a high-quality photo album with premium linen paper, embossing or debossing, fine cover material, or an included box. Page count is a factor too.
• Time of year: You’ll pay a premium if your wedding is in April, May or June. Significantly lower costs are possible during non-peak seasons. The climate where you live is a major factor in determining what are peak and non-peak wedding seasons.
• Day of the week: Saturdays cost the most. Then Fridays. Cost may be lower on other days of the week.
• Travel costs for destination weddings: If the photographer is local or has to travel an hour or so, transportation costs won’t affect the total cost of a wedding photographer. But if your wedding is in an exotic location that requires air travel and a couple of extra days, then this photographer expense will cost $5,000 or more by itself.

Is the Cost of Wedding Photographers Going Up?

Yes, the cost of wedding photography is rising. There are many reasons why. First, general inflation and cost of living increases are making these services more expensive. Photographers have higher overhead costs, which lead to an increase in the fees they charge.

Couples today also expect higher quality wedding photography and more services such as drone photography and video. To provide this quality and these services, photographers are investing in higher-end equipment, and higher charges are the result.

Postproduction is labor-intensive and requires expensive software. Yet it is critical for getting the absolute highest-quality finished photos.

As a result of the demand for higher quality, rising operational costs for photographers and value-added services, wedding photographer cost has risen 15-40% in the last 5 years.  Estimates of 10-15% rise in costs you’ll find elsewhere simply are not accurate; they are low.

How Much of a Wedding Budget Goes for Photography?

Expect to allocate 10% to 20% of your budget to photography with 15% being average. Which photography services you use, how many shooters and help there are, and how long the photographers’ day is are key factors in determining the cost.

How to Save Money on a Wedding Photographer

Here are basic tips for lowering the cost of wedding photos.

• Plan your wedding for a non-peak time of the year from late fall through winter to early spring.
• Pick a day from Sunday through Thursday for the wedding. This works with small weddings when most attendees are local and it’s in the evening.
• Get quotes from several photographers who understand that you are shopping around for good quality combined with good value.
• Choose a less-experienced, more affordable photographer – but view their portfolio first to ensure a level of quality and variety that is acceptable to you.
• Look for early-bird booking deals. If you can schedule a photographer a year or more in advance, they might give you a discount and you can lock in the cost before their prices rise. And prices are rising!
• Don’t hire a photographer for engagement and pre-wedding photos. Ask a friend with good photography experience to take these photos, but do it well ahead of time. If the pictures turn out great, then you save money. If not, you’ll have time to schedule professional photos.
• Choose a package with one photographer and no helpers.
• Create your own checklist of the photos you definitely want. If cost allows, you can add photos with secondary priority.
• Plan coverage of 4-6 hours max.
• Expect basic post production editing only. This means that some photos will have slight imperfections. If any of these would otherwise be favorites you want to place in a picture frame or feature in your album, you can negotiate with the photographer the cost of having them retouched to perfection.
• Get digital photos on a photo memory card only – nothing printed. You can always print some later when the budget allows. The print sizes you choose will slightly affect cost too; Smaller prints like 4x6 prints, cost less than larger prints.
• Most photographers work with couples to craft a package tailored to their budget with specifics about the number of photos, coverage length, value-added services and post-production work.
• Buy an affordable wedding album, and fill it yourself. That’s more fun, and you get to choose your favorite photos for addition.

Is it a Good Idea to Ask a Friend to Take Photos?

No, this is generally not a good idea if they are not a professional photographer. If high-quality wedding photography is important to you, there’s no substitute for an experienced wedding photographer – someone with a hundred or more weddings to their credit with a dynamic portfolio of wonderful pictures to prove they know what they are doing.