11 Reasons Why Wedding Photography is Expensive
“Why is wedding photography expensive?”
“Photographers exploit the fact that it’s a wedding and overcharge to make a profit!”
“They’re only there for a few hours! It’s a rip off to charge that much for a few photos!”
These are some of the questions and comments you might hear from people in shock after receiving a quote from a wedding photographer. With so many different packages on offer, it’s hard to work out what the average wedding photography prices are or should be. It can get a bit overwhelming.
But, contrary to popular belief, the fact is that most wedding photographers are not actually as expensive as they seem. If anything, I’d say they are undercharging considering that they offer a luxury service and an end product that has a high intrinsic value.
When a photographer quotes £2000 for an 8-hour wedding shoot, the immediate assumption is that he/she is earning £250 per hour. But if you take a closer look you will realise that wedding photographers make nowhere near that.
“You are kidding me right?” I hear you say.
Nope! Not kidding! But for now, instead of asking why is wedding photography expensive, ask yourself this:
“Why is the cheap wedding photography, cheap?”
- What corners are they cutting?
- Are they insured?
- Are they using the right equipment?
- How much experience do they have?
There are many reasons why there are so many cheap photographers out there. Here are some of the most common ones:
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE MARKET
Some amateur photographers enter the market and start trading. But they do so without having the knowledge required to be a wedding photographer.
Most professional wedding photographers are running a business. And, as with any type of business, there are many costs involved in running it. But, due to their lack of experience and knowledge of the industry, new photographers do not realise how much they need to invest to start a successful photography business.
The mindset is that as long as they cover their material costs they will be fine. As a result, their prices are a lot less than a professional who has done it as a full-time job for years.
By not calculating the proper costs, new photographers are charging way lower than the average market price. This is damaging to themselves, other photographers and the wedding industry in general.
LOW QUALITY OF WORK
Some photographers who have been around for 15-20 years but still charge very little. Sometimes less than the newcomers.
This is because their quality of photos and service are so poor that nobody sees value in their work. So they no choice but to charge very little to maintain a stream of income.
EXPLOITATION OF INEXPERIENCED PHOTOGRAPHERS
I’ve come across some established photographers who exploit the inexperienced. I was nearly a victim myself when I started out. But luckily I realised what was happening and just walked away.
How it works is that the experienced photographer will quote the client £600-£1000. But they send the inexperienced photographer by paying them a very small fee. Something around £100-£200, for a full days shooting and processing of images. They then pocket the difference. That’s £400-£900 for doing 1-2 hours of admin work.
PORTFOLIO BUILDING
A lot of new photographers charge low rates because it’s the only way for them to build a portfolio. I had to do that myself with my first two wedding bookings.
Why Photographers Charge What They Do?
Other than the physical products offered, photography is not a commodity business. It’s a mixture of many. Photography is an art, a skill and a service. A photographer has to be a good sales person, a good marketer and, at the very least, have a good business sense.
For a wedding photographer, it’s not a case of turning up and taking a few shots and then handing you a disk of images. There is a lot more involved in creating the perfect memory of your wedding.
Let’s take a look at some of the main costs a wedding photographer must consider when working out their prices.
1) Labour
The most important (and obvious) part is the labour. An average wedding can last from anything between 8-10 hours. Asian weddings range from 10-18 hours!
Your photographer will most likely arrive long before the main event. They’ll capture the small details. Things like the bride and groom getting ready, decorations, venue layout etc.
During the wedding, they will be running around, ducking, diving, crawling and sometimes climbing! All to catch those moments that would otherwise be missed.
Doing all that for 6-18 hours is draining.
And to ensure they capture everything, they will have taken between 800 – 1200 photos by the end of the day. Sometimes more. Also, if your photographer comes with an assistant, then the cost goes up, as they have to pay them as well.
2) Unseen Work
Most people are unaware that a photographer’s job does not end when the wedding does. It’s not uncommon for people to think that it’s a simple case of downloading the images and putting them on a disk.
The fact is, while the newlywed’s jet off on honeymoon, the photographer is still working on their photos.
Depending on how many photos they captured, they could spend anything from 5-14 days processing all the images of the day. Generally, processing involves getting rid of blemishes, cropping and adjusting colour and contrast.
