Why Does Wedding Photography Cost What It Does?
Updated: Nov 20, 2022
Midlands Wedding Photography Pricing Explained.
Are you confused about Midlands Wedding Photography Prices? Don't worry you're not the only couple to be going through this before their wedding day. Put in simple terms you are paying for a luxury service the same as your venue, dress, shoes etc. So finding out as much information is very important before making any decisions. Putting a value on your Wedding Photography and how important it is to you is paramount. This article will go over a lot of things that I think you will need to know before making an informed decision about your Wedding Photographer or Wedding Videographer. The average price for Wedding Photography throughout the UK is between £1300 and £1600 which is probably higher than you may of you think. People spend around 5 to 10% of their total wedding budget on Wedding Photography or Videography. Your wedding is one of the most important and exciting days of your life. So having a high-quality record of that day is a real must. Just think of it like this, you've spent so many months planning your perfect day, searching for an amazing dress, looking for your ideal wedding venue and so much more. Then you book a cheap Wedding Photographer or Videographer. Imagine how disappointed you could be with your photographs or video. What I am trying to say is everybody has a budget but please do not compromise on your Wedding Photography or Videography. If I asked you how long the Photographer or Videographer spends with you when first hired, you would probably say between 8 and 10 hours. You may be surprised that it is, in fact, a lot longer than this. The time you spend with your Midlands Wedding Photographer really starts from the very moment you send an initial inquiry. This includes everything from them replying to your emails to sharing plans before your big day. The Wedding Photographer needing to visit or study the venue for the best place to take photos, discussing your wedding schedule and timings, prepping cameras and equipment. Eventually downloading and backing up your images, designing your wedding album, discussing changes and amendments to your album. Then uploading your final images for proofing, Setting time aside for the delivery or collection of your wedding album or images and much much more. In fact, I think you would be very surprised if I told you that only 5% of the time was actually spent photographing or videoing your wedding day with the remainder of the time spent on business-related tasks either before, during, or after your big day. There is, of course, all that culling to do and many hours if not days editing images to make your photos look just perfect. Yes, this sounds crazy but actually it's true. When looking online for a Wedding Photographer or Videographer, whether it is from the West Midlands or anywhere else in the UK try to avoid the word cheap when searching. Be careful with offers under £400 for a full day as this may be an indication of two things. 1. The photographer may be desperate for bookings and could potentially be out of business in the near future. 2. Their work may be of a sub standard level. So the rule of thumb is choose very carefully and wisely. Unfortunately, in this day and age, there are so many inexperienced photographers out there with a digital camera that automatically think they can be professional photographers and understand everything about Wedding Photography. Remember a Wedding Photographer only gets one chance at Photographing your Wedding Day, There is no second opportunity. This means there is a lot of pressure to get it right the first time. You have to understand things like lighting, composition, where to be at any given time of the day, How to interact with couples and what photos will suit them personally and make them feel comfortable. In addition things like what to do in bright sunlight or if the weather is bad and much much more. A Great Midlands Wedding Photographer has to be able to think on the fly and react quickly to different circumstances and situations, as each wedding day is different. A photographer spends years developing their skills, style, and craft to give a couple a very professional service and ultimately fantastic images. It is not something that can be learned overnight, it takes years of experience. With lots of added pressure – Wedding Photography becomes very different indeed to normal photography. Basic Wedding Photography packages normally include the photographer's time for photographing the main parts of the day like the ceremony, formal photos, and reception, etc. You will have a much shorter time with your photographer and a lot fewer images. The next option is the mid-range package which is usually the one most couples go for if it falls within their budget range. These packages usually include more time approx 8 to 10 hours at the wedding from bride prep to the first dance and in some cases include a wedding book or album and a USB of high-resolution images. Finally, you have your top package tiers which usually include everything from bridal prep right through to the evening party after the first dance. In addition to a large set of images on USB and a top-quality wedding album. Coverage is usually anywhere between 10 and 12 hours in most instances. It can also include a second shooter who can capture images from different locations, different angles, and also other guests attending the wedding. So let's take a more detailed look at the costs involved in running a Wedding Photography business and why the best wedding professionals charge the rates they do. First of all, there is all the equipment like high-end cameras and lenses needed that can run into thousands upon thousands of pounds. The most important item is the lens which can often be more expensive than the camera body self. But remember the camera and lens are only as important or as good as the photographer behind it, so please do your homework. Cameras don't last forever and need replacing after a high shutter count thus costing thousands of pounds to replace. Then there is insurance for equipment, liability, and professional indemnity at hundreds of pounds annually.
Photographers use computer equipment to do editing work and in most cases, the use of an Apple Mac is the preferred choice by most Wedding Photographers/Editors. These are very expensive computers but in my opinion a must for professional editing for various reasons. Correct colour calibration of the monitor used is also an essential part of the editing of photos. We don't want our bride's wedding dress to look blue if it was white! This is achieved using a colour calibration tool along with specialist software and can cost around £500. Remember everything needs backing up so purchasing external hard drives or cloud-based systems to store images safely is another cost. Then there is the cost of purchasing a wedding album which can be literally hundreds of pounds for the best quality ones. A Wedding Photographer needs the very best editing software like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom. Again this has annual subscriptions which are very expensive but something needed to do the job well. We also have things like advertising costs, marketing, bridal fares, Facebook ads, social media adverts, and much more. Even things like electricity, fuel costs, cars, wear and tear, office equipment, stationery, and phone calls, etc..etc.. All have to be added to running a small business.
So perhaps now you can see why the Best Wedding Photographers charge what they do according to their running costs and professional expertise. However, the most important thing is the quality of their images or video. There is an old saying I have always stuck by " You get what you pay for". That does not mean you have to pay over the odds. It is simply about putting a value on what you want and the quality expected for the price you are paying.
So what is a Wedding Photographer?
Taking photos or filming is a very small part of what a professional Midlands Wedding Photographer must do to succeed. To run a successful Wedding Photography business a photographer needs to be a receptionist, an accountant, a salesperson, an expert in editing with photoshop and adobe lightroom, and a marketing guru. I would like to think by now that you're starting to get the picture of why the best photographers out there charge what they do. There is a lot more that goes on in the background than people realise. So it's important that when you are choosing your wedding photographer or wedding videographer that you look for somebody who has all the experience required to do professional weddings. As a professional Wedding Photographer myself for almost 12 years, I have been very fortunate to shoot hundreds of weddings in the UK and abroad and have been lucky enough to meet so many wonderful couples during that time. I consider my own wedding photography prices and packages to be extremely competitive and very fair. This is commensurate for the quality of work I produce and for the professional experience I give to my clients. My 5-star google reviews and my website testimonials can be viewed online anytime. If you would like more information about this Midlands Wedding Photographer or wish to view my prices then please visit my website at www.petedavis-photography.com or use the link below to go directly to my own Wedding Photography Pricing Pages. I hope you found this short article about "Wedding Photography pricing explained" both interesting and useful before deciding on a potential Midlands and Birmingham Wedding Photographer or Wedding Videographer that is right for you. Finally, I will leave you some last thoughts. Please ask yourself how much is Wedding Photography worth to you, to your children and children's children, and the memories it holds forever? A wedding day comes and goes but images and video can last a lifetime and beyond.
Wishing you happy wedding planning.
Best wishes – Pete
My Wedding Photography & Videography Pricing page can be browsed here
