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High wedding photography prices don’t always result in couples finding the best wedding photographer available, but rarely do low wedding photography prices result in a desirable outcome. Typically, wedding photography prices account for 10-20% of the entire wedding budget. A good wedding photographer will deliver images of the day that will tell the story of your wedding again & again. Most professional wedding photographers get lots of business by brides recommending the person or company who took their wedding pictures – those who don’t get word of mouth referrals are soon out of business. Still, one does want to spend the time to ensure you’re hiring someone who works along with you as well as for you. After spending most of the day at your wedding, the photographer’s work has only just begun, followed by hours upon hours editing your images so you get a wide array of perfect photographs by which to remember your day. It’s not uncommon for it to take 3 to 4 days to edit a wedding. This time is even more valuable when you work out how many weddings or weekends in a year a photographer may work. |
Professional photography is definitely an acquired skill. Most photographers spend years learning how to master their camera equipment, lighting scenarios, image composition and different posing situations that work. Most experienced photographers base their price on their cost of materials, equipment, education, experience, expertise and quality. No two are on the same level, so neither are their prices. Ultimately you’ll get what you pay for. Since your wedding day will be un-repeatable and since your photographs will be irreplaceable and will help preserve your memories for multiple generations- you will have no regrets if you choose your photographer based on the style you like and then work with them to develop a program you can afford.
Most ‘professional wedding photographers’ are running a business. And, as with any type of business, there are many costs involved in running it. However, due to their lack of experience and knowledge of the industry, amateur photographers do not realise how much they need to invest to start a successful photography business. The mindset of most amateurs is that as long as they cover for their labour costs they will be fine. As a result, their prices are a lot less than a professional who has been doing it for years.
Choosing the perfect photographer for your wedding has always been like playing Russian roulette. You never quite know who you are getting or how good they are. You don’t know what can go wrong. A studio will charge $500 – $5000 or more for your wedding; the price of a decent vacation. When you shop around for a vacation you surf the net, read books and magazines. Why not do the same with your photographer? Once the wedding is done, the photos and video are the only record of your important day. It is a one shot deal with no UNDO button. The photographer is an investment worth researching. I don’t have a problem paying good money for someone who is best in their class. Be sure to plan your ceremony and reception times as close as possible. The fewer hours that you’ll have to pay the photography studio, DJ, and reception location, can save you thousands
The other option you have is to do the photography yourself. This isn’t as hard as professional photographers would have you believe, there are a number of great resources out there to help you get started.