Now, let’s take that £2000 fee and break it down to an hourly rate. We’ll assume it takes the photographer 5 working days to process the photos. And a further 2 working days to design a bespoke album:
- 2 hours – Pre-Wedding Consultation
- 3 hours – Prepping for shoot
- 8 hours – Wedding Day
- 2 hours – Travel to and from wedding
- 40 hours – Post Production
- 16 hours – Album Design
- 3 hours – Admin Work (emails, calls, accounts etc)
Total Hours worked: 74 hours
Hourly Rate: £2000 ÷ 74 = £27 per hour
As you can see, it’s nowhere near the £250 an hour that is assumed. The hourly rate is in fact 89% less!
And that’s only for labour at the very basic and minimal level of service. You then have to take into account all the other costs involved in running a business.
3) Outsourcing
Sometimes it’s impossible for one person to process so many photos, especially if the clients asks for a huge amount of photos to be delivered within a short time frame. Take Asian wedding photography, for example, the celebrations of an Indian wedding can go on for 6-7 days. Imagine the number of images accumulated in that time.
In this instance, it may be necessary for a photographer to outsource some of the processing. Professional photo retouchers can cost hundreds of pounds per hour!
4) Equipment
The equipment your photographer brings to the shoot is no ordinary camera equipment. Professional digital cameras and lenses can cost anything from £1200 – £6000.
And that’s just for the primary camera body and lens! A good photographer will always bring a backup camera (or cameras) as well as various types of lenses in case the primary fails.
They also need batteries, memory cards, filters, flashes and other lighting equipment. Then there’s the cost of computers and professional photo editing software like Photoshop. At the time of writing this post, the latest versions of Photoshop products range from £557 – £2264! There’s also the cost of upgrading every time a newer version is available.
5) Insurance
With equipment of that value, smart photographers have all their gear insured in case of damage or theft. Also, Public Liability Insurance and Professional Indemnity are essential for any freelance photographer.
Each of these insurance types can add up to several hundred pounds a year.
6) Marketing and Advertising
An effective way for photographers to market themselves is with a professional website. Most photographers don’t have web design skills, so they have to use a professional web designer.
Getting a website designed could cost anything from £1200 – £4000+. And let’s not forget the cost of web hosting, maintenance, updates and technical support.
Then there’s the recurring cost of advertising. Although word of mouth is a great form of advertising, it does not provide enough exposure. To maintain a continuous flow of clients, a photographer must spend thousands of pounds per year on advertising.
7) Accountant and lawyer
Anybody running a business will almost definitely need a lawyer and accountant. Although it can be easy to keep track of earnings when it comes to matters of tax an accountant becomes necessary. Lawyers are necessary for any legal matters…obviously… :-)
And we all know how much they cost!
8) Travel / Location
It’s almost impossible to avoid fuel and travel costs. Carrying all that equipment on public transport is not even an option. Especially since most weddings take place in the middle of nowhere.
9) Extras
What about all those extra’s that wedding photographers offer?
Depending on quality and size, a storybook album could cost anything from £350 – £2000! Some photographers offer online galleries. Most will offer prints and wall products like a canvas. All these products add to the photographers’ costs.
10) Irregular Income
Unlike a normal 9-5 job, a wedding photographer’s working hours and income are not regular. Most weddings happen on a Saturday or Sunday and the vast majority are during the summer. How many weekends are there in a year let alone in summer?
Unless the photographer is in great demand, it is unlikely they will have a wedding booked every weekend of the season. Even if they did, I doubt that it’s enough to survive for the entire year, especially if they live in a city like London.
You will find that a lot of freelance photographers take on other disciplines of photography. Corporate work, portraits etc. You’ll even see some top wedding photographers doing this.
But these jobs are not regular or guaranteed. So don’t be surprised if your photographer says they have a day job on top of being a wedding photographer.
11) Experience / Education
Most wedding photographers didn’t just buy a camera one day and decide; “I’m going to photograph weddings!”
Professional photographers invest a lot of time and money on education. That includes courses, seminars, on-the-job training and apprenticeships.
Even after gaining the knowledge, they spend years perfecting their practical skills. Things like lighting techniques and posing etc.
Final Thought
So, why is wedding photography expensive?
The answer is simple; wedding photographers invest a lot of time and money developing their skills. They invest in their business to provide a reliable wedding photography service. And they do this because they are passionate about photography and your wedding.
They take great pride in their work. Most will go above and beyond to capture moments in the most artistic, creative and meaningful way.
Considering all this, can you really place a monetary value on memories?
Most newcomers are equally passionate and skilled. But they may lack the necessary experience and knowledge to cope with the pressures of photographing a wedding. Will they know what to look out for? Are they able to anticipate when certain moments will happen? Can they communicate with guests of all different personalities? Do they know which piece of their equipment to use in different situations? But most importantly, will they know how to capture everything in the best way to reflect the mood of each given moment?
