How Much Does a Wedding Photographer Generally Cost?

Hello! My name is Rosina DiBello and I am an award winning photographer

with an insane passion for covering weddings! I also LOVE to educate my couples!

The BIG question is: How much does a wedding photographer cost?

I'm going to preface this with this question. Have you ever heard a bride

and groom say that their wedding day “just flew by”?

It truly does and that is why it is such an important decision in choosing

who is capturing the most important moment of your life. A wedding photographer bases their prices on various factors. Their level of expertise (beginner, intermediate, or Master Level), the type of equipment they have (or don't have), and also their business expenses. So the direct answer to the question is that the prices for beginner level might range from $1000-$2000 & the price of an experienced seasoned photographer would range between $3500-$5500.

What influences your prices currently and as they increase over the years?

Good question!

So I would say my pricing is influenced by my experience of over

20 years, my demand, and that I am located in a destination wedding

hub with year round wedding ceremonies.

The range for a seasoned photographer in South Florida runs between

$3500-$5500.00 on a Saturday night in season.

What do you include in this investment?

My packages include 8-10 hours of photography coverage, 2 photographers (lead/second), an online gallery with a password, a complete set of high-resolution digital images (completely edited), an engagement session, a canvas print (ready to hang), a wedding day photography schedule, a family formal detailed shot list,

and consultation and guidance throughout the planning process of the

engagement session and the wedding day. Phew that's a lot!

Do you negotiate prices?

I am willing to hear about each wedding since they are all unique. If adjustments to the pricing or package structure need to be made I am willing to do so.

When searching for a wedding photographer what is

misguided advice that I should be wary of?

The 10% myth... What is that? When someone tells you that wedding photography should be 10-15% of your wedding budget. Whoever made up this random number? Photographers do not work this way.

Would you ever walk into the super market and tell them that your budget allows you to pay $2 for that $6 loaf of bread. NO!

What you need to do is figure out how important is wedding photography to you? If you just want basic coverage then there are plenty of companies that offer just that at a very budget friendly price.

If you are looking for an artist that will capture the true essence and vibe of your wedding day… then look at Master photographers and choose from there.

Remember that the photo’s are the only thing left after your wedding day is over.

What is included in your pricing other than

the package (that was stated earlier)?

Yes I am an artist but I am running a company. Some of the expenses are office equipment, computer maintenance and updating the equipment, lots and lots of external drives. Admin subcontractors, editing time (cull all images, color grading, retouching) wedding prep of schedules and consultations, equipment maintenance every 6 months, auto transport, updating camera gear (yearly), taxes, second shooters, assistants, software fees, business lawyer, accountant, 2 hours a day on social media, and other standard business expenses.

Did I mention the hours of work that are included in my fee?

Each wedding gets 1-4 hours in emails, consultations, text messages, and zoom meetings, 2-4 hours for the engagement session, 2-4 hours of engagement image editing, uploading, and backing up, 10-15 hours of actual work the day of and prior to the wedding day (including testing equipment, charging batteries, meeting and directing team on wedding day expectations), 10-20 hours of editing time for wedding images and backup.