I have been asked this so many times... does the wedding industry inflate prices when they hear it's a wedding?
Here is my honest answer (as a former wedding photographer)... NO. Did I charge more for a wedding than a 50th birthday party or a family portrait session? Yes, absolutely. I charged A LOT more for a wedding.
Was I taking advantage of the emotional sell? Absolutely not.
The main reasons I charged more for a wedding were: the unseen amount of work involved in the 12+ months leading up to the wedding, the skill level needed on the day, the INTENSE pressure to create perfect "portfolio level work" no matter what the reality of the situation- but mostly it is to compensate for the time AFTER the wedding in post production.
Little known fact about wedding photography - the real job is sitting at a computer editing photos. Photographers spend many hours behind the computer carefully selecting and editing photos. They make adjustments, crop, and adjust colors to ensure each image it's best. Don't forget the time it takes for batching, renaming, importing, exporting and uploading the photos and preparing them for delivery.
Do you think this justifies why photographers charge more for weddings than for other types of shoots?
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This is a tough one. The wedding day is pretty focused on the couple getting married, traditionally the bride. I have seen some reluctant brides in my years photographing weddings... you don't have to be the star of the show! Yes, that is the traditional wedding mold- but there are ways around it, our pros know!
Here's a photo tip for the couple that doesn't want all eyes on them... schedule a first look. In private. No wedding party, no family. And then do ALL your portraits without anyone else except your photographer. Otherwise you will be in front of everyone having your portraits taken while they all watch. Block off 1-2 hours to be alone with your partner and photographer before the rest of the photos.