MemberI just started pricing different options and quickly discovered that my 1st and 2nd choices for photographers were going to seriously be out of my budget. So I contacted a lesser known photog and sadly discovered she’s still about $500 more than I originally budgeted. Maybe I’m being cheap… Idk. So how much was your photography bees? Include bridals and engagement and wedding day.
Member1st engagement shoot was $70 facebook photographer did not like the pictures at all!!
2nd engagement shoot loved them – $100 for an hour
my wedding photographer – $2200
reception photographer – $350 (same girl that did my 2nd e shoot)
TTD shoot – $100 (same as 2nd e shoot)
MemberI’m sure this will vary by location, but seeing these numbers will hopefully help me to justify the cost in my head. Maybe … Lol
MemberI think this really depends on location. For example, I live in South Florida and when I found out the average for wedding photography it was 3k! I was in shocked because I didn’t want to pay that much and not get everything I wanted. I found a great photographer within my budget, I’m getting everything I wanted, and she is amazingly talented! We paid $2500.
Member
MemberI’m not trying to pick on you but this question gets asked every two days. Just search a little first!
MemberWe are paying $3700
2 x photographers
Coverage starting from 10am-10pm.
8 x prints of our choice printed on thick card stock (I don’t really like canvas)
They estimate that they’ll take between 800-1000 photos and will edit and supply them all to me with no watermarks on a USB.
I am obsessed with the blogs they put on FB. Makes my jaw drop everytime, even if it’s not my style of dress, venue, theme etc. That’s a good sign!
MemberWhere are you located? The average package greatly depends on your location. I live in the Bay Area. Packages start at $4000 for 8 hours of coverage and a photo album with 20 pictures. You have to pay extra for an assistant photographer, prints, and DVD.
We ended up paying $5000 for photographer and $1500 DVD. We will order our own prints from a different vendor.
We did not do an engagement session with our photographer. It was $500 for an hour and did not include prints or digital pictures. We used a hired a much less expensive photographer for the engagement photos.
MemberOurs was $1000. It included the day of the wedding plus engagement pictures. But since at the time we were living in a different state then the one we are getting married in, we paid an extra $550 (including photo rights) for an engagement photographer.
MemberI live in San Diego, where prices for photographers are pretty high.
8 hours on wedding day: $3300
Engagement Session, (undetermined number of hours, since we’re traveling for it): $400
Engagement Session Travel (600 miles):$300
Package includes online gallery, full ownership of the high-res images, and all editing. We LOVE them, and photography was a priority for us, so we splurged. My absolute favorites are friends from our church in Berkeley, and would have travelled 600 miles to San Diego for our wedding, but not travelled for the engagement shoot. They would have been $5400.
MemberThanks for the answers. It’s nice to have some feedback. (Yes, I realize there are other posts like it. I’m not an idiot, thanks.)
The photographers I loved were both around $3500 and the 3rd choice is $1800. I guess I wouldn’t have minded the first two being around $1800 and I was hoping for around $1000-1200 for the third. I do live in a smaller city in Texas so I guess I thought since I wasn’t “big city” it might be somewhat less expensive. I do realize that photography can make or break the memories. They are also artists. But the whole thing just feels very subjective to me.
So I guess the moral is (according to the poll), I am being cheap and I need to suck it up! LOL I am going to keep my options open and look for another month or so.
MemberWe found a great photographer that is just starting out on his own but has done a lot of wedding photography as an assistant to better-known photographers. Including an engagement session we hired him for $850. He’ll be there for the getting ready pictures, the ceremony, group/couple pictures, and the reception. He’ll also have an assistant. If you can find anyone who has experience but is just starting out, they’re usually happy to work with your budget.
MemberUpstate NY the average for someone good with 6 hour to full coverage is $2000-$4000.
Its fairly rare to find someone good at $1000-$1200 range. If you get that price for someone good its probably 5 hours or less of coverage. I personally do a minimum of 4 hours, most will have a minimum.
Dont be afraid to contact someone out of your “budget” if you love their work because you maybe able to get them for a bit less coverage so its affordable to you. For me personally Id rather have stellar 5 hour over mediocre 8 hour. You can discuss your timeline with the photographer so you can maximize your coverage, get more bang for your buck so to speak. Also expand your search many photographers travel, I dont know any that wont travel at least 5 hours from home.
many take payments as well.
MemberOh and dont wait the good ones get swiped up quick, you are already shopping late in the game with a May 2013 wedding.. 12-14 months out is in general when you should book.
MemberI did a lot of research. Most of the packages (engagement session, wedding day for 6 hours) ranged from $2300-$3000. Now some with more inclusions (DVD, pictures, time) would go up to about $4000.
I’m paying $3075 for engagement photos, 9 hours of wedding day coverage (2 photographers) and DVDs/CDs of all full resolution pictures from engagement/wedding photos.
I did see about 2 photographers whose style I liked that were a little cheaper, would have been about $2700. But I liked the woman I got because she also does boudoir photos and I really want those!
Researching photographers took me about as much time as finding the venue (probably a month). But it will be worth it because you will have to look at those forever.
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