Right, let’s dive into a common question that couples often scratch their heads over: why are wedding photographers so pricey? We just turn up with a camera and just snap away, right?
Maybe this picture sums it up. These moments happen once, and only once. Not only that, but they last for about one, maybe two seconds. Then that’s it, gone forever.
Cracking the Code: Experience and Skill
First off, you’re not just paying for someone to click a button. You’re investing in years of practice and training that allows us to immortalise your special day. We need to be paying attention for considerable stretches of time with no breaks, finding those golden moments and capturing them in the best light possible. And trust me, that requires more than just a good eye – it involves a deep understanding of all disciplines of photography.
I’ll give you an example. A very popular wedding venue in the UK is a Victorian conservatory, to the naked eye it is beautiful, but through a camera lens it is a nightmare. Pillars and posts in the line of sight, the guests chairs are awkwardly positioned so you can’t make the angles aesthetically pleasing, and to top it off, the orientation of the aisle means that when the bride enters, she moves from extreme brightness to extreme shadow every four paces. I guarantee that if you hire any photographer with no knowledge of how to overcome these types of situations you are going to get bad pictures.
Wedding photographers have to have an understanding of multiple disciplines of photography. Landscapes, still life, portraits, macro, street style, documentary, photojournalism…all of these genres of photography have a unique skillset and you need to have a grasp on all of them in order to be able to produce consistently high quality photographs.
Consistency
This is incredibly important. Anyone can shoot twenty weddings and put together a portfolio of images. But that’s a portfolio, couples don’t receive portfolios, they receive comprehensive coverage of their day alone, so you need to know that your photographer can produce outstanding pictures across the entirety of the day. This is key when looking at prospective photographers to hire for your wedding day. Look at full wedding galleries, all from the same day. Make sure you get to see examples of different styles of venues, different times of year and different faith based ceremonies. If the work is consistently excellent across these three factors then you know you’ve found a high quality wedding photographer. The confetti shot can be a good way to judge consistency. The confetti shot is all action, all movement craziness. It takes skill and technical knowledge to nail it. Keep an eye out for consistent ability to deliver high quality photographs where there’s movement and action.
The Equipment We Use
Next up, the kit. Cameras, lenses, flashes, memory cards, tripods, not to mention the various software we need to polish those images to perfection. This gear doesn’t come cheap, and it’s not a one-time buy. We’re always updating and maintaining our kit to keep up with the latest tech and ensure we’re delivering top-notch photos.
In order to shoot a wedding season you need a camera and a set of lenses that can keep up with high temperatures, rain, low light and fast moving subjects. A camera and lens combo that can do this will easily come to a few thousand pounds, now take into consideration most photographers will have two cameras and a back up with them at a wedding day, and you can see that the outlay is quite considerable.
Time? What’s That?
Now, the hours you see us working at the wedding are just a sliver of what goes on behind the scenes. Picture us, before the big day, scouting locations, planning shots, chatting with you about your hopes for the images, and understanding the wedding schedule. After the big day, we’re sitting in front of our computers, selecting the best shots and refining them. A single day shooting a wedding typically translates into a full weeks worth of work.
Let’s say that I shot 30 weddings in a year, that’s already 30 weeks worth of work. Then factor in emails, blogging, marketing, social media, venue visits, zoom calls, making wedding albums etc. you quickly scale up to a full working year. If I charge £2000 per wedding and shoot 30 weddings, that’s £42, 900 after tax. Let’s assume running costs of £5000, you’ve got £37, 900. That’s nothing to be sniffed at, but you can see from a few simple calculations that wedding photographers aren’t trying to extort clients based on an emotional decision.
Would you, in your own career, say that take home pay of 37K is representative of a skilled worker with 10+ yrs experience in their field?
If you want someone good, who is experienced, has the right equipment and insurance AND isn’t also working another full time job and will therefore be exhausted on your wedding day you should expect them to be charging a few thousand. Let’s also not forget things such as pre-wedding photography, that’s a whole other day of shooting, plus a whole other day of editing…
Keeping the Lights On
Like every other business, there’s a whole bunch of costs to cover – insurance, marketing, office rent, travel expenses, taxes, website maintenance, car maintenance, hotel fees, and so on. To keep doing what we love (and trust me, we really love it), these costs need to be accounted for in our prices.
It Can be Unpredictable and Intense – You Need a Cool, Experienced Photographer
Wedding photography is unpredictable. We’ve got to be ready for anything – surprise rain showers, shifting timelines, quick changes in light – all while staying calm and composed. And here’s the kicker – we get one shot to get it right. There’s no ‘take two’ for that first kiss or the tear rolling down dad’s cheek. The pressure is immense, but that’s part of the thrill! A good wedding photographer will also rope in the ushers to help out on the day to make sure your group photographs go as smoothly as possible, I highly recommend you look at the roles of your ushers before the big day as hey are an asset that is their to be used!
All About You
Lastly, we’re here to tell your unique love story. We take the time to get to know you, understand your personalities, and reflect that in our images. This isn’t a conveyor belt service; it’s a custom, heartfelt piece of work that you’ll treasure for a lifetime.
So, there you have it. Wedding photography might seem pricey, but when you consider the expertise, equipment, time commitment, and personal touch, it’s more of an investment. An investment that ensures the laughter, tears, and joy of your big day are captured beautifully – to be relived again and again. After all, “We do not remember days; we remember moments,” and we’re here to capture those moments, one click at a time.