"Love is diving headfirst into someone else’s confusion and finding that it all makes sense."
atticus
How much do the best wedding photographers cost?
Geez Louise girlfriend, you don’t mess around, do you?
Forget listening to all the fancy sales pitches about art and memories and timelessness, you want facts. You want to know “How much is this wedding photography going to cost?”
And beyond that, I hear you asking “how much is GOOD wedding photography going to cost?”
Fair, fair. I gotchu.
I promise not to ramble, but first I gotta lay some foundational footwork for ya.
Luxury and Brand Name photography
Just so we are on the same page, I’m going to use purses as an example.
All a purse really is at its essence is a bag for carrying stuff.
You could walk into a dollar store, pay $2 and have a bag.
You could walk into a retail outlet, pay $200 and have a bag.
You could walk into a specialty market, pay $2,000 and have a bag.
You could walk into Chanel or Hermes, pay $200,000 and have a bag.
What makes all these treasure pouches different from each other?
Quality
I think we can all agree that a $2 bag from the dollar store is not going to be the highest quality. They aren’t made to last, or to showcase your unique flair and style. They are functional - they carry stuff but they don’t give you much beyond that.
Generally, the more you pay, the better the quality. A $200 purse is going to be more functional, last longer and be more personal than a dollar store bag.
Experience
A $2,000 bag handmade by a craftsman who knows what they are doing is likely going to be in your life for a long time. This person has put years into their trade, will have answers to all your questions and be able to walk you through your options, what is possible and will take care of you and the bag they made in the years to come.
Status
Is the $200,000 bag actually more quality than the less expensive bags? Nope. There’s really nothing that would justify that price tag - except for status. If you own a $200,000 bag you now have bragging rights. You get to show it off, you get to tell people about it, you get to be the talk of your social circle. You are now part of an elite group of people who can say that they own one of those bags.
How much do wedding photographers cost?
Every place and photographer is different, but let’s loosely categorize where a photographer might fall on the price scale:
Get it done
An inexpensive photographer is going to be less than $3,000. These are your dollar store / retail photographers. They could be students looking to get experience and expand their portfolio while they master their craft, or hobbyists like your Great-Uncle Steve who like to take photos for fun.
Get it good
A mid-range photographer is between $3,000 - $5,000. These are your professional, experienced photographers who have gone all in, and have made photography their full time job. Remember to thoroughly interview any potential photographers, because price is never the full story, and there are a lot of other things to consider when hiring someone.
Get it gurl
A luxury photographer is going to start at $6,000 and easily go to $10,000 or more.
These are your brand name photographers. They aren’t necessarily better quality than any of your midrange photographers, but they are going to give you an *experience*, not a product. You can now tell all your friends and followers that you are one of the few people who now own photos taken by a celebrity photographer. #braggingrights
[These prices may change depending on your location / currency. They're mostly based on my personal experience here in Alberta, Canada, but I’ve found they are pretty accurate for most of north America.]
Is price really everything?
Nope. Never base your photography choice solely on price.
There are so many other things you’ll want to consider, and think about when hiring someone.
I’ve seen MAGNIFICENT photos taken by an amateur who charged almost nothing to take the photos. And I’ve seen GARBAGE photos taken by people in the luxury space who charge 3 months worth of rent for photos.
And as always, beware the scam artists, and the flashy salesmen. I’ve heard more stories than I’d like to admit of people who’ve had their wedding day ruined by “professional” photographers, or how they wish they hadn’t chosen the cheapest option because now they don’t enjoy looking at their pictures.
May the odds be ever in your favour,
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