Photography

I am planning on getting married in March next year and have been astounded by how much many photographer’s are quoting on their websites.
What is a good price for a photographer without going over the top? I want a photographer there for the ceremony, reception and the first dance, what should I expect to pay?

This is all relative … it depends on a number of factors: the area of the country you live in, your overall wedding budget, what else you may need to pay for, etc.

I would say that a good price would be anywhere from 7-15% of your total budget, but that’s just a general guideline. Don’t forget that photos last forever … you might splurge on an awesome limo or a fancy cake, which is fine if that’s what you want, but those things only last one day. The photos are really the only material things that you will have once the wedding’s over.

Here’s a tool that breaks down your budget for you if you enter your TOTAL wedding budget. You can always play with the numbers … for example, if you don’t care a lot about flowers, take some money out of that category and put it toward photos: http://weddings.theknot.com/budgeter/Budgeter.aspx

And if you want to look for photographers in your price range, try wpja.org – this is a listing of wedding photojournalists and you can search by state. They list basic starting prices on this website, so you can get a start there. Of course, remember that this info may be out of date, plus some vendors only provide their rock-bottom price to this website (which may be a smaller package than you were hoping for), so don’t assume that that will be your final price. Another suggestion would be to check out Craigslist for up-and-coming photographers, but remember to check references and their work VERY carefully to be sure you’re not being scammed. Also try contacting local newspapers and ask if you can hire their photographers … sometimes you will save money with vendors who don’t specifically cater to weddings.

Talk to good photographers and say, "I only have $abc to spend, and I’m hoping you can provide me with XYZ. Can you work with us?" Most photographers will be willing to at least talk to you about tailoring a package to your needs and budget. Remember that they need to make a living, too, so be prepared to tweak your budget a bit so that it’s fair for both of you.

For reference, I am going to meet with photographers pretty soon, and they’ve quoted me around the $3500 mark for the coverage and services that I want. I live in the New York City metro area, so this price may be higher than non-metro areas of the U.S. I know for a fact that other couples in my area have paid lower rates than this, but some have also paid much higher than this, so I think we’re paying an average price. We’re also cutting back in areas such as flowers and limos and attire, but photos is the one area where I want to hire the absolute best person we can because photos are important to me.