As the Fall Season is upon us (hello gorgeous golden leaves and pumpkins) so is Wedding Booking Season! With that, I wanted to offer a few pointers to consider when choosing a wedding photographer and package. Have you ever been shoppin’ around for a wedding photographer and the price tag “freaked you out” a bit? When Jim and I were planning our own wedding in 2013, we went through the exact same thing - even with me knowing about all the hard work that goes into wedding photography. The truth is - - shooting the actual wedding is only a fraction of the work done. In fact, a good portion of the work occurs before the actual wedding day. This article is intended to help bridge the gap between photographers and clients when it comes to pricing and payments.
Let’s take a look at how the hours might be broken down for a Full Day Wedding Photo Package that comes with Pre-Wedding Photos, such as an Engagement Session or Rehearsal Dinner Coverage, 8-10 Hours of shooting on the wedding day, and an Album. A “Full Day Wedding Photo Package” typically includes between 55-60 hours of work in total, with roughly 20-25 hours occurring before the wedding day itself. On that note - did you ever wonder what your initial payments go towards?
Consider the time the photographer spends engaging with you before the big day: email correspondence, phone calls and texts to the couple, venue, vendors, and wedding planners, the preparation of invoices, receipts, and contracts, etc. On average, a professional photographer’s admin fee may be between $120-$130/hour; multiple that by the hours spent before the wedding and this may be equal or close to your initial payment.
Then of course, there is the obvious - your initial payment also goes towards the photographer and assistant reserving two dates (pre-wedding shoot and wedding day) on their calendar thus declining future bookings that will likely fall on the same dates. This is particularly important for weddings that fall on a weekend (as most do) - especially those that fall on a holiday weekends. When a booking is made and a contract is signed, the photographer is agreeing to decline any additional income for those dates.
Let’s divide the total cost of your Full Day Wedding Photography Package by 55 or 60; from here - we get an idea of what the photographer’s hourly rate may be. If a Sale or a Discount was given, do not factor that in as it does not reflect the hours that will be worked by the photographer. Compare this hourly rate to what you may pay for different services, such as for a specialized appliance technician ($125-150/hour), a boat mechanic or deatiler ($75-200/hour), for a lawyer ($250-500/hour), etc. Naturally, each clients’ wedding package is a little different - although - this gives you an idea. And it may go without saying… although the prices of wedding photography will be different depending on the market and location.
The other thing to consider when booking a photographer is their education, experience, gear, and professional business status. Does the photographer you’re considering have a degree in the field? How long has the photographer been shooting weddings? Do they use professional gear? Is the photographer running a legal business? Do they work with an assistant or an associate? Let’s take a look at the cost break down of these topics - and remember, self-employed photographers do not have a company paying for half of their benefits.
You may be surprised to read the next few lines - particularly since I worked as a photography professor for the first half of my career - having a degree in art or photography (or any field for that matter) does not make someone an expert. Everyone learns differently and some photographers learn more as “self-taught photographers”. Speaking for myself, I learned better in a school setting and had an overall “life goal” of wanting to teach at the collegiate level - thus, I went the “MFA route”. Thankfully, I had an awesome educational experience (..and with that - a very special thanks to my professors and mentors at Lynchburg University, The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, and Maine College of Art). If your photographer’s resume does not include higher education from an accredited school, you may want to inquire about education outside of school. I’ve attended a number of photography workshops and online courses; these can be just as effective - in terms of learning the art of photography - as a degree!
One thing that money cannot measure is simply this: do you like this wedding photographer’s style? Were you happy with their overall portfolio and online presence? Do they have a good “track record” - in other words - have you read their online reviews and/or was the photographer recommended to you by someone? Is the photographer’s price within your budget? Do you find their communication skills are strong? After the initial consultation meeting(s), do you like this photographer as a person? Can you see yourself spending your whole wedding day with them? Can you see yourself working with them during the album creation? If so - I say, go for it! Book the photographer of your dreams to capture this very special time in your lives. After all - the images will be looked at for generations to come.
