Dear Bride....A letter from a Photographer

Just remember when you're shopping for a photographer, ASK to see complete weddings that they've worked. There is a person on my local craigslist who has recently been posting that he is looking for wedding subjects (note - not an actual wedding), maternity, portrait, event, seniors, babies, etc. subjects so that he can build a portfolio. Jack of all trades, eh?

Bam, in a few weeks, he'll be a photographer! At least he will think he is because he has a portfolio on his website. He'll turn around and charge next to nothing and be out of business with plenty of disgruntled customers to boot.

Good point Matt!

For me the photographer and videographer were where I splurged. I know it sounds gimmicky but everything from our wedding days will be gone but the photos are what last forever. Also I want my guest to have a great time at my wedding and not have to work. Plus if something goes wrong I want someone to hold accountable, sounds bitchy but it’s true. Could you chew out a buddy who did you the favor of taking your pictures who accidentally forgot film, camera broke, missed an important moment, etc?? That being said, if I had a friend who was a professional then go for it. Thats just me, to each there own

@FMW, not a purposfull misspelling. I am just delexcic. (don't even think I spelled that right)

But to be quite honest I have no idea where you guys are finding these phographers for $700. The cheapest I found was $2000. And maybe my hostility comes from other venders combined with the photoraphers I've spoken to. But seriously I am shocked that no one else is frustrated with the fact that as soon as the word wedding is mentioned the prices on everything go up. That is reduculous to me. If I won the powerball right now I would still not pay what a lot of these people want becuase I honestly feel that many of them do try to rip people off. Not all of them, but enough to be annoying.

And as far as the 100% ok with ruining a friendship. How can anyone be so petty as to end a long friendship with a good person just because of some pictures?

Watch Judge Judy on YouTube.

Kristen C, what area are you in? It might depend on that too. My photographer in Florida has different packages, he has lower packages at 800. It also depends on the photographer. He's a bit cheaper than most, which scared me at first, but after meeting him and seeing his work, and him taking my engagement photos (which I love), I understand why. It has nothing to do w/the quality of his work.

I'd try searching around, many I have found are willing to work within budgets. You might not get them for the whole day, but they'll do a few hours. Etc..

I knew that the topic of wedding = jacking prices up would arise. 100% incorrect. For the amount of work and effort a photographer puts into a wedding, I'm calling a wedding in the $3k price point to be a complete bargain.

A tried and true photographer had better be a legitimate business. In doing so, you're responsible for paying taxes, federal, state, local, use taxes (if your state has them), and the others depending on how your business is structured. So immediately wipe off 30-35% of your investment right there. Now start taking out other items we pay for, insurance, gear, website, online galleries, advertising, professional organizations, all things to ensure we're legit, and on top of our game.

(cont)

I am in Central MO. Threr are a limited amount of phographers here, which I asume is the reason for the price gouging. And the prices I found were for just 2 hours. But still the price should not be multiplied tenfold just because its a wedding, for the pictures or anything else for that matter.

Brian: I can believe it. People are crazy. But they will will never cease to amaze me just the same

Oops we haven't even gotten to YOU the couple yet! Now, I go meet with a client, one hour meeting, plus travel both ways. Get the job, great. Now I go to your wedding site, and reception location to scout the site and other nearby areas to work with, another few hours of driving around. Now we meet to go over what I found, and what your picture of the day is, and build a schedule. At this point, I've invested about 10 hours and I haven't even walked up to shoot YOUR wedding day yet!

8-10 hours on site. Great now the REAL work begins. Most people say 20-30 hours of work to do post processing on your images. You're looking at anywhere from a 30-40 hour job just for YOU on your big day.

So from the roughly $2k left after taxes, you're at ~$50/hr. but that includes all of the other mandatories for running a successful business.

A lot of the misconception comes from the fact that most people have NO idea how much work goes into producing an outstanding end result.

I'm not saying that it is easy or what ever. But seriously how the hell do you expect the average person making $8 per hr to be able to pay you $50 an hr.

