Why is wedding photography so expensive?

Sorry everyone, I know this is an academic website, but I am dying here and need advice. My daughter just informed me that she wants me to pay $4000. for her wedding photographer. I don't have much money and am barely affording this wedding anyway, now this photo thing is about to break this camel's back.

Do photographers jack up the price when you mention the word "wedding"? She is saying to me "daddy, I need great photos" and I understand that. But $4000 for a few hours of shooting and editing? I'm supposedly paying for their "art." I feel like I am being ripped off in a big way.

 

I can't help you, because if one of my children asked for $4000 in wedding photos, I'd threaten not to attend unless they stopped smoking crack. Seriously. Out-of-control.

This isn't a "back in my day" speech, but when my husband and I got married, we had $12,000 combined once we joined our bank accounts. We spent $150 on our wedding and bought a house. Got married on the front step. My mom made 3 sheet cakes, my grandma made my bouquet, my in-laws bought the beverages, and my husband and I prepared the food. We made $20k profit when we sold that house.

 

When we got married in 1998, we had some photography majors from the local community college take our wedding pictures. They were inexpensive and turned out great. We had a traditional white wedding with about 100 guests and managed to come in under $4000 for the entire thing.

My recommendation is that you explain to your daughter what you can afford and that she and her fiance need to finance anything above/beyond that on their own.

 

Ouch. Glad I have three boys. Of course its a racket. Everything is jacked up so the princess's can have THEIR day. Thank God I married someone like cookderosa, except instead of being smart like her and her hubby we spent our money on the honeymoon. That's my advice. Skip the big wedding (skip the princess's too, but that's another story) and spend what money you can on the honeymoon.

Congrats to your daughter on the marriage.

$4,000? Did you laugh or try to stifle it.

Good luck.

Cory

 

Does $4,000.00 include filming as well, or only photos?

Even 21st century, my wedding was in 2011; and we used BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). A wedding does not have to be expensive. Well, you should have your daughter to marry other culture; where the groom family is responsible for everything. Tell your daughter that it costs your $400,000.00 to raise her plus college; there is no way to spend that much money on her wedding photos.

 

Not only do the photographers rape you with their "fees" they also get you when you order prints. I was lucky in that we had a friend of the family photograph our wedding. We paid her $1000, and she gave us the rights to the prints, so we could print off whatever we wanted.

I do recall reading in the various wedding books we read, that they always advised NOT using the word wedding when booking something. They recommended saying it was a "family event" or something similar, because "wedding" means the price can triple. It's ridiculous.

-Matt

 

It's only the beginning. Get used to it.

 

Wowzer! You gotta love the emotional connection that they have with their marketing program. I can't complain too much because I own a business that uses emotional marketing as well.

When we were married years ago my brother-in-law had his weeding a few months before us. He spent 30k on everything. Between the step-folks, ex-outlaws and family craziness he was sooo glad when it was over.

We decided we weren't going to pay thousands to get married after watching that train wreck. We hopped in my 1971 240Z and headed to Colorado. We were married by a stranger on Pikes Peak. We didn't even book the place. We went up on the cog railway with all of the other tourists. Once we got to the top we had a friend that lived in CO filming it with a camera. The rent-a preacher was there ($100) doing the service. All of the other tourists gathered around to watch. We had an insta-wedding. We stayed in a cheap cabin right in the mountains. She bought her dress at some discount store in the mall for $50, ha! The entire wedding, trip and everything was $1,500. No stress, no crazy family...just the two of us.

 

That is a better story to tell your kids about mom and dad wedding than a traditional wedding story. :smoker:

 

Sorry, I will never be used to getting ripped off. Can't stand the fact that the price triples when you mention the word "wedding." Money is too hard to come by to then turn around and flush it down the toilet by giving it to a guy that triples his prices.

 

I'm also really going nuts with the social pressure of it all. If I say anything about the fact, I become the ogre daddy who ruins his daughter's wedding. The in-laws are shaking their heads and clicking their toungs at the cheepskate dad who only cares about money. "How could he be that way at this most important time." Yet my concern is about silly things like paying the bills and buying food.

This social pressure is what the wedding photographers rely on and it's why they can get away with ripping people off. I feel like I am losing my mind. All of the females in my family are against me on this.

 

You're my idol. I take a lot of pride in frugality.

 

My fiance's family is very traditional and paying for everything with the exception of the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon, that's on me. They gave her what I would deem a sizable budget and we're still struggling to stay under that mark. It's really her day so I want her to have what she wants, but I'd be happy getting married at the court house. In terms of pictures we're lucking in that my best man's father is a professional photographer, we've been friends since we were 12 so we got him for under $1k, but she's found a way to spend the savings elsewhere.

 

It happens again when people start using the word "funeral." Oh, and "kids," "school," "vacation," and so many more. But with this--and all else--you have choices. Just be sure you take into account your spouse's values. You'll find yourself paying for things you yourself would never opt for. I've purchased a lot of furniture that way....

 

Funny you should mention "funeral" as your next reply because this is going to lead to another big expense for the family; a funeral......MINE!

 

Too bad most people don't put 1% of the time in to planning their marriage as they do in planning their weddings.

Oh well, I'm a consumer too.

 

That's very flattering - we celebrate our 20th anniversary on September 4th! :fest30:

 

Ohhhhh, that's a good one! Good stuff right there.

 

Out of touch comments.

Hi,

sorry all, but your comments are, to be honest, a bit insulting.

Things like being "raped" by photographers prices. Prices being tripled when the word wedding is mentioned.

I am a wedding photographer. When I shoot a 10 hour wedding, there will be 30 hours post production. I have about $30,000 worth of equipment that has to be paid for, maintained.

Then there is insurance, web costs, SEO costs, a computers, an office.

I would say that most wedding photographers, at the end of the day, are working for $15 - $20 per hour.

Maybe the link below will explain it better. It was written not long after this thread started. It will make it crystal clear why we are way underpaid sometimes. I had a NY lawyer on the phone a few days ago trying to cut my portrait session price seriously down. It would probably have earned me a quarter of his hourly rate. It's insulting.

I hope the O.P. ended up with good, professional images. If you went budget, would you care to share a few?

Hugh

Why Wedding Photographers' Prices are