One of the things I’ve been told most about wedding photography is that it is too expensive. Yet, wedding photos are one of the (if not THE one) most tangible things to have from your wedding day. Many people believe that this is the reason for the high price. Besides the obvious sentimental value, there are many costs associated with wedding photography that unless you were actually in the industry, you would never even know about. I’ve seen, overheard, read about how many think that anyone can just pick up a camera & call themselves a photographer. Technically, this is true statement which makes it hard to understand why some charge a little & others charge a lot. You might find yourself wondering why professional wedding photographers charge anywhere from $3500-$8000 per wedding. In order to support one self as a full time wedding photographer, this is totally necessary!
Most people would think that if they book a wedding photographer for $4000 for 8 hours over wedding coverage, that means $4000 divided by 8 equals $500 per hour, right?
Not exactly.
Just for example reasons, I’ll use $3500 as the round about number for the average wedding photographer in my area. Most shoot about 15-20 weddings per year & for this, I’ll use 20 to keep it all simple.
*1 hour(at minimum) initial contact & booking.
*4 hour (at minimum) emails, calls or texts from clients.
*1 hour final consultation
*6 hours of wedding day preparation – preparing gear, coordinating & being in communication with vendors & coordinators, researching locations, scouting the venue, writing timelines (both tentative & final), planning the day with the second shooter
*4 hour+ for travel time to engagement session, bridal session & wedding venue. Arriving to locations early in case of emergency.
*8 hour wedding day photography
*2 hours spent importing & backing up photos the same day the wedding is shot
*5 hours picking highlights, social media sneak peaks & blogging
*25 hours culling, editing, sorting, exporting & uploading to wedding gallery
Total hours spent working on one wedding: 56 (Note: this does not include cost or time for engagement or bridal sessions)
Expenses (calculated for wedding cost of $3500)
$300+ for second shooter
State sales tax in Texas 8.25% per wedding = $288.75
Self Employment tax 13% = $455.00
Income Tax 15% (approx.) = $525.00
Liability + Equipment insurance (divided by 20 weddings per year) = $45.00
Health Insurance (divided by 20 weddings per year, this varies per person) = $126.00
CC processing per wedding = $101.80
Gas/travel $50+approx.
Client gifts, packaging, shipping = $100+
-Other expenses not included: gear, computers, software, website fees, studio space overheard, banking fees, marketing, membership fees, permits, city taxes & fees, etc.
Total in expenses per wedding = $1991.55
Total wedding profit $3500 – total expenses $1991.55 = $1588.45
Hourly wedding photographer profit $1588.45 divided by 56 total hours worked = $28.36 per hour or $19061.40 take home per year.
Moral of the story ~ weddings are expensive; wedding photography is expensive. But looking when you take into account all of the work that goes into one single wedding for a photographer, the expenses, the quality of work, the experience you get & the value of product you are receiving from your photographer, it makes a lot more sense why wedding photography would & should be one of the most expensive things listed on your budget. Additionally, if a wedding photographer is going to have a business which can support their family full time & can for more than a few years in business, they will need to take home pay of much more than just $19061.40 per year. Which is the reason why you will see prices of experienced wedding photographers ranging from $4000-$8000
Wedding photographers all have one thing in common: we are incredibly passionate about what we do. Like I always say, it’s not glamourous, but seeing other live the love I felt on my wedding day is why I do what I do. I LOVE my job but it is a definitely a very hard job that comes with many stresses.
When & if you are planning your wedding, as you are determining your budget keep in mind not only what all goes into your wedding photographer but what you take away from it. Book someone who has enough experience, gear, insurance & knowledge. Book someone you connect with personally & feel comfortable around. Someone who can be an extra bridesmaid (or groomsmen)! Wedding photography may appear expensive, but all things considered it would be worth your investment to hire a true professional.
XOXO
-Jenny