Photography

WildMagelet

So instead of actually doing something on my already huge to-do list, I decided to research photography a bit.  I'm still a bit sticker-shocked from some of these prices!  I mean, I get you have to make your money and there's quite a bit of post-editing to be done but some of these packages I've found online cost more than my entire budget.

We have just over six weeks before I want to get e-pics done, so it's not like its not important for me to get this out of the way   I want most of our photography done before the ceremony, so a lot of these packages really don't "cater to my needs."  I'm seriously thinking about just coming up with a mass e-mail for anyone in the area whose style I like based on their website and see what they say.  We'd have to sit down and get more of a clear idea as to what we are looking for in terms of time frame.  I have my fingers crossed for one photographer in particular - she seems reasonably priced and so far I like most of her photos.

How much are you spending on your photographer?  What all is included with your package?

WalkersFurMama

We are paying $2,600 for our photography. I had to take a look at our contract. According to that our package includes:

- 8 hours of coverage on the wedding day (we will most likely add an hour or two for $100/hr)

- second professional photographeral

- digitial negatives from "day of" and engagement session with printing rights (negatives for the e-session usually cost an additional $250, she gave us a "family discount" because she takes LOTS of pics for FH's cousins)

- complimentary engagement session (4 hours)

- password protected proof galleries 

- prints: 1-11x14, 2-8x10, 4-5x7

- 15% off additional prints

- 5 hours round trip travel from Grand Rapids, MI to Fenton, MI

We are absolutely in LOVE with our photographer. She did FH's cousin's wedding and has done lots of family pics for their family as well. She's super fun, her work is PHENOMENAL, and we knew we HAD to have her shoot our wedding. Now, her fee is nearly a fifth of our budget, but it was also one of the most important things to us. In 30 years no one will care what our centerpieces looked like, or if we had some monstrosity

 of a cake, but we will have the pictures forever. And from seeing my friends' pics on FB, quality counts. For an idea of what we fell in love with and the work our photog does you can see her website here: lvlphotography.com. Everytime I see her work I get butterflies!  

Getting2Vowels

We will be paying 1280 for 6 hrs, 2 photographers, all picture rights, an album or 2, i cant remember how many, and a few other things. That also included our epics with 2 photographers and a cd with print rights. We can add hrs if we want, which we probably will cause I want pics getting ready. We got lucky cause we booked in January and since then they've raised their prices by like 250 beans. Ouch.

keyaira04

$1000: all pre-wedding consultations, 8 hours of shooting with one photographer the day of (time can be started and stopped at our discern to exspand time with her), fine art and traditional photos burned to disc in a custom designed cd case, turn around time on wedding photos are about 6-8 weeks and only 1-2 weeks  "teaser album" is posted on Facebook. Of course, a printing release. 

What I did was created a list of awesome photographers, then email them asking what they could do in the price range and went from there. Most, like my current photographer, were willing to take them out the package to make it work in my budget.  One was willing to give us a deeper discount ($700) if we allowed the company to do education teaching at our wedding via video. I told them in email my budget was $800, they all came back in the $1000-1200 range. We are having our e-photos gifted to us from an friend photographer, so we did not need a e-session and I want to print my own photos. Small wedding and venue, so we dont feel the need to have two photographers. 

I also LOVE my photographer, her business, and her ministry. 

WildMagelet

Our "budget" photographers in the area appear to be around $650-800, but I'm just not in love with their work.  The OMG guy is way over our budget (as in, the e-session + prints along would cost 1/4 of my total budget - lets not even bring up his day-of pricing), but there are some other quality photographers with less impressive websites (but still fabulous portfolios) that startaround $1800 or so.  If I'm lucky I might be able to convince them to go down a bit if I give them a big list of products I'm going to want and our limited photo time (small crowd means fewer photos, walking distance to reception hall means no travel time, and no group dancing means limited photo ops at the reception.) or I might see if we can stretch out our payments and pay for prints & books *afterwards.*  I mean, 8+ photobooks are going to cost a small fortune.

