Wedding Photography Prices: How Much Does a Wedding Photographer Cost?
From editing and experience to equipment and staff, we asked the experts to share their insight on the average cost of a photographer for your wedding
Of course, hiring a professional wedding photographer is a non-negotiable for most of us, but for those couples who haven’t hired one before, understanding wedding photographer costs can be something of a minefield.
As with all your wedding suppliers, prices will vary depending on a number of factors, but looking at the average cost of a photographer for a wedding, along with some expert insight from professional wedding photographers themselves, will help you to understand what a good price for wedding photography is – and what your budget will get you.
Wedding Photography Prices: How Much Will a Wedding Photographer Cost?
No matter what your wedding budget may be, investing in a professional wedding photographer is something we’d always recommend. When you think back to your big day in years to come, nothing beats being able to revisit those memories in your wedding album or slideshow, which is why capturing them perfectly and professionally is paramount.
To help you plan your budget accordingly – and ensure your expectations are on par with the industry – we’ve put together our guide to average wedding photographer costs, which includes information on wedding photography prices and packages, as well as some background on why photographers charge what they do.
Plus – busting the myth that ‘everything is pricier when you say the w-word’ – we outline was really goes into deciding the average cost of a photographer for a wedding, and why they’re well worth investing in.
- How Much Does Wedding Photography Cost?
- What Impacts the Cost of a Wedding Photographer?
- What Should Be Included in a Wedding Photography Package?
- Wedding Photography Price Lists & Packages in the UK
How Much Does Wedding Photography Cost?
So, what is the average cost of a wedding photographer in the UK? According to the results of our National Wedding Survey, the average cost of a photographer for weddings in the UK in 2024 was £1,500. However, it’s important to remember this number spans a huge range of couples with different budgets and requirements, in different locations.
The price of your wedding photography will depend on a number of factors, including the hours hired, the location of your venue, the time of year and more – all of which we detail below. What’s important is understanding the value of wedding photography and deciding how important it is to you and your partner.
Wedding photographers charge not only for the time they’re with you on your wedding day, but for the hours spent consulting, editing and even researching. More often than not, the more you spend on your photography, the more you’ll end up with – whether that’s hours of coverage, the number of edited pictures, an additional shooter or a highly experienced and sought-after photographer who can deliver your creative vision.
We would always recommend setting aside a minimum of 10% of your wedding budget for photography and videography, though possibly more if these elements of your day are some of the most important to you. Since the average cost of a wedding now stands at £23,250, this would be around £2,325.
What Impacts the Cost of a Wedding Photographer?
If you’re a little shocked at the average figures mentioned above, you may find yourself wondering, ‘why is wedding photography so expensive?’ Well, there are lots of factors that can push the price of your wedding photography up or down and to help you understand the value you’re getting when you book a professional, we spoke to a number of Hitched pros for their take.
Location
As a general rule, London and the South East tend to be the more expensive areas for photography, but you'll also find that the price for wedding photography in major cities tends to be more.
For example, according to our research and reviews by couples on Hitched, nearlyweds in London are spending just over £2,000 on complete photography packages, which include editing and some extras such as pre-wedding shoots, while those in the north-east of England are spending just over £1,400.
If you don't book a wedding photographer who's based in the area where you're getting married (many photographers will cover weddings nationally), you may need to factor in their travel costs. "My prices are certainly cheaper for local couples,” says wedding photographer Joe Lillywhite. “My quoted package price is for a 20-mile radius of Winchester.
"Outside of this area, I charge mileage and accommodation if required, although I try to keep these costs as minimal as possible so they are as competitive as possible," he adds.
However, if you have fallen in love with the work of a wedding photographer from a different area, it might be worth paying those extra costs for photos you'll treasure, particularly if you want your pictures to be different to ones that you’ve seen of your venue before.
"I enjoy shooting weddings in different locations, it keeps me on my toes thinking about how to capture the day or looking for unique locations for couple shots,” adds Joe.
Time of Year
Peak and low season wedding months will impact the cost of almost every wedding venue and supplier. Simply put, the more demand there is for a venue or service, the more it is likely to cost. During peak wedding season (which runs from May to September in the UK) or on a popular day of the week – such as Saturday – wedding photographers will be in much higher demand and have less availability.
However, booking a wedding photographer during the week or in low season could see you snag a slightly lower price. Though it's important to remember that a wedding photographer's business and running costs don't fluctuate throughout the year, so don't assume that you're entitled to a bargain just because it's low season. They have rent to pay, like the rest of us!
Many couples book their photographer at least a year in advance; some photographers offer a discount if you pay in full up-front – there’s no harm in asking politely whether that's the case but respect their answer.
Additional Equipment
While most photographers will include basic equipment (and back-up equipment), including multiple lenses and lighting options in their prices, if your wedding photographer requires any additional equipment in order to shoot your wedding, this is likely to impact the cost of your package.
