How much are wedding photographers and videographers in 2022?

If you’re recently engaged or planning your wedding, it can be hard to know how much you should spend on each of your wedding vendors. Today we are answering a few big question you’ve probably been wondering, “How much are wedding photographers? or How much are wedding videographers?”

Popular wedding blogs will tell you the average cost of a wedding photographer is anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500, but in 2022, if you are looking for a specific wedding team who specializes in wedding photography or videography, in a lot of cases this is number is far from accurate.

Why? Well wedding photography is a full time job, like any other, and the amount each photographer or videographer charges varies based on many factors. In cases like us, where we are a husband and wife team, our entire income is from one source.

Most businesses need to figure out their cost of doing business and then decide what they need to charge in order to stay in business, the same goes for us. We have things to consider like taxes, gear upkeep, software, continued education, childcare, ect.

Things that also get factored in are experience, value of services, gear quality and the location of the event. These are a few things we will highlight when going through what to expect when budgeting how much to spend on a wedding photographer or wedding videographer.

Every photographer and videographer is different in the way they price their services. Some states and cities have a higher cost of living therefore a photographer’s rates in that area may be higher when compared to another location.

Experience:

Experience is high on our priority list when it comes to a wedding day. The type of wedding photographer or videographer you hire will alter the type of experience you have. Some photographers are more documentary and have a ‘fly on the wall’ approach. Some believe moments should never be interrupted or coached. On the more extreme end, others are 100% directed and take control of every aspect of the day. We find that we more of a middle ground approach. We know how to pose, but we prefer to guide you and allow moments to happen naturally. We love capturing your natural, genuine and joyful sides. It’s also why an engagement session is so important to us, so we know how our couples look the most natural together.

When hiring a vendor for your wedding day of course you want to make sure you’re getting a lot of value. Photographers and videographers all have different packages they offer, each with certain services and products included. Some photographers that offer greater value in their services will be in a higher price range due to the greater quality and value in the overall experience they provide to you.

We are always perfecting our client experience to provide a personable and unforgettable wedding experience for all of our couples. You spend more time with us on your wedding day than most others and it’s important we have a good connection.

We include guides to help our couples plan things like your engagement session and tips/tricks we have learned after countless wedding days. Most of our couples’ aren’t pro’s at getting married and have no idea where to start. We feel like there are so many things we can help guide your couples through so that the wedding day is the stress free and full of genuine and joyful moments.

Expertise:

When you hire a photographer you are hiring them for their expertise as well. Through every wedding, photographers and videographers also spend time perfecting their craft, gaining proficiency in how they can handle certain situations that may arise, and being able to establish consistency in their editing.

What is the average amount of time a photographer spends on one wedding?

On average, a photographer spends roughly 60-70 hours on just one wedding. This time does not include consultations, traveling to and from sessions/weddings, creating and updating timelines, updating or purchasing new gear and equipment, or the biggest time consumer….editing.

Therefore, your photographer’s time is very valuable and what they charge reflects how much time they spend on weddings. When you are paying a photographer or videographer prices, you are not just paying for them to just ‘snap your photos.’ You are paying for so much more.

Location:

The location of your wedding will also greatly affect how much you will spend on a wedding photographer. For example, if you’re planning your wedding in a popular destination wedding location or a place where the cost of living is higher, then you can expect to pay a higher price for your wedding photographer. If you’re looking to plan your wedding in a location such as Scottsdale, Arizona, then you can expect to spend anywhere from $3,500 and up for a proficient wedding photographer as the cost of living is higher than your average city in 2022.

Other locations such as Phoenix, Sedona, and Flagstaff are beautiful and popular areas to have your wedding so you can still expect to pay $3,000 and up not including travel fees from your photographer.

Below are some of the most important things to ask yourself before hiring a wedding photographer:

  • Do we want a wedding photographer that is experienced or someone who is just starting out?
  • Do we want a wedding photographer with perfected craft and consistent edits?
  • Are we having our wedding in a popular destination wedding location?
  • What kind of experience are we wanting when working with our wedding photographer?

Your answers to the questions above will help determine what kind of wedding photographer you are looking for and how much you can expect to pay for their services.

In a nutshell, what you spend on a wedding photographer is what you will get out of one. Everyone has different budgets and that is 100% okay. However, if you are someone who is really wanting to connect with your wedding photographer, have consistent edits, high quality images with a beautiful editing style, or someone who can provide additional resources to help you feel confident on your big day then you might want to consider spending a little more on your wedding photographer to get the best experience possible.

Are you looking for a wedding photographer that can give you authentic, joyful and timeless images? We are Stephen & Melissa, a husband and wife Phoenix wedding photographer, encouraging you to spend your wedding day celebrating a way that feels like you and hiring a wedding photographer and videographer team that will capture your day flawlessly.

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We are published Phoenix wedding photographers and wedding videographers, engagement photographers & elopement photographers specializing in joyful, genuine and romantic story-telling images and films. We service all of Arizona including Phoenix, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Tucson, Sedona, Flagstaff, & beyond! 

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