Wedding Photography Pricing 101: Secrets to Pricing You Won’t Want To Miss

Welcome to wedding photography pricing 101, where you learn the basics about how wedding photographers price their photography skills, what market influences do to those prices, and more. One of the hardest things to understand when booking a wedding photographer is how the pricing structure works. Where do they get their pricing from and why is there so much variety in pricing and experience?

First, let’s talk about the value of having a professional wedding photographer for your wedding day. With the proliferation of decent cell phone cameras and digital cameras, it is always a good idea to ask yourself what level of photography you really want:

Fast & Flirty: Mobile Phone & Disposable Cameras

These days, almost everyone has a mobile phone and they’re more than happy to photograph or film you at your wedding – even strangers! Or you can buy your own disposable cameras and share them with your guests. And I get it. When my children were little I leaned heavily on mobile phone moments because it was easier (& safer!) just to use what I had on hand. But ask yourself this:

Will you be satisifed with having only these pictures from your big day? These cameras tend to have a satisfactory automatic function so that the photos taken look pretty good.

But they aren’t high quality enough to print for the wall or photo album. And the full editing options are limited.

Yes, the best camera to use is always the one you have. Just make sure you understand the limitations of the possibilities, both in the control over the image being made and in the quality, printing and storage of that image later.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Honey: Amateur Photographers

Secondly, will you be satisfied with amateur photos from a family member or friend? Sometimes this falls right in budget and you capture someone right on their way to becoming a professional photographer. Sometimes it’s completely a miss.

Amateur cameras are not equipped to handle extremes in lighting that churches and weddings can have, and amateurs shooting in manual mode may not be able to compose the image they want because they do not understand how to fully control their camera. Not only that, but lower range cameras may only have one memory card slot to read to.

That means if something happens to that one card, all your wedding images could be irretrievably lost.

Abaracadabara: Bringing in the Professionals

So with so many different cameras & people willing to make wedding pictures in the world, what’s the point of hiring a professional? I’d say there are several. But for the sake of brevity, let’s boil it down to two things: your return on investment and insurance.

When you hire a professional photographer, you’ve already vetted them and their images through their website, reviews, & social media, you’ve chosen your wedding package, paid your deposit, and signed a contract. That means, in most cases, you’re going to be very happy with the photos and client experience your wedding photographer provides you with. Your return on investment is higher because you have more usable images in a higher quality than by any other means.

And what do I mean by insurance? Well, professionals photograph simultaneously on two memory cards in their camera, essentially making a backup as they work. They’re also making backups in multiple places to protect your images from loss, corruption, or hard drive failure after the wedding.

They have you sign a contract that protects you as well as them. Its in their best interest to provide you with the best possible coverage and experience. That means hiring a professional wedding photographer gives you the greatest insurance against things going wrong on your wedding day or even after the ceremony.

Wedding photography pricing has entered the chat…

Now that you’re clear on the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of wedding photography, I’m pretty sure you’re ready to get to the real meat of this article- wedding photography pricing. Here you’ll read the details of what drives wedding photograph pricing up, what keeps costs down, as well as why some are cheap and others are not.

Looking for information on how to choose your wedding photographer? Read this article for tips and insider insight from a wedding photographer.

So what drives wedding photography pricing up?

Inflation, recession, and the rising cost of living.

How do photographers decide their pricing? Any photographer trying to make ends meet through their work is going to know their CODB – cost of doing business and whether or not photography is truly paying the bills. When other goods, groceries, and services rise in price, photographers must raise their prices too or face the reality of going out of business.

Professional photographers must not only buy and maintain expensive equipment, but they also need to stay abreast of new advances in technology and keep the bookkeeping, booking process, website & gallery up to date.

All of these add to the cost of doing business. As does shortages in photography equipment. So when one goes up – the cost of living – the prices go up.

Education and Experience.

The more education or experience a wedding photographer gains, the more they’re going to raise their prices. I see this all the time in message boards and Facebook groups with other photographers. And frankly there’s nothing wrong with it. If you want a more experienced professional in any field, you can expect to pay higher prices.

