A Bride’s Guide To Wedding Photography

In the process of planning your wedding, I’m sure you’ve given some thought to photography. After all, the flowers will wilt, you won’t wear that dress again, and all the food will be eaten. But your photographs will be a lasting reminder of you and your new spouse’s wonderful celebration. However, if you picked up the phone and started browsing the Internet, I’m sure you’ve also discovered something else–wedding photography is expensive. As in, really expensive. It’s not uncommon for  wedding photographers to ask upwards of $500 an hour (or much more!), and that’s not even including the costs of the prints that you’re sure to want to purchase.

So, before you start getting overwhelmed by thoughts of “How am I going to pay for this?”, let’s take a look at some of the basics of what you pay for with a wedding photographer. Then you can decide what’s the most important to you, and pay only for those items.

Let’s start by why paying for a professional wedding photographer is worth it:

Firstly, you’re paying for someone who really knows how to use a camera to cover a wedding–and that’s their only goal. Many of your friends and family members may have great cameras and take amazing pictures. Many will also bring their cameras to the wedding to take pictures–and it’s always wonderful to have these photos as well. But don’t forget that they’re going to be enjoying themselves at your wedding (after all, that’s the whole point of inviting them, right?) and might miss a critical shot. In contrast, the photographer isn’t concerned with having fun–they’re focused on getting the best pictures possible of your wedding.

You’re paying for professional editing and retouching. Here’s a secret–most great photos started out as good or average photos. But the job of a photographer is to enhance these photos to make them amazing. If you pay for a professional, you’re paying for them not only to take photos but to go back and crop, edit, and enhance your photos. They’ll adjust the saturation, color temperatures, and many other small tweaks. They may also provide portrait retouching services, meaning that you and your bridal party are sure to look amazing. They can also run gorgeous effects on the photos in Photoshop to give them a vintage feel, a hand-painted feel, or even a soft, dreamy focus. The possibilities are endless–and professionals know how to make your wedding photos into works of art.

Many wedding photographers travel with a group. Although many photographers come to your wedding with just themselves and their camera, it’s very popular for photographers to bring a small group of people to the wedding to get the best photos possible. This usually includes a second photographer as well as one or two assistants who will act as posers, making sure your group shots look connected, as well as go-fors (in those “We need to get Aunt Betty and Cousin Tim in here!” moments). Having multiple photographers is great, especially during the ceremony–one can capture what’s happening at the altar, while another can catch the looks on Mom’s face and the cute things that the flower girl and ring bearer are doing.

Also, depending on the photographer, you may also be paying for insurance that, if your photographer messes up, it’s not the end of the world. Most serious professional wedding photographers are covered by some type of photographers insurance that provides a backup plan in case something terrible happens–i.e., their camera is stolen with the images still on it, or a memory card breaks and the photos are lost. The insurance company for these photographers will then cover the costs up to a certain amount (as much as $1 mil with some companies) to “recreate” your wedding–to have family members flown back in to the venue, to have fresh bouquets arranged for the bride and bridesmaids to hold, and even to rent the same venue that the wedding was originally in so that new photos can be taken. Not all professional photographers have this insurance, but many do–and it means more peace of mind for both brides and photographers.

Now, let’s talk for a bit about what you might pay for when hiring a wedding photographer:

To start, you’ll usually pay an hourly rate for the photographer to come to your wedding, take photos of you getting ready, capture all the wonderful moments of the ceremony, get group shots of your wedding party and family, and then go to the reception. This can range from $150 to 250 an hour to upwards of $1,000, depending on the amount of people the photographer brings with them and the type of coverage they offer. Generally speaking, more expensive photographers have more experience and skill. If you’re getting married in a large metropolitan area, expect to pay more.

Then, after the wedding, prints of your photographs are purchased. Sometimes, this may be part of a wedding package that includes, say, four hours of photography and either a certain number of prints or a “print credit” of a certain amount of money. Whether it’s through looking at your photos in an online gallery or going to the photographer’s studio, you’ll have a chance to review all the pictures and then pick which ones you want printed for your album, for framed pieces in your house, or as gifts to your family and wedding party.

In addition to buying prints, you may also be able to purchase the digital files of all the photos. Many photographers will also be willing to sell you all the photos from your wedding, burned onto a CD or DVD for you to use however you wish. It’s very useful to have the digital files, since you can then do everything from uploading them to Facebook to ordering prints on your own from a website like Snapfish or Shutterfly.  If you do not purchase these files, however, then you are greatly limited to how you can distribute your photos.

So now that you have a better idea of what you’re paying for and what your options are, there are few ways that you can cut costs by paying only for what you want the most. If you have an unlimited budget, then you might now be concerned with this section, but I know that many brides need their photography to be affordable. So here’s a few tips:

One option is to pass on buying prints. Instead, you can get just the digital files from your photographer and then order prints later on when you have more money. You’ll still get to see your photos, but you’ll be able to postpone the print-buying.

Another option is to only pay for part of your wedding to be photographed. This will cut down on the number of hours you need to pay the photographer for. Many brides choose to only have a a photographer at the ceremony, and then rely on the guests and family to take pictures at the reception. This way, you’re still getting professional photos. An alternative can be had when you may be getting married inside of a sacred location–such as when many Mormons have a temple wedding. Photography is not allowed inside such a location, so they only pay for a photographer to cover group shots and the reception.

A third money-saver is to use the same photographer that you used for your engagement photos. If you had professional engagement photos taken, you might consider asking the photographer if he or she would give you a discount on your wedding photography. Many photographers will do this. Also, if you purchase a wedding package, it may also include engagement photos–so you’d save on both!

Finally, many brides have chosen to do only in-studio photography, meaning that they and their groom and the wedding party dress up in their wedding attire and go to the photographer’s studio rather than having the photographer come to the wedding. This can be done well before the wedding, the day of, or even after. You can save a considerable amount by doing this, but you will sacrifice having professional coverage of your wedding. However, this may be the perfect option for brides who are only having a small wedding or are planning to elope.

In conclusion, the options for wedding photography are extremely diverse. It’s up to each bride to decide what she wants on her special day–and how best to capture every moment to remember forever.