HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU SPEND ON YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER?

So, now that you are engaged and you’re thinking about wedding planning, you must be wondering how much should you spend on a wedding photographer? Of course you are, that's what all new engaged couples are thinking.

When my wife, Corinne, and I got engaged back in 2005, photography was obviously at the top of the list for us. Being a photographer myself, I knew this is where we would spend a good chunk of our budget.

So, how much should you spend on a wedding photographer?

The answer is..... There is no right answer.

Couples in general use between 10% and 20% of their overall budget on a wedding photographer.

Look at it this way. You've spent £5,000, £10,000, maybe even £20,000 on your venue and then you only want to spend £500-£1000 on your photographer. Doesn't really make alot of sense. You've booked your perfect venue, you want to book the perfect photographer to show off your day at this venue in all its glory.

Just like buying a car, a Ferarri is going to cost you a lot more than a Vauxhall: They are both going to get you where you want to go, but the experience will be so different. In other words, you get what you pay for. This also applies to photography.

Only you two can decide on how much to spend on your big day, everyone has a different budget after all - and there is no right or wrong answer. Photographers are so broadly priced that you're going to want to decide what portion of your budget you want to put aside for photography. Here are a few things to consider before deciding on how much to spend on your wedding photographer.

When it comes to wedding photography, you are paying for the photographers time and skill level - as well as expensive camera equipment, editing software and insurance. A study found that wedding photographers spend roughly 4% of their time actually taking photos.

Photographers in general spend up to 60 hours working on every wedding. This includes studio consultations, travelling, setting up, actual photography time, uploading and backing up photos, editing and delivering photos, ordering albums, etc.

Let's say a wedding photographer needs to make £40,000 per year, for a £28,000 wage (just under the UK average income) - with £12,000 worth of business expenses every year. If they can shoot 35 weddings a year, they need to charge £1,142 per wedding.

Based on 60 hours of work per wedding, this breaks down to under £20 per hour. Do you think paying under £20 per hour seems expensive to hire a specialist for one of the most important days of your life that you can’t recreate?

Here's a couple of articles to help with finding the perfect wedding photographer

FIND YOUR PERFECT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

THE MUST ASK QUESTIONS FOR YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Here's a few things to consider that will affect how much you can or should spend on your wedding photographer

How much money do you have in the bank? Obviously, this is a serious personal question, but it’s also an obvious one. We still think, at bare minimum, you should be putting aside 10% of your overall budget for your photographer.
What are the most important things for you on your wedding day? Seriously. What helped my wife and I when we were planning our own wedding, we created lists. We put down the things we wanted, then put a number by them in the order of their importance to us. We realized that we wanted to have an amazing time with our closest friends and family. That was number 1. Our number 2 was photography. So, we knew we needed to put aside a good portion of our budget for that.
20 years ago, the only way you were going to remember your wedding day was through a wedding album. Technology these days means we can view all our photos on our phone, tablet or computer. Yes, you can get some stunning, contemporary albums in todays era, but is it necessary? Only you can answer that question.
A photographer that has 15 years of experience is going to charge more than somebody just starting out. Just like workers in any other profession the more experienced you are the more you expect to earn for your skillset and experience. Just remember, you don't need the added hassle, wondering if your photographer can do the job on the day. Can they shoot in low light? or are you going to get blurry images when you have the photos delivered?

I've spoken to so many couples who regret not hiring a professional wedding photographer, or simply going for the cheapest photographer they could find. Make sure you don’t regret asking your Uncle who has an expensive camera to photograph your wedding.

Invest that extra portion of your budget in your dream wedding photographer.

If you'd like to talk about your photography options, or if we're available for your big day, just send us a message.

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