What is the cost for a wedding photographer?

In addition one can start by asking how much importance do you want to give to your wedding photographs, and what is your projected budget. This will help you understand, who is the right photographer to best capture the memories and stories of your wedding.

If, when planning your wedding, photographs are optional, you need not read any further.

If, instead, you have a desire to fill your memory-drawer with everlasting images that will thrill and excite you forever, your only possible choice, is a professional wedding photographer. Not an amateur photographer, nor a professional fashion photographer or a still-life photographer and not even a famous photography studio, that can’t often guarantee who the photographer will be on your special day, but a photographer that you have researched, viewed his photographs, and that has already given you  joy, at  the idea that they could be the one to capture your beautiful memories.

It will most likely be the expensive option, because it will reflect the “true” cost of the services of a wedding photographer.

How to choose?

A professional wedding photographer, apart from being registered with a VAT number, needs, above all, to have ample experience to guarantee, good human relations, a professional high standard and a reliable service. These can be determined by their years of experience, the number of weddings they have delivered and, most importantly, their membership of an officially recognised, world renowned  wedding organisation, that selects the best wedding photographers and will always guarantee a reliable, high quality service for the spouses.

The most important ones, of which I am a selected member, are: ANFM Associazione Nazionale Fotografi Matrimoni ‘National wedding photographer association’ ; ISPWP International society of Professional Wedding Photographers; WPJA Wedding Photojournalist Association.

How is the price determined? 

To determine the cost of a professional wedding photographer we must consider some important elements … beyond the working hours during the wedding day.

The style 

Firstly, and most importantly, you must like the photographers style and share their artistic vision of the event. If you have found a photographer that has truly amazed you and thrilled you, don’t look any further just to save a few pennies. There will always be a photographer you may not like quite as much, that cost a bit less. The question you should ask yourself is: Is it worth it?

Remember, photographs are memories that literally last a life time, and more.

Equipment

A professional wedding photographer will invest in the highest quality equipment, renewing it every 2/3 years. The equipment consists of two camera bodies (one as back up, guaranteeing no loss of photographs during the event), on average of 4/6 lenses, and much more… For an estimated value of €12 000.

Work hours

As all self-employed professionals, photographers spend time organising the services they provide. An estimated 6 hours is allocated to meeting clients, site inspections and preparing quotes. There are around 12/16 hours of photographic service during the actual wedding, starting in the early morning with preparations and continuing till the end of the event. We also have to take in to account the hours of post-production: selecting an average of 300 shots, from around 2500 taken on the day, that are then worked on to achieve perfection, before delivery to the clients; we estimate an average of 10 minutes work per photograph, plus additional back-up processes, that brings it to a total post-production time of 50 hours. It may often take longer, as this very important process of selection and refinement should not be underestimated by either photographers or their clients.

Reliability 

By choosing a professional wedding photographer, an expert in photographing important, unrepeatable events, you are also choosing a person that will guarantee their presence on your special day, that understands their responsibility and will work discreetly to his full creative expression.

The right price

The cost is firstly determined by the number of photographers involved (be wary of professional photographers with young assistants or two professional photographers). One professional photographer is enough. By the number of post-production photographs that will be delivered to the couple and by the number of days for shooting and editing, often the ceremony may last two days or the couple may wish the photographer to take other photographs on a separate day, a couples only photo-shoot.

Let’s say that a photograph costing under €1300, including VAT, is unusual, and one over €3000 is quite expensive. Honestly, you should follow your heart, there is no price on that.

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