NateandJustine

We are paying $1325 for two photographers for 8 hours, we own all of the rights with a CD, pw website, egagement session, free downloads of images online for family (low res)

emineminem

these tips are helpful, guys! i want a fantastic photographer, but we just can't afford the prices in my area. in san francisco, a $10k wedding is near impossible, and we want to spend less than that!! i like the idea of choosing the ones we love and asking them to fit something into my price range...thank you, keyaira!

Beads921

Definitely contact them directly about the packages. All the photographers I talked to were happy to work with our timeline, although their websites didn't explicitly offer it. 

We ended up a bit over our $2000 budget at $2200 for 6 hours of wedding day coverage, a photobook of our wedding, edited images on CD (and rights to them), e-pics session, a photobook of the e-pics. I found no one in our area that I liked with packages under $1750.

trent13

For 3,095 our Photographer does unlimited epic sessions he said we could do one every season if we wanted to lol not that we will2 photographers, unlimited coverage on our wedding day, prewedding meeting for the day of details, when I get my trial hair and makeup done they photograph that, and we get a uber fancy book with pictures that we pick out from our wedding day. I know that this price might make some people sick but they do an amazing job and the photographer is a HUGE splurge, but is the most important thing to both of us.

WildMagelet

I sent an e-mail to someone and was so glad I did! Their website didn't work properly but I liked their photos and proximity and had just a general good feeling about them. Turns out their packages start at $1000 including the e-session and their print prices are super reasonable if you take advantage of their 45 day discount afterwards. The owner has shot at our ceremony location, too! The e session will cost $100 up front and if we like each other its just another $100 to reserve our date.

trent13

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2013-weddings_photography?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:a322ad2c-25cd-4d52-b123-096e1e4ecda5Discussion:f6079b6d-c91e-4e91-8ac9-2616b087ca57Post:b18118bc-8501-4b13-81cb-ef6688d7cc57">Re: Photography</a>:
[QUOTE]I sent an e-mail to someone and was so glad I did! Their website didn't work properly but I liked their photos and proximity and had just a general good feeling about them. Turns out their packages start at $1000 including the e-session and their print prices are super reasonable if you take advantage of their 45 day discount afterwards. The owner has shot at our ceremony location, too! The e session will cost $100 up front and <strong>if we like each other its just another $100 to reserve our date.
</strong>Posted by flutterbride2b[/QUOTE]

This part is really cool most vendors want like half down to secure your date. The only vendor so far that hasn't asked for half down is the baker we want.

MrsSearad

I'm going to end up between 2,300 and 3,000 after everything is said and done.  Photography is also our biggest splurge.  I think it is the most expensive thing for us other then food and booze.  We are having about 300 people attending so I really wanted someone good.  We are getting 2 photographers, an album, engagement session, bridals, cd's with rights for all 3 sessions, and all day coverage for the wedding. Ohh and its all password protected and family can order directly from website I do not have to deal with it.

Gabrielle76

I'm hypothetically spending about $2,500.  (Hypothetically because photographer is my moms bff, and she's doing it in trade for my mom wokring her interior design magic on her daughters room, but if we were just hiring her, that would be the price for what she's doing)

For that she did our engagement photos, all day coverage of the wedding with her and a second shooter, and retouching the photos.  Then we'll tell her which ones to order, and pay for the prints at cost.  I don't want an album because I want to make a scrap book of it myself. 

You should absolutely email anyone you like and see if they will do something custom for you, I think a lot of them are flexible. 

eas1223

Like others have said, definitely reach out to those that you like.  I did just that and every one of them was willing to customize a package for me and tailor it to exactly what I wanted.  With that said, we are spending over $4000 for photography but it's because that was one of the areas that I felt strongest about and I was willing to pay more to ensure I love my pictures.

kls33145

Holy moly....

I can't believe the prices for your photographers!!!!

Ours is about double any of yours!

Our package is about 5,000! I agree with eas1223 - this was an area we were not messing with and went with a highly recommended photographer in our area that had been used by people we know. I'm in love with her and her work...but man, I can't believe how inexpensive you all have gotten yours for! I wonder if location has anything to do with it??????

We're getting our videograhpers for about 3,200....so we're spending 8,200$ on these two areas alone! I'm starting to get depressed.......thank god my FI makes decent money cause my teacher's salary isn't going to afford all of this!