How much is the Average Cost of a Wedding Photographer in the UK? Here’s our breakdown to the average price and what to expect from your wedding day photography
Wedding Photography is one aspect of your big day that is worth investing in. After everything is over, your dress is muddy and your cake is eaten, your photographs and your memories are all you will have left of your big day. You will want to look back on these photos for years to come so it’s important that you set aside enough money in your budget for good professional photography.
Picking the right photographer is such an important decision. I totally understand how it can be difficult to judge how much a wedding photographer should cost. there are just so many photographers out there. The most important thing to remember is – there will be the – ‘right’ photographer for you, just like you chose your dress, invest time and budget into choosing your photographer.
All images Captured and Edited by Adele McCarthy-Watson at Fly on the Wall Photography
How Much Does A Wedding Photographer Cost?
We’ve asked lots of fellow photographers what they deem to be the average cost of a wedding. Most agreed the average couples can expect to pay for a full day coverage package will start at £1000.
“Anything less and I would be worried that maybe the photographer isn’t insured or doesn’t have the correct experience/training to cover your day!”
“£1,250-£3,000+ would make sure you are getting incredible service and peace of mind that your day will be captured beautifully.”
“For a full day’s coverage, I would expect you to get 300-400 fully edited images, watermark-free on USB,” (Source: Hitched)
What Can Affect Your Wedding Photography Price?
Things to consider when booking suppliers on a budget: Location, Date/Day, Timings, digital-only, questioning hidden costs.
Location – A photographer will be cheaper if they have to travel less, definitely check out local services and see if any suit your style.
Your Wedding Date – If you marry in the off-season, i.e. the winter months, your photographer may be willing to do a special deal. In addition, the day of the week you marry on can also have an effect. Fridays and weekends are the most popular days to marry so your photographer may have some wiggle room if you marry mid-week. Many couples book their photographer at least a year in advance and some photographers offer a discount if you pay in full up-front so there’s no harm in asking.
Timings – If you are on a tight budget, photographers may consider shooting for half days. Most photographers will not take an advanced booking for a half-day, however, you may get very lucky closer to the date if your dream photographer still has the date available.
Going Digital Only – You could go the whole shebang with bespoke printed albums that tell the story of your wedding day or you can buy the digital rights to your photos and print them off yourself. It is pretty standard to expect to receive a digital copy of your images in high resolution as part of your photography package with most wedding photographers charging £1000 +; this is usually on a USB or in a password-protected online gallery.
Hidden Costs – Almost all professional wedding photographers will have been contacted by a couple who’d thought they’d found a bargain with another photographer and ended up with bad photographs or worse no photos and spiralling hidden costs.
Mark Tattersall spoke to Wedding Ideas Mag and said: “Some will charge slightly less and some a lot more, but a photographer charging under £1,000 must be either an up-and-coming talent or one of the many wedding photographers of whom I hear horror stories from couples who contact me for help after being disappointed with their budget photographer.” (Source: Wedding ideas mag)
Don’t let this be you… Get a contract!
Source: ‘Hitched‘ revealed one horror story: “A couple paid roughly £850 for the day and thought they had a bargain. After the wedding, the photographer supplied them with 300+ mediocre images lined with watermarks.
“The couple asked when they would receive the unwatermarked digital images only to be told it would cost them £7 an image, racking up a bill of over £2,000 just to have the photos they thought they had already paid for.
“The photographer explained that the £850 was for him to attend the wedding and edit the photos but did not mention the cost of receiving the photos. “
Always have in writing beforehand exactly what both sides are expecting. This does happen!
What type of Photographer do you get at which price?
£0-500 – Amateur, Friend/Family, Student, Just starting out in Weddings
£500 – £1000 – Budget Photographers, possibly less creative edits, more traditional formal posed.
£1000 – £1500 – Experienced Photographers, will most like only take full-day bookings and have a particular editing style.
£1500-£2000 – Industry Pros.
£1500-£2000 is the average cost of a wedding photographer. Dedicated and knowledgeable, photographers charging this price point will know how to cope with any situation the day throws at them, like a sudden downpour forcing you inside for your photos, and still get the best pictures. Source: hitched.
