How much should I pay for a wedding photographer and what style wedding photography do I want?
- 4 hours ago
- 9 min read
If you're a recently engaged couple who is starting your wedding planning, there's a lot to consider when looking for vendors. I'm a Detroit-based wedding photographer who went through the same thing you're going through when I was getting married. The great wedding photographer hunt! I've been in the industry for about 5 years now, and I've seen wedding photography change so much even since I started. Everyone starts to look and sound the same, prices give you a jump scare, and there are just so. many. styles!
So what does your wedding photographer budget get you and what style are you looking for? What styles of wedding photography are even out there?
I'll help break down wedding photography tiers and how to look for a wedding photographer who matches you, your personality, and style. We'll jump into the tiers below.
Budget:
Prices: $500 - $2000
Experience: 0-2 years
Lighting knowledge: Little to none
Coverage: Usually 1 photographer for 3-8 hours
Where to find them: Local Facebook groups, college photo classes, friends
What to look out for: Scams - never pay in full up front. Always sign a contract. Request a gallery if they have one. If they don't, I recommend doing an engagement session with them before fully committing your wedding day. Their editing may not be consistent since they don't have an artistic voice yet (they don't know exactly what they want to shoot or how, and have no consistent style).
Notes: Budget photographers are great for people truly on a budget. Maybe for this client, photos aren't a make or break - they just want something to remember their day by. Budget photographers will not typically know much about lighting or flash, so if your venue is dark or your ceremony is midday, I'd recommend saving up a little more to go with someone who knows their stuff.
Established:
Prices: $2000 - $4000
Experience: 2-4 years
Lighting knowledge: Experience with flash
Coverage: Usually 1 photographer for 8 hours
Where to find them: Local Facebook Groups, Instagram
What to look out for: Lack of portfolio diversity, portfolio chasers.
Notes: These photographers have been shooting weddings for a little while now and have started to find their own artistic voice. They can work well in most lighting situations and have a pretty consistent edit. If they're a portfolio chaser, though, watch out that they don't drop your wedding and hand you off to an associate last minute for a "better" wedding.
Mid-Tier: (This is where I fall for most of my collections!)
Prices: $4000 - $7000
Experience: 4-6 years
Lighting knowledge: Knows multiple types of flash and can work in almost any lighting situation
Coverage: Usually 2 photographer for 8 hours, drone options
Where to find them: Local Facebook Groups, Instagram, Planners
What to look out for: Personality matches, consistency
Notes: At this level, you really get to start choosing good photographers based on their work and personality. Any photographer at this level should be producing consistent work, have their own artistic voice, command a wedding effortlessly, and work well with you. If you find a photographer whose work you enjoy but you don't click with them on a personal level, it's time to find a different one. For this amount of money, you should enjoy your photographer's personality! It's true what they say - you'll be with them most of the day during highly emotional moments and that matters. They may be published in local publications, Green Wedding Shoes, or regional publications.
I include 2 photographers for 8 hours, an engagement session, and if your venue allows drone, I'm a Part 107 Licensed Drone Pilot and will add drone footage to your collection if time allows for all Michigan collections! For destination collections (domestic or international), I include two lead shooters, a couple session or rehearsal dinner coverage, travel, and drone coverage.
Highend:
Prices: $7000 - $10,000
Experience: 4-8 years
Lighting knowledge: Highly knowledgable, makes light their bitch
Coverage: Usually 2 photographer for 8 hours, drone coverage, lighting assistant, possible rehearsal dinner coverage
Where to find them: Planners, Instagram
What to look out for: Egos. This is probably the biggest turn off at this level. People get a bit pretentious and egotistical (not all, of course!), but some act this way because this level of clientele almost expects it.
Notes: These photographers have a following. They know they're good. They are great at what they do and can make shit shine. They are regularly published in Style Me Pretty, regional publications, and Carats and Cake.
"Luxury" Tier:
Prices: $10,000 - $18,000
Experience: 8+ years
Lighting knowledge: Extreme. Some are so good they don't even use flash.
Coverage: Usually destination coverage. 2 hour rehearsal dinner coverage OR brunch coverage, 8 hour wedding day, drone coverage, 2 photographers (usually the second is another highly-established photographer that the lead flies in), sometimes offers film and light video coverage.
Where to find them: Planners, Instagram
What to look out for: Schedule conflicts - most of these photographers only take on 8-12 weddings a year.
Notes: These photographers have worked their way up in the wedding industry. They're usually more down to earth than the tier below them (oddly enough), they show up dressed nicely but aren't flaunting it, travel frequently for both work and leisure, and work really closely with a few planners. I've mentored with a few photographers in this tier and they have an extremely established artistic voice. I can usually tell whose photo I'm looking at when scrolling on Instagram before I even see their name. They are regularly published in publications such as Vogue, Martha Stewart (no longer in business), and Over the Moon,
Ultra-Luxury:
Prices: $20,000+
Experience: 10+ years
Lighting knowledge: Commanders of light
Coverage: Usually destination coverage. Some will throw in 2 hour rehearsal dinner coverage OR brunch coverage, 8-10 hour wedding day, drone coverage, 2-5 photographers (usually the second shooter is another highly-established photographer that the lead flies in), lighting assistant(s), sometimes offers film.
Where to find them: Planners
What to look out for: Price, venue selection, planner selection, non-unique weddings.
