Many brides come into our studio and fall in love with our images, style and level of service. Then after seeing what the investment is, we get the big question. Why does wedding photography costs as much as it does? It is not often that we get this but every now and then we do. I hope that by clarifying some of the misconceptions, I can make the process of hiring a wedding photographer much easier.
Hopefully, this information will help you more fully understand the answer to that question. These figures are off the top of my head and will vary from one studio to another. Also, keep in mind that a single unmarried photographer will have a lower cost of living than one supporting a family of four. Also keep in mind that a home-based studio is not in the even in the same league as a retail studio. Individual differences between photographers and/or studios such as this, does influence what a photographer and/or studio needs to charge to be around when you start to have children.
Suppose a photographer and/or studio list a price of $3700.00 for 6 hours of coverage, an engagement session, and a 30-page storybook/coffee table album. Out of that $3700.00 you need to consider the photographers and/or studios expenses. First, there are the annual expenses that take a part of each weddings income. Among those expenses would be insurance, advertising, updates and maintenance of their website, sample albums, sample large prints, bridal shows, accounting, legal expenses, repair, replacement, or upgrading of very expensive cameras and computers, continued education (a must in our studio), wear and tear on their automobile, and for us...studio rent, electric, telephone, and let’s not forget those other nice people that you deal with…employees. All this may come to $1400.00 per wedding. Next; there are the fixed expenses for each wedding. Include in this figure...proof album and proof prints, consumables such as DVD's or CD's, and the cost of the coffee table book design. This figure may come to $1000.00. After these expenses, the photographer and/or studio is left with $1500.00. Federal, state and local taxes, social security and payroll taxes will take, on average, 40% of that $1300.00, or $520.00. This leaves the photographer and/or studio with $780.00 in earnings for photographing your wedding. Wow, you say...a thousand bucks for a few hours work on a Saturday sure isn't bad. If it was that simple...you'd be right...it would be pretty good money. So, let's look at the time investment for each wedding. 2.5 hours for meetings, emails and phone calls as you interview the photographer; 4 hours for the shooting and editing of your engagement session. 8 hours on your wedding day. 12 hours to process your images, get proofs ready for viewing, etc. 10 hours designing and producing the final album. 5 hours for misc. meetings, phone calls, emails, planning sessions, trips to the post office, etc. All this and you still need to add in the hours each week needed to run the business. A photographer and/or studio invests 40-50 hours into each wedding. Also consider that there are relatively few weddings in January, February and March. The national average income for wedding photographers is approximately $28,000.00 per year. So if it seems like wedding photographers make huge amounts of money...they do not. On average their incomes are pretty much in line with the rest of the employed public. Some make more and some make less, depending on experience, talent, the actual type of product being delivered, and overhead costs specific to that photographer and/or studio. I hope this information is helpful in understand why your photographers prices are what they are.