If you would like any wedding videography, for example, or a drone to shoot at a particularly tricky location, this will impact a wedding photographer's prices.
Multiple Photographers
Do you want to ensure you have photos of both you and your partner getting ready on the big day, or do you have a super-sized guest list? Couples who want to ensure maximum, full coverage may want to consider hiring a photographer who shoots with an assistant or ‘second shooter’.
We have many wedding photography duos on Hitched who work together on all of their weddings, but don't shy away from solo photographers if you'd like more than one. Many photographers have a network of other professionals who they frequently work with and will have a surcharge for adding an additional photographer to their package.
You can't expect to pay the same price and have two people working instead of one, so you may find yourself wondering, ‘is a second shooter worth it for a wedding?’. Our advice would always be yes, unless your wedding is particularly small.
Hiring double the shooters can really pay off – having photos of both you and your partner getting ready in the morning is just one example, but you’ll also have an amazing, more broad selection of shots of your friends and family, too.
Number of Hours Shooting
Photographers charge for their time amongst other things, so the difference between a micro-wedding shoot of just a few hours, and a full day of coverage are going to be very different. Many photographers will have numerous wedding packages and tiers, giving you options of how many hours shooting you'd like.
Photographer Lisa Cowen explains: "My full day photography option covers preparations, the ceremony and reception, up to the end of the first dance. My couples have the option to add on additional hours if they like or choose my half-day option."
How many hours do you need a photographer for? Well, that all comes down to what parts of the day you want covered. Those packages that cover 4-5 hours will generally shoot up to the meal, while a typical 8-9 hour day usually covers up to the first dance. Always talk to your photographer about what you’re keen to have captured to work out the best package for you.
Wedding Photography Packages & Extras
Most wedding photography packages, at the very least, will include the time spent shooting, as well as an agreed number of edited images available either via USB or in a password-protected online gallery.
However, if you want additional prints, canvases, a wedding photo album or any extras, it's going to impact your wedding photography cost. Most wedding photographers will offer a number of packages and outline any additional things that are included, but if something you really want isn't included in the package, just ask!
It's likely that your photographer will be more than happy to add things onto their standard packages after agreeing an additional fee. Joe explains, "I also offer photo films which are essentially the best photos from the day played in time to music. It’s not a replacement to a videographer but more of an alternative for couples who are either not keen or who don't have the budget for a videographer."
Photo Copyright
It’s unlikely your photographer will charge you additionally for copyright fees, but you’ll want to have full ownership of your pictures without watermarks so it’s always worth confirming. Personal copyright use (where you are able to share them online and print them for personal use) is generally included in most wedding photography packages.
Level of Experience
Joe says: "A major factor on cost will be whether your wedding photographer does this full time. There are many photographers who shoot weddings alongside other part- or full-time jobs.
"A photographer who has a full-time job elsewhere can afford to offer wedding photography for a few hundred pounds – I started out this way to gain experience. However, an experienced wedding photographer is more likely to deal with testing situations effectively. Photographs are such a huge part of the memories of the wedding, you want to feel confident that you have the best person behind the camera."
Think carefully about pursuing someone who doesn’t do this as their main job just because they’re cheaper – the skills you want in a wedding photographer aren't just about taking pictures. If there's one wedding supplier we'd highly recommend paying out for, it's your wedding photographer, and an experienced one at that.
You want someone who, having shot weddings before, understands which details to capture, as well as knowing how to get the best out of people, arrange group shots, deal with guests who don't like having their photo taken, be unobtrusive on the day and carry out precision editing afterwards, among many other wedding-specific skills.
What Should Be Included in a Wedding Photography Package?
As with any wedding vendor, each photographer will include different things in their prices and packages. Some will offer all-inclusive packages which will include everything you could need, while others opt for a more bespoke, build-your-own system.
There are things that a lot of wedding photographers include in their pricing quotes, but it’s often a case-by-case situation so always check and ask the right questions.
1. Planning & Consultation
Wedding photography isn't a 'show up on the day and shoot' sort of job – that's actually one of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to this area of expertise. More often than not, wedding photographers will try to visit the wedding venue ahead of the big day to scope out the best areas to shoot, consider lighting in different places and plan the pictures out.
If they're unable to do this, they will at the very least research and communicate with the venue to try and plan their shoot virtually. As well as scoping out their location, photographers also have to organise group and couple shots with you. They will ask you what kind of photographs you want, whether or not you want group shots, and then plan the order and logistics of these pictures.
2. Editing & Packaging
A photographer will generally take somewhere between 5,000-7,000 shots on a typical wedding day, which they will then have to comb through to choose the best 650-800 shots to edit. The editing itself takes precision, patience and skill, and can take around three or four days to complete – and that’s just for an online gallery.
If you’ve requested a physical album or any hard copies of prints, that’s additional work for your photographer and may cost extra.
3. Travel & Exclusivity
Travel expenses are often included in a wedding photographer's quote, particularly if your wedding is local to where they are based, but if you are hiring a photographer to travel further than their usual catchment area, this may come at an additional charge.