Next time you receive a quote and think it’s a bit high, take all the above into consideration, before making a decision.
Ask the photographer key questions and find out more about them and base your decision on that.
- Check the photographer’s portfolio. Are the photos up to the standards you require?
- Do they have Public Liability & Professional Indemnity Insurance? If not, who will cover for damages if the photographer accidentally injures someone? Or how will they reimburse you if their equipment fails and they lose all the images?
- Do they use professional equipment?
- How much experience have they had photographing weddings or events?
- Are they authorised to provide services to the public?
- Are they passionate about your wedding and their work in general?
In the end, it is your wedding day, and you should go with what you feel is right for you. Remember, hiring a photographer is not a purchase, it’s an investment. As with any kind of investment, you get what you pay for!
If you’re struggling with the budget, try cutting back on other parts of the wedding. Not the photography. When the honeymoon’s over, your photographs are all you’ll have left to remind you of your special day.
You need to ask yourself “How important are memories of your wedding to you and your family?”
I wrote this article in the hope that it will give you a better understanding of why wedding photographers charge what they do. I hope it helps you make an informed decision about your choice of photographer.
To aspiring photographers, I hope this article helps you understand that there is a lot involved in wedding photography. And it’s not easy.
Here are a few, pertinent, quotes attributed to John Ruskin; an English author, poet and artist:
“It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.”
“There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper. And the people, who consider price alone, are this man’s lawful prey.”
– John Ruskin (1819-1900)
This is a somewhat contentious topic, so I’d love to hear your opinions. Do you think wedding photographers charge too much or not enough? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Chris says
You’ve really exaggerated how long photographers spend on their work, to try and get down to £27 pound per hour!
I’m friends with one of the most popular wedding photographers, in the country, and he spends maybe 4-5 hours on post production. And it’s not as if you spend 8 hours at the weddings either – you will if people buy your most expensive packages, but most wedding photographers usually only agree to stay at a wedding from the pre-ceremony until the first dance/cake cutting. 4-5hours?
Articles like this, exist, because the entire industry is unregulated, more and more people are getting sick of it, and sooner or later it’s going to collapse. With technology going the way it’s going, much cheaper alternatives, for getting wedding photos will come along.
There are few ways, to make large amounts of money, without any real talent, or work ethic than being a wedding photographer. It’s the easiest job in the world.
Turn up.
Take 5000 pictures
Send the couple the best 100…..
people are dumb says
Wow, this comment is so incredibly ignorant and pretentious. Someone who only stays at a wedding 4-5 hours and delivers 100 photos does not care about their clients. I spend 40 hours estimate per wedding because these days it is the bride’s expectation for you to be there from getting ready, shoot rings, jewelry, and other details, and stay all the way until the grand exit. Many people have expressed 8 hours is not enough time which is actually typical of wedding packages. After a wedding I upload and sift through 4000-5000 photos and delete duplicates and outtakes. After I flipped through those I am down to 1000-1500 pictures which I edit each one for straightening, cropping, and color. After those I flip through one more time to double check things. I then spend about 6 hours on a surprise slideshow so they can have a nice presentation of their day where things aren’t overwhelming to look at. This is about 30 hours total. I spend 12 hours at the wedding, 3-4 hours in consultations and emails, 2 hours cleaning cameras before and after shoots, and lets not even forget the time chasing down clients who don’t convert.
With the onset of digital couples do not want only 100 pictures. They want all the images of the whole day. Actually I have met brides who have expressed anger about misunderstanding their packages came with only 100 photos and the couldn’t afford the others.
On top of this I have about 10k in overhead each year and I have to pay independent contractor taxes.
After all this I charge 2000-2500 and still feel I am on the lower end of things. Some photographers need to charge much more to pay for their and their family’s health insurance, and in big cities where the cost of living is astronomical it’s not unusual for most photographers to have to charge $5000 + to stay afloat.
Ewa Highland says
Great article. Still highly relevant in essence despite half a decade has passed.
Thank you for this.
I am a Wedding Photographer based in East Grinstead, Sussex.
All the best,
Ewa Highland Photography
Ewa Highland says
Oh sorry, just realised that the article had been updated 2017. So even more relevant then 😊.
I shoot Medium Format film as well so imagine the cost involved in that, on top of everything else.
Lovely work you do!
All the best!
Ewa
Harry says
Excellent article!
