"How much should a wedding photographer cost?"
"My cousin is looking for a wedding photographer - how much should a wedding photographer cost?"
I got this question from an email I received today, and it's a very good question, excellent in fact, but a difficult one to answer. You need to consider 3 things when shopping for a wedding photographer:
1.) Style. All photographers have a 'style' and you either love it, hate it, or are indifferent to it. Some photographers are really into heavy photoshopping while others are au naturel. Some photographers do really wild and funky shots, while others prefer to stick to very classy formals. When you first start shopping for your wedding photographer, you need to carefully consider what type of memory book you would like created, what style of wedding you are having, and what photographers you think would fulfill your desires.
2.) Value. Unfortunately, there isn't a sliding scale for this sort of thing, and most people are on a budget. Several factors play into the 'value' of what you are getting - the skill, experience, or formal training a photographer has, what's included or not included in their wedding package, and what add-on fees they may require such as mileage, accommodations, etc. Obviously, you are going to want the biggest bang for your buck, so once you've decided on what you are able to spend, you need to decide what you are willing to get for your dollar from the pool of photographers you decided you like in step one. Many photographers don't have their wedding prices listed publicly, but don't be afraid to get several quotes - you might think the guy you love costs a bazillion bucks only to find out he's just starting out and is very reasonable. If all the photographers you like are way out of your budget, unless you are willing to spend less elsewhere in your wedding budget, you may have to go back to step one.
3.) Comfort. It is absolutely 100% important that after you have found a photographer whose style you like and who offers good enough value for your photograph budget that you make a point of meeting this person up close and live. Just like you should be asking for quotes, you should be asking for references from former clients. We're human, and sometimes our personalities are simply going to clash. Imagine waiting until the month before your wedding to meet this person, only to discover you think the chick is an airhead or the guy is a pervert. Wedding photographers book several months and sometimes years in advance, so start shopping and interviewing well in advance. A wedding is a huge investment, running upwards of $10,000 even for the simplest of weddings. We wedding photographers, we are intimately aware of the time and cost involved, and having just the right fit with the person you've chosen to document all that planning and primping can literally make or break your wedding memories.
Here's a REALLY dirty little secret - sometimes we don't like the clients, either, and we reserve the right to turn them down, the reason being that if we don't mesh well with the client, it will show in the pictures we take. Not only is this not ideal for the clients, but it looks awful in our portfolios...
If you know of a couple looking for a wedding photographer, I encourage you to pass this along.
I got this question from an email I received today, and it's a very good question, excellent in fact, but a difficult one to answer. You need to consider 3 things when shopping for a wedding photographer:
1.) Style. All photographers have a 'style' and you either love it, hate it, or are indifferent to it. Some photographers are really into heavy photoshopping while others are au naturel. Some photographers do really wild and funky shots, while others prefer to stick to very classy formals. When you first start shopping for your wedding photographer, you need to carefully consider what type of memory book you would like created, what style of wedding you are having, and what photographers you think would fulfill your desires.
2.) Value. Unfortunately, there isn't a sliding scale for this sort of thing, and most people are on a budget. Several factors play into the 'value' of what you are getting - the skill, experience, or formal training a photographer has, what's included or not included in their wedding package, and what add-on fees they may require such as mileage, accommodations, etc. Obviously, you are going to want the biggest bang for your buck, so once you've decided on what you are able to spend, you need to decide what you are willing to get for your dollar from the pool of photographers you decided you like in step one. Many photographers don't have their wedding prices listed publicly, but don't be afraid to get several quotes - you might think the guy you love costs a bazillion bucks only to find out he's just starting out and is very reasonable. If all the photographers you like are way out of your budget, unless you are willing to spend less elsewhere in your wedding budget, you may have to go back to step one.
3.) Comfort. It is absolutely 100% important that after you have found a photographer whose style you like and who offers good enough value for your photograph budget that you make a point of meeting this person up close and live. Just like you should be asking for quotes, you should be asking for references from former clients. We're human, and sometimes our personalities are simply going to clash. Imagine waiting until the month before your wedding to meet this person, only to discover you think the chick is an airhead or the guy is a pervert. Wedding photographers book several months and sometimes years in advance, so start shopping and interviewing well in advance. A wedding is a huge investment, running upwards of $10,000 even for the simplest of weddings. We wedding photographers, we are intimately aware of the time and cost involved, and having just the right fit with the person you've chosen to document all that planning and primping can literally make or break your wedding memories.
Here's a REALLY dirty little secret - sometimes we don't like the clients, either, and we reserve the right to turn them down, the reason being that if we don't mesh well with the client, it will show in the pictures we take. Not only is this not ideal for the clients, but it looks awful in our portfolios...
If you know of a couple looking for a wedding photographer, I encourage you to pass this along.
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