Another thing to take into consideration is that some wedding photographers limit the number of weddings they shoot each week to ensure they dedicate enough time to each one. This may mean saying no to a wedding the day before or after, depending on the location.
4. Expertise & Skill
This may sound like an obvious one, but as with many professions, when you pay for a wedding photographer, you are not just paying for their time but their skills, too.
A professional wedding photographer will have knowledge and focus, and expertise in areas that most of us wouldn’t even consider, as well as being able to work with almost all weather and lighting conditions to deliver the best photos for you.
Wedding Photography Price Lists & Packages in the UK
Remember, there will be exceptions with every wedding photography price list. These wedding photography price brackets will give you an idea of the average cost of wedding pictures, but the factors outlined above will affect them!
Up to £1,000
Couples with up to £1,000 to spend on their wedding photographer may find themselves having to compromise on certain elements such as the hours spent shooting or number of final edited images. However, there are plenty of affordable wedding photographers out there, and you absolutely can have your day professionally captured for under the £1,000 mark – especially if your wedding is on a smaller scale.
Ashley Morton Photography is based in Buckinghamshire and has prices that start from £550 for micro weddings. This includes four hours’ of coverage and a vast selection of beautifully edited images in an online gallery, while West Yorkshire-based photographer Rosy Parker offers half-day packages from just £700.
£1,000 to £1,500
Upping the budget opens things up a bit. This also takes us into the bracket where our average price for wedding photos lies. Lisa Cowen Photography, who has been shooting weddings for more than 15 years, charges just above £1,000 for her services.
She says, "I charge £1,100 for a full day of wedding photography and clients can add on additional hours if they like. Along with the photography coverage itself, this price includes VAT and all expenses, processing, editing of the photos, access to a personalised, online digital gallery and a high-grade USB flash drive."
At the upper end of the scale, Worcestershire-based JP Singh Photography charges £1,481 for a Platinum Package, which includes a handcrafted album, while London wedding photographer Craig Preston Roberts offers a full-day’s coverage from £1,150, which includes 500+ images in both colour and black and white in a private online gallery, plus the option to include a pre-wedding shoot from an additional £350.
£1,500 - £2,000
This price bracket is where many professional photographers will sit for 9 hours+ of shooting. From £1,500, Kent-based photographer Benjamin Toms includes an engagement shoot and a second photographer, while the Hertfordshire-based Indigo Images offers five hours of coverage for £1,800 but her package includes four 12x8 inch prints for your wall.
£2,000 - £2,500
Spending £2,000+ on your wedding photography will ensure a full day’s coverage and a good number of professionally edited images. A Knight's Tale Photography, based in Dorset, offers a range of tiered packages that start from £899 for just three hours’ coverage right up to the Platinum Package for £2,399 which includes a full day’s coverage and online gallery, a pre-wedding shoot, a second photographer and 10 prints.
Elsewhere, Valentina Weddings in Cheshire delivers a full day’s coverage, 600+ edited images and £200 towards an album for £2,250.
£2,500+
Spending £2,500 or more on your wedding photography should guarantee at least one epic extra, whether that’s a second shooter, an engagement shoot, a short video, a leather-bound album or fun add-on, like a photo booth.
Weir Photography, based in West Lothian, offers a Deluxe Package which encompasses a whole host of extras in addition to nine hours of coverage and digital edited images. For £3,095, couples will also get a second shooter, a deluxe album and box, two deluxe parent books and a hybrid video – with the option of adding a photo booth for £395.
How Much Should a Photographer Charge for a Wedding? Expert Reveals
So, now you know how much a photographer could charge for a wedding, depending on which additions and extras the couple would like to purchase, let's take a look at how much a photographer should be charging on average.
After all, there's a lot of information here to digest, so we asked wedding photographer Duncan Edward to share his top three rules for couples to consider before agreeing on a price. Here's what he had to say...
Pricier often means better quality
"The higher value photographers will tend to have better quality equipment, and better processes for delivering pictures.
"It's important to understand that there is a cost to being a good photographer – such as the cost of high quality cameras and lenses, the software and computers required to edit images, other IT costs such as website hosting private online galleries, and the USB delivery of their pictures.
"Therefore someone charging a very small amount potentially will not have a lot of the right things in place to deliver high quality images and a good experience."
Make sure they're insured
"Checking that the photographer is insured is critical in my opinion. Not only is it sensible for safety and legal reasons, but it also means they're probably more experienced in handling wedding parties and groups for those all-important shots throughout the day."
Experience costs money
"I charge what I charge based on my experience of 30+ years and more than 700 weddings. I also want to give both the couple and their guests a great experience on the day from a photographer who is personable, caring and who's willing to go the extra mile to ensure that the day runs the best it possibly can."
Now you’ve got a good understanding of the cost of wedding photography, check out these incredible must-have photo ideas to inspire your album!