Anneliese Heidenreich says
Have you ever considered publishing an e-book or guest authoring on other websites?
I have a blog centered on the same ideas you discuss and would really like to have yoou share some stories/information.
I know my subscribers would enjoy your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to send me an email.
OlaWale Ajao says
Excellent article!
The only thing I would add is:
Weddings are (usually) a one-time event, and (usually) years and years of anticipation, dreaming, planning, and preparation go into them. This means the photographer takes more of a risk covering a wedding than most other events.
If lightning were to strike and fry all his memory cards (not likely…but work with me here), not only would he not have a chance for a do-over, he would potentially have ruined one of the most important events in the clients’ lives, and the perceived damages would be much higher.
So for the same amount of hours and deliverables, a wedding photographer is taking on more risk than most other event/portrait photographers. That risk-taking should factor in the price somewhat.
Neil Speers says
You forgot some important hours to account for as labour – the entire sales process: initial phone call (.3 hrs), the meeting (1 hr), often there’s travel to the meeting (.6 hrs), follow up (.3 hrs), if you include an engagement shoot as incentive (1hr photography, .6 hrs travel, 2 to 3 hrs post production, .6 hrs delivery), final call before the wedding (.3 to .6 hrs). So probably a minimum of 1.3 hrs to 6.4 hours before the wedding even starts and that also doesn’t count the number hours spent on calls and meetings which don’t result in booking the wedding.
Thilak Kumaran says
a benchmark article….simply superb.. we just have to show this article to idiotic customers who argue about price….
Jay Hoque says
Thilak, I wouldn’t go so far as to call customers idiotic. They are not in the industry in the way that we are, so they don’t know what goes on. It’s the same way I have no idea what is involved behind the scenes of a solicitor or accountants job. You have to educate them the best you can. And if they still don’t appreciate it, then let them go.. they are not the right clients for you.
Elaine Borges-Ibañez says
Yes, the experience itself is extremely important, so everyone enjoys themselves to the full too. Its too late then to wish you had chosen a happy photographer if yours turns out not to suit you! xx
Richard Dale-twitchett says
If only it were that easy Elaine personally I think wedding photographers like yourself are worth every penny for the time and expertise let alone anything else whch I know you go beyond yourself to make sure a fantastic day is had by all xxx
Reel Life Photos says
Sadly there will always be people who believe we just press a button and out pop perfect pictures every time, and that the value of a print is the cost of the paper and ink. If so. ask them to explain why Edvard Munch’s artwork “The Scream” was sold for millions and millions, if it is only canvass and paint, or could artistic merit have a tiny bit to do with it?
Iza Adolph says
That was great Jay, I know what your talking about being a photographer myself. Loving your work!
Jay Hoque says
Thanks @Iza. :-) Just realised that I ‘Liked’ your comment but never thanked you for the compliment. Sorry about that. :-
Jay Hoque says
Lou, I don’t use a captcha plugin for the comments so wouldn’t be able to advise unfortunately.
Try the anti spam plugin Akismet before using a CAPTCHA. Visually impaired people will not be able to comment, nor will people with images turned off. And all of your commenters will be inconvenienced.
In your wordpress settings, just go to ‘discussion’ and check the box that says “An administrator must always approve the comment” That way you get to see the comment and decide whether it goes live or not.
Amin Islam says
That was a very good read.
Jay Hoque says
Glad you enjoyed it Amin.. :-)
Amin Islam says
sure did Boss Man. u are one of my inspirations when photogrphing weddings amongs few other photographers. :-)
Jay Hoque says
Amin, I’m humbled to be among them.. it makes me proud to know I inspire others.. :-)
buty damskie says
Some really wonderful content on this site, thankyou for contribution.
Lou Gonsar says
Howdy! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!
Jamie Emerson says
On the whole, I agree with the points made here, but by pointing out how expensive lawyers are, I feel you may have shot yourself in the foot somewhat (have you seen the fees for law schools – and that’s before the cost of the daft clothes they’re compelled to wear, the years spent ‘devilling’ for not an awful lot of money and the years preceding that at a good uni where part time jobs are discouraged).
My degree (Photography BA Hons) was an absolute walk in the park in comparison – perhaps 16 contact hours a week and the homework was usually a lot of fun!
Having said all that, perhaps the question should have been, “Why are wedding photographers so cheap”!
Lovely set of pics by the way :-)
Jay Hoque says
Thanks again for all the comments everyone.. glad most of you agree with whats been written.