Wedding photographers and professionals as almost always learning to keep that competitive edge. Sources like Katelyn Jame’s online courses and Nathan Chanski’s podcast Passion with Purpose among others provide photographers with a plethora of growth opportunities at their fingertips.

Supply and Demand.

The more in demand a photographer becomes, the more they are able to raise their prices and select their ideal clients.

Investing in Camera equipment & Coverage.

Wedding photography pricing is also directly influenced by the investment a wedding photographer has made in their camera equipment and how much coverage a client wants to invest in. Wedding photographers have camera bodies to purchase, both for use and for back up. They also need a plethora of lenses to capture events as they unfold in their best lighting and composition.

Wedding couples, on the same note, can raise the costs of their wedding photography experience by wanting to have more than one photographer photographing their wedding or by purchasing extra hours of coverage. They could potentially choose for add-ons like rehearsal dinner photography, an extra bridal photoshoot, or prints, canvasses, or wedding albums.

A Controversial Opinion

Wedding photography is a luxury product for a luxury event. It won’t be for everyone. But understanding what can raise prices in wedding photography will help you make the best decision for you, your ideal wedding experience and your budget.

What helps keeps costs down?

Competition

In August of 2023, the Kamer van Koophandel, or Dutch chamber of commerce, reported that between 2018 and 2023 there was an increase of 34% in the formation of new photography businesses. Even my province of Noord Brabant saw an growth of 38%. That is an incredibly high percentage! This influx of new photographers means there’s more competition among photographers for jobs and it forces them to both work harder to stand out and seriously examine or even lower their pricing.

The lowering of prices is of course best left to the wedding photographer themself because they know what they need to pay for their business and take home a livable wage at the end of the day.

Beginning Photographers

When a wedding photographer begins working, they will often charge lower prices or even offer to photograph weddings for free as they figure out their skills and pricing. Whilst this is an understandable growth trajectory for beginners, especially continuing to offer severely discounted wedding photography can leave them feeling burned out and still unable to make ends meet financially.

Not only that, but it can lead to the development of unrealistic expectations in the industry as more and more potential couples expect high end results from their wedding photographer for an investment that amounts to less than minimum wage when all the hours of photography, editing, and uploading are counted.

The advantage of having a constant stream of beginning photographers is that it keeps all photographers invested in learning and improvement. And it can provide a more experienced wedding photographer the opportunity to mentor up and coming talent. There’s much to gain and further ground to cover when we go together and that counts for photographers as well.

Plethora of other Camera Options and In house Photography

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, with the rise of digital photography, the advantage is really on the side of clients at the moment as they can decide to *only* use mobile phones, disposable cameras, or amateur photographers to photograph their wedding instead of investing in a professional wedding photographer. It’s a buyer’s market.

It really goes back to what the purpose is of the photos and whether they want that truly luxe photography product that can be picked up and featured in wedding magazines.

Cutting Coverage & Corners

What are some ways to cut costs with your chosen wedding photographer? One way is to eliminate a second shooter if they have one. Another way to cut costs is to limit your hours of coverage. Almost all wedding photographers work from an hourly rate, so maybe focus your coverage on the wedding ceremony, getting ready photos or bride and groom portraits, and some select family photos. Then let the rest of the photography be taken over by Uncle Bob and his hobby camera, or set up a QR code for guests to send their mobile phone videos and photos to.

You could also see if other portions of the photographer’s wedding package are negotiable or removable – like ordering a wedding album. You don’t want to be asking your wedding photographer cutting corners that can jeopardise your images, so choose carefully when you look at keeping your costs down.

Why are some photographers so expensive?

Exclusive Copyright

Sometimes photographers are very expensive because they are actually transferring the copyright to their clients. This is something you see more common in luxury and high end wedding photographers. Low to mid-range photographers tend to extend usage rights to their clients while retaining the copyright. Because losing control over the copyright can potentially cause the photographer a serious loss of income, increasing the price of the photography package makes sense.