I'm late to the thread but I was like Fins when I first started the planning process thinking photog prices were ridiculous. I am now better informed on the amount of work and investment being a quality photographer costs! I feel extremely blessed to be able to afford our photographer, like everyone else has said negotiate and talk about your needs! After a lot of research the photographers I found on Maui were quoting 5,000 for day of, I just couldn't stomach that price! SO, one of our best friends recommended his friend who is a very well respected photographer (he's been published in multiple wedding magazines and flown all over the world to cover weddings). We are now flying him and his wife to Maui and covering their hotel, total cost about $3,500. He will take professional photo's during our rehearsal dinner, wedding and a TTD shoot. I feel like we are getting the best deal ever and will probably gain a new friend in the process

Weddings arent expencive. or at least they don't have to be. thats what I am trying to say. I'm not saying that I may $8 bucks a hr. But that is the average income in my area. So are you saying that no one where I live should never have weddings.

That is not minimum wage here, its average wage. We are a few of the lucky ones who are able to make a little more than that. But as I said even if I won the powerball. Prices for some venders are absolutly rediculous and I would not pay them even then.

We are spending aprox. 1500 on our wedding total. Not because we cant spend more. But becuase there is no reason too. Granted we can't do a 20K dollar wedding, but still I wouldn't even if I could.

"If you're barely making minimum wage, then trust me...you have much better things to do with your money than spending it on a wedding"

Everyone gets to decide on how/when they get to spend their money. I appreciate all the experience with unhappy brides who get messed up pictures back....it must be frustrating as an artist to feel like you could have done a better job to begin with. I understand the cost of a professional photographer (although you forgot to add the time spent posting on Wedding forums to the list of how your time is spent...). Again, I'm paying for one. But, I think the point that maybe Kristen is trying to make is that it's unfortunate that the wedding industry has few to little options for those working hard and making little. Yes, you can go and ask for discounts, cheaper referrals, etc. But that doesn't mean it's always easy and it certainly doesn't mean that someone who has either tried to find a decently priced pro in their budget and can't or someone(cont

Who happens to place photography lower on their priority list should be made to feel like they are making a bad choice.

I think the advice given to ask photographers if they have an assistant is good - it would be nice to see more ideas like that...

Thank You Rosemary.

All I am trying to say is that you shouldn't have to spend the first 5 years of your married life paying off debt from your wedding.

@Brian

That is not minimum wage here. The average wage here is $8-$10 per hour. That is what I am trying to say. Not people in the poverty level that can hardly buy grocieris. People making average wages in average jobs...aka most of the population. I understand that where you live wages may be higher, but remember that I, like many others, are in the mid-west. Wages and Cost of living are much lower. But for some reason weddings are not. Rosemarry said it perfectly whe she siad "it's unfortunate that the wedding industry has few to little options for those working hard and making little"

Let's get back to the original idea here...

You get what you pay for!

All the ladies on here that are married have always said don't skimp on pictures. Most people that did totally regret it.

Wow, a lot of angry brides out there!

Thank you Matt and Brian for trying to explain how photographers actually make a living.

I am honestly shocked that some of you ladies think we are trying to "stick it to you', or that we automatically raise our prices when we hear "wedding".

Brian, I whole heartedly agree that if you can't really afford a wedding, please don't have one. Go ahead and get married, but without all of the bells a whistles.

Here is sort of an example of what things cost and what you can expect to pay in Los Angeles, for example:

The average wedding (125 guests) costs around $33,000 dollars here.

For the photographer to at least of the budget is a reasonable amount.

So in L.A., you could expect to pay in the neighborhood of $3,000 for such an event.

And that is probably what most pros here are asking and getting for the "average" wedding. In other parts of the world it could be higher or lower.

What I tried to say in the above post was ten percent of the budget for wedding photography, which is a pretty good place to start.

But at the end of the day, I still can't afford a Bentley, so I don't drive one.

If you can't afford a big wedding, don't have one. Just do what you can do.