I just want to take the opportunity to respond to some individual comments. So sorry that it’s (extremely) late. Just been mega busy lately.
@Jamie Emerson
On the contrary Jamie, I don’t think I’ve shot myself in the foot by mentioning lawyers. I was merely stating a fact that there are certain necessary expenses when running a business, whether we want to or not. It actually strengthens my point about how people under value a photographers skill and knowledge. Most people (myself included) justify a lawyers fee because, as you have mentioned, they have an idea of what was invested to become one, but mainly because of the fact that without the lawyers expertise and knowledge, people would be stuck when it comes to legal matters. So there is a need for that lawyers services hence the justification of fees.
I’m not comparing the value of lawyer to a photographer, all I’m trying to point out is that the principle is the same, a lot of investment has gone into becoming one. And without a photographers vision and skill, people would have to take shots of themselves or make do with snapshots by non experts. Therefore, by default, the professional photographer IS valuable to them.
@Sunny
I agree with you. And I never categorically said that cheap photographers are not well trained. There are number of reasons why some people are cheap and I’ve mentioned just a few of those reasons.
Az says
Excellent stuff, very well written.
Michael Halliday says
Really enjoyed reading your article Jay. I spent a lot of years as an amateur before realising I may have the talent to make photography my profession. My first experience as a wedding photographer was simply doing a favour for a good friend who could not afford anything more than a very low key ceremony. I learned so much on that first shoot, not only how much work goes into wedding photography but how much satisfaction I got out of it. My next step was to do some second shooting but I quickly found myself being recommended as a primary. No matter what line of work we’re in we never stop learning but to me that’s half the fun of it.
Your article has been very inspiring and the images you’ve chosen to display are truly beautiful.
Michael
Paul Thurlow says
Jay, really liked that article, one of the most comprehensive on the subject and a link that I will be passing on when i hear that question again. All the best
Paul
Shahed Hussain says
Great article Jay, I think i’m gonna forward this link to every complaining enquirer from now on!!
James Fear says
Quite possibly the most honest and true article I have ever read about our industry.
Thank you for a great read.
Sunny says
I think it’s all depends up on the experience and goodwill of photographers for how much they charge. But is doesn’t mean that cheap photographers are not well trained. There is not so much difference between their photography.
Sachin Khona says
Some great points and a good debate. and very well written!
However, you said you started shooting only weddings within the last year. So how does someone who is new to wedding photography and wanting to enter this field get experience without charging lower fees? how did you break into this already competitive industry? what advice do you have to newcomers?
Thanks for sparking this debate
[SK]
Amar Patel (Reminisce) says
Jay,
Well said! This is a great article to educate people on what we do and what we charge.
Thanks, Amar
Jay Hoque says
Thank you all for your comments. I’m glad everyone agrees with it all, because I wrote this last year, long before I actually started doing weddings myself.
Now I’ve learnt a lot more about wedding photography, Asian wedding photography in particular, and will be updating this post.
Its just amazing how many people, including some photographers, dismiss or ignore the real value of photography.
Niraj Popat says
Jay. This was a fascinating read. I’ve just jumped through 3 websites and stopped here when I started to read this. I can’t believe you wrote this back in June last year, and i’m only just seeing it now. I definitely agree with everything you’ve written! I’m not sure how many soon-to-be bride or grooms will ever get to read this, but as already mentioned by others, it would be a dream to give every client a chance to understand the inner workings of wedding photography as they walk through the door.
Rahul Khona says
i think i might just print this out and hand it to every prospective client! make some sort of a check sheet for them! really well said!!!!
Shital Gohil says
Hi Jay,
Just came across this article – you’ve hit the nail on the head! This article should be put in be put in front of every client that comes through the door as it will be the only way they will realise! As a full time professional photographer I’ve had to explain this day in day out…
Well said!
Sanjay D Gohil says
Well said Jay! All true :)
selvam says
Hi Jay, just found you’re website when I was looking for smoke photography for food shots. I have to say, that this article is so excellent, I had always been trying to explain to people the same reasons!!! Well only those who value the memories would agree the cost!
Great reading bro! and great shots… Cheers :)
Gary Roebuck says
Excellent article (all very true – and one of the best of the is type that I have read). Well done!
Jay Hoque says
Thanks Gary,
I’m glad you agree.
I was in the middle of writing another tutorial, but felt I had to stop and post this after overhearing some colleagues at work arguing about the “extortionate” fees wedding photographers charge.
It frustrates me that a photographer’s work is so overlooked.