Notes: These photographers get to pick and choose their weddings. If your wedding is run-of-the-mill, you're not working with a planner they like, your venue isn't quite up to snuff, or they don't "click" with you, they will pass on you (in a nice way, of course). My mentor (yes, I have multiple mentors!) is in this tier and is down to earth, loves having fun with her clients, and is highly sought-after. She travels around the world photographing weddings as some of the most exclusive and luxurious venues. This tier comes with exclusivity, direct communication with publishers and PR teams, a luxurious experience, teams of photographers with dedicated jobs, and are typically setting a lot of the trends for the industry.
Now that you have a better idea of the budget range you fall into or want to fall into, what wedding photography style do you want?
Photojournalistic/Documentary: If you hire a truly documentary-style wedding photographer, they will seldom intervene during the day. Many only put people in posed positions for family photos. A lot of photographers call themselves documentary photographers, but most of the time they are still intervening during the wedding day.
All photographers are "documentary" photographers during ceremonies and toasts (at least one would hope...). Be sure to specify with the photographer on how they approach a wedding day. If you want a true documentary photographer, ensure you're making this very clear in forms and on calls! Most photographers are not true documentary photographers. John Dolan is a true documentary photographer. This style typically comes with true to color (true to life) editing where colors look at feel how they did in the moment.
Wedding insider tip: When most people ask for a "candid" photographer, they think they need a documentary photographer. But usually (not always), people want an editorial photographer who takes photos that LOOKS candid, but were actually posed. Most "candid" photos on Pinterest are posed or prompted.
Wedding insider tip: If you don't like seeing water bottles, bags, trinkets in the backgrounds of your photos, you may not like a truly documentary photographer. They will not clear a scene before shooting and will capture it exactly as it was.
Editorial: This is where I tend to fall and what most people typically want. I will help pose you so you look great, but I don't overly pose you. I'll talk you through where to put your arms, hands, and how to avoid looking like you have a little head or like you and your partner don't love each other. Then, I'll give you something to do so you're moving, but in a way that looks beautiful. No double chins, no trash in the background, no uncanny valley poses, everything in its place. Editorial doesn't always mean heavily posed, though. It just means that everything is composed well. Typically this style comes with true to color (true to life) editing. Like I mentioned before, most editorial wedding photographers are also documentary photographers in a lot of situations. This is currently the most popular style of wedding photography.
Wedding insider tip: If you love candid photos but don't always love your smile in a true candid, this is the style for you. Editorial photographers are typically trained in posing and should be able to subtly guide you into a more flattering pose.
Wedding insider tip: If you love clean backgrounds and spaces devoid of distractions (like I mentioned above, the water bottles, people's bags, etc), then this is the style for you. Most editorial photographers will ensure a space is clean and tidy before shooting.
Wedding insider tip: This style can be found at any . But the more expensive the photographer, the better they are at true editorial photography. A lot of beginner photographers call "in between moments" editorial or candid photography but don't know how to compose the shot and edit it well enough to really make it sing.
Cinematic/Romantic: These are the photographers who make photos look and feel like a movie. Slow shutter speeds and blur, slightly out of focus occasionally, lots of movement, interaction, and prompting. This category typically comes with warmer, grainier, higher contrast editing and is not always true to color. Cinematic/romantic photographers are also documentary photographers. This style will almost always be "in style" since the edits lean toward nostalgic colors.
Wedding insider tip: If you love clean backgrounds and no distractions, this could be the style for you. Some cinematic photographers edit out distractions while others don't. Check a photographer's previous sessions to see how much they clean up a background.
Fine Art: This category typically comes with posing that is directed. The photos still look natural, but there is a lot of work behind every photo that ensures the final image is stunning. This style was popular a few years ago and is slowly trending downward as wedding clients are starting to love the nostalgic images that editorial work produces. This style is often associated with light and airy, true to color, or slightly muted colors.
Wedding insider tip: If you love clean backgrounds and spaces devoid of distractions (like I mentioned above, the water bottles, people's bags, etc), then this is the style for you. Most fine art photographers are highly particular about details and ensuring a space looks gorgeous before shooting.
So what do you do if you like a wedding photographer but they're out of your budget? A lot of mid-tier photographers offer payment plans! If that still doesn't work for you, reach out to them anyway and ask if they know of anyone who's in a lower tier who has a similar style that they can recommend. If you find yourself still pining over their work, ask them if they can make your budget work. Some photographers (but not all) will take out a second shooter or reduce coverage time to help meet your budget.
What if you don't know what style of wedding photography you want? Try searching those styles above + your area (so Documentary + Detroit wedding photography, or Editorial + Detroit wedding photography) to see if those photographers' styles align with what you want. If you're still unsure, book an engagement session with a photographer you're interested in, or ask them for a full gallery.
Wedding insider tip: When looking at full galleries from a photographer, I have a separate post about what to look for in a photographer's full gallery here.
Finding a wedding photographer is difficult, but it's so important. I read posts on Reddit and Facebook all the time about how couples wish they had spent more on their photographer, or they wished they had vetted their photographer more so they had a better personality match. Don't be afraid to interview a few photographers. Get on a call with them and see if they make you feel comfortable, excited, and really feel heard and understood.
Good luck on your wedding photographer search! If you want to work with me, I'd love to hear from you here!
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