First-time wedding planner? Your wedding day is a big day, a once-in-a-lifetime moment for some, and everything has to be perfect. All the lights have to be in the right places, your outfits have to be stunning, and the wedding photographer has to capture every moment for you to relive afterwards.
When planning your wedding, you must factor several things into your budget. One of the most important is wedding photography. Imagine not being able to look back on all the beautiful moments during your wedding, like when your parents walked you down the aisle because you hired a no-show photographer or went for a cheap deal that turned bad.
A great feeling comes with flipping the pages of your wedding album from time to time, especially when the pictures are beautiful. It would help if you had a pro – it’s that simple. You need someone who knows how to find the right moments and click their camera away. Getting a professional photographer for your wedding can cost a pretty penny, so you need to know the average wedding photography pricing to help with your planning.
How Much Do Wedding Photographers Cost?
The question of how much people pay wedding photographers is not one you can answer straight away. There are many angles to it. For instance, several factors, which we will discuss extensively subsequently, affect prices in the wedding photography industry. One photographer might charge £800 for a full day’s work, while another may stick with £2,000 for the same period.
You can even get your wedding covered at no cost at all if you hire a beginner photographer who is trying to build a portfolio like a friend or a friend of a friend. Of course, it is a risky gamble, as you do not want to subject a once-in-a-lifetime event to a complete novice. One more thing you should note is that wedding photographers bring more value to the table.
Perfect wedding photography involves particular styles, themes, and a story behind the art. If you can find the desired style, it is easy to narrow your choice of a wedding photographer to the few who meet your requirements. While it’s vital to prioritize costs, if you find an experienced wedding photographer package that fits the bill and is slightly above your budget, you still have a good deal.
Most wedding planners suggest you allocate about five per cent of your wedding’s budget to photography. On average, a wedding in the UK costs around £31,000. Five per cent of this figure would bring the wedding photography pricing to anywhere between £1,500 to £3,000. Now, let us consider the factors determining how much you would pay wedding photographers.
Factors That Affect The Prices of Wedding Photography Packages
Most professional wedding photographers have fixed rates for their services, but several factors affect the amounts you pay to book them. Here are a few:
Timing
Timing refers to the events you expect the wedding photographer to cover. Typically, a full-day package would cost more than half-day coverage or an hourly arrangement. Depending on your budget, you can decide to use a photographer during the main ceremony and leave all the pre-event coverage to the smartphones of your bridesmaids and groomsmen. However, full-day package offers are more common among wedding photographers.
The Contents of the Wedding Photography Package
Some wedding photographers may deliver your photos only in soft copy, on a USB drive. If you want more, say a wedding album, or hard copies of each wedding picture, you may have to pay more than the agreed fee.
Your Location
When looking for a wedding photographer, it is advisable to choose one based close to your wedding venue. Most wedding photographers offer packages only within a fixed radius of their base. If you book a photographer from another city, for instance, they may charge you extra for the mileage and accommodation.
Your Wedding Date
Some wedding photographers offer special packages during the off-season, so you can take advantage of those promos if you fix your wedding date. Also, wedding photographers are usually in high demand during weekends, so you might cut a cheaper deal if you fix your wedding on a weekday.
Second Shooter Availability
It is one thing to hire a single photographer, but when you have too many demands and a large guest list, they may have to come with an assistant. Having a second shooter can be great as you get more pictures and cover bride and groom preparations simultaneously, but you should expect prices to shoot up.
The Photographer’s Specialty
If you settle for a photographer that specializes in covering weddings, you get a premium service as they have sufficient experience, but do not expect it to come cheap. Generalist photographers may charge less, but there’s a doubt that they would cover the wedding expertly compared to one who is a professional wedding photographer.
What Does Wedding Photography in the UK Cost on Average?
While we already established that people could go from hiring a wedding photographer at no cost to spending over 3,000 pounds to book one, you should not expect the same quality of service with such price disparities. For first-rate wedding images, the average wedding photography price in the UK is between £1500 – £3000.
Some wedding photographers may charge less than or around the £1,000 mark due to several factors, like location and speciality. Lower pricing does not always mean they are not good enough. It could also mean they are trying to gain more experience. With a starting price of £1,000, you should get at least 300 to 400 first-rate pictures at the end of the event for a full-day package.
Also, full-day packages span varying hours for different wedding photographers. Some may cover the event for eight hours, while others may run the wedding coverage for up to twelve hours. Be sure to confirm with the wedding photographer before accepting their offer. With bigger budgets of around £2,000 to £3,000, you should get a wedding album, an engagement photoshoot, and a second shooter as part of the package.