On Wedding Photography Pricing
All brides and grooms are looking for competitive prices or prices that they have deemed to be correct or within their perceived budget (Most wedding websites suggest 12-15% of the total wedding budget). Most often this estimate is established without knowledge of the wedding photography market, and the services that accompany it. Since you only hire a wedding photographer once in your life, you may not be an expert in this subject.
First of all, it is necessary to understand that a wedding photographer should not give you a price without knowing your expectations: simple portraits of a couple or capture of the whole day, album size or CD... Four out of five requests received today can be summarized as follows:
"Hello, We are getting married on... how much do you charge for wedding photography?
Thanks,"
Thanks,"
In this question, there is nothing to make a serious estimate that will suit your needs and expectations.
How long will the photographer be at your wedding?
Where will the wedding take place?
Are you expecting an album or a CD? What size and finish do you want for your album?
Do you have any specific expectations for special requests?
So many little things that come into play for the person who will accompany you and memorialize your wedding day...
Photography is an artistic expression that allows emotions to be shared. This is THE central goal of my work. My images will capture the love relationship between the bride and groom and their family members: romantic, emotional, serious, and silly. All of these things make up the beauty of YOUR wedding and what I capture for you will not only allow you to SHOW your wedding but also to REVIVE it emotionally. For that, you need sensitivity and experience, it can't be manufactured and it can't be bought on the internet!
In the field of photography, comparing prices alone makes little sense: when two people take almost the same photo at the same time and in the same place, the photos are different. You will prefer one over the other. Why? Simply because they are different, and they "speak" to you in a different way. These photos were taken with different angles and framing at slightly different times in time, enough for the expressions of the faces to have changed and reveal different feelings. The know-how of the professional photographer and knowing how to choose the right angles, the right framing, and the "decisive" moments. This know-how cannot be bought with a camera and it is forged over the years. This is what makes a large part of the "value" of an experienced photographer.
Just as having a pencil is not enough to be a writer, having a camera is not enough to be a photographer (“My friend bought a great camera, it will take good pictures! ").
In wedding photography as elsewhere, it must be understood that for an entry-level price, you will simply have an entry-level service (which can satisfy you if you are not demanding) but you will be disappointed if you thought you had a quality service by getting a good deal ;-) Cheap bad photos are always too expensive! After your marriage, it will be too late to understand it...
To give an idea, in 2022 in Middle Tennessee, wedding photo services range from $500 to $6,000. For a quality professional photo service, consider a budget of $1,000 for a "classic" service. This amount can reach $1,500 -3,000 depending on how much time you need, the services expected, and the end product you desire. There is no “one size fits all” collection because every wedding is unique. Your wedding is unique and the photography should also be unique to your needs. This is why we have ONE collection. It's the YOU collection tailored to whom? You!
A photographer’s work does not end when he leaves you at the end of the day. If he is serious, he will spend a lot of time on his computer in post-production, which consists of:
A photographer’s work does not end when he leaves you at the end of the day. If he is serious, he will spend a lot of time on his computer in post-production, which consists of:
- backing up your photos (what would you care if they were lost?)
- selecting your photos (would you like to have to spend hours removing photos with one eye closed, one mouth open or a guest walking past?)
- retouch your photos (brighten, darken, soften, crop...)
- make a gallery on the internet
- create your wedding preview
- make the layout of your album and manage the printer...
... of course, some "semi-professionals" are content to empty the memory card of their camera on a USB key that they give you the same evening for a few bucks! That is short-selling your wedding memories in my opinion.
Usually, for serious professionals, post-production takes 3-4 times longer than shooting. When a professional photographer spends 1 day with you, they will spend 3 to 4 days on the computer to deliver you very beautiful photos (and only very beautiful ones). The service that you paid for represents 4 to 5 days of qualified work requiring specialized know-how and very expensive equipment. All this invisible work for you contributes enormously to the quality of the service that you implicitly expect from a professional.
Usually, for serious professionals, post-production takes 3-4 times longer than shooting. When a professional photographer spends 1 day with you, they will spend 3 to 4 days on the computer to deliver you very beautiful photos (and only very beautiful ones). The service that you paid for represents 4 to 5 days of qualified work requiring specialized know-how and very expensive equipment. All this invisible work for you contributes enormously to the quality of the service that you implicitly expect from a professional.
Those who give you the USB or upload to an online gallery for download have not given any importance to your photos and it is up to you to manage them. In my experience, few have the time or skill to do it on their own. For example, how many photos do you take on vacation? How long do you take to sort them and make an album or a slideshow? Good luck taking care of 1000, 2000 or 3000 photos that a "semi-pro" will give you!
For my part, I always make duplicate backups to four different locations in addition to preserving the memory cards that I erase only when the photos have been delivered to you. I drastically select the photos to keep on average only 1 out of 5, which allows me to deliver you only the best photos which all tell a story and where each one contributes to your wedding story. I retouch (without touching faces, or expressions... of course) as much as necessary so that each photo is perfect both on screen and in large-format printing. I take care of the packaging and I have my albums printed by one of the best professional labs in America.
This is how I work for you, so that my images carry forth the story of your family history, whether for a wedding or simply for family photos, pregnancy photos, birth photos, or portraits.