High End Luxury Market

We’ve already established that wedding photography is a luxury market but within that market there’s an even higher end of luxury. Those expensive photographers who work in the high end market can be expensive and they still have clients. According to Vogue.NL, a wedding photographer & videographer should make up 12% of your wedding budget, so you can imagine that’s why some photographers are so expensive.

A Cautionary Word On Awards

Many photographers will advertise that they’re award winning. If you are still in the process of deciding which wedding photographer to book, make sure you take a careful look at exactly what those awards entail. Sometimes they’re just glorified clubs photographers pay to be admitted to so that they can say they’ve won awards.

For example, when I was just starting out, I thought it would be fun to enter a photo in the National Geographic photo competition for the Netherlands. I didn’t win any big prizes but I did win enough to have my photo printed in a 365-day photo calendar. I – and 364 other people of course. And National Geographic had gained the right to use my image for advertising. Not only that but I could have the luxury of enjoying that calendar myself if I purchased it.

Now I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I’m proud of my little picture making the National Geographic calendar. But I share this just to illustrate how easy it is for photographers to claim to be award winning. Please feel free to ask about all awards.

Why are some photographers so cheap

Lack of experience

Look, a lack of experience is not always a bad thing. Wedding photographers have to start somewhere. If a wedding photographer’s prices are that cheap, it can be a sign that they are still in the beginning phase. It is up to you after a risk assessment if you want to book with a beginner.

The Upsale

Sometimes wedding packages are structured so that you purchase a set number of photos. Then, after the wedding, you go and meet with the photographer to view your photos and choose what you want in your gallery. This is called in person sales, and its a way that you may be initially getting a cheaper price when you book.

Just be aware that after the wedding, you may find yourself loving so many more photos than what’s included in your gallery that you end up purchasing more.

Competition

There’s some seriously stiff competition, particularly in wedding Facebook groups, between wedding photographers. There’s always someone willing to offer a lower price if it means booking the couple.

Lower quality equipment

If a photographer is using older or more outdated equipment, they can be charging much cheaper prices. I think that goes without saying. So if the wedding photography pricing seems particularly cheap, do ask about what equipment they are using.

One thing you want to particularly be aware of is whether they’re shooting with dual memory card slots in their cameras or not. If there’s only one memory card slot, you run a greater risk of image loss.

Likewise, the photographer might be cheaper because they deliver your photos through something like Dropbox instead of a personalised password protected online gallery.

Where Amy Harper Fotografie fits

At the end of the day, photographers are all dreamcatchers

By now you’re probably wondering where I fit in with wedding photography pricing. And I’m happy to say, after much research and work, I’m decidedly delightfully average. I have the new end mirrorless cameras with dual memory card slots, I’m continually investing in education, and I deliver your images in a password protected gallery on my website. I’m also happy to prepare you an individual quote based on what your photography wishes. My goal is to make your experience with Amy Harper Fotografie so good that you can’t help sharing it with others.

€27 an hour pricing

In order to clearly communicate the Amy Harper Fotografie pricing structure, I’ve come up with a new way to explain my wedding photography pricing. All photoshoots are billed at €27 per working hour. The first hour of active photography also includes 1 hour of administrative work, 1 hour for uploading and storage online, and 3 hours of editing. So for one hour of active photography, I’m working 6 hours total. 6x€27= €162.

Any photoshoots longer than an hour have nearly the same pricing structure, except the hour for uploading and the hour of administrative work are considered paid in full. The editing costs remain the same, because with more hours of photography there are more photos to cull and edit. So every hour past the first hour is billed at a rate 4x€27= €108.

Closing thoughts

In comparison to the United States, wedding photography prices in the Netherlands are cheaper. That means I’ve carefully done my research in Dutch markets and on Dutch websites. What fits me and my photography style will not fit everyone and that’s alright. If you’ve learned anything after reading about wedding photography pricing, it would be that many variables make a highly customisable experience both for couples and for wedding photographers.

See anything I’ve missed with factors in wedding photography pricing? Let me know. Have any questions? I want to hear those too. You can either comment below or send me a private message.

And as always, I wish you the very best. Let’s go help dreams become reality!

Liefs, Amy