Wedding Photography and Videography Forum

Is my photographer worth all the money??

My photographer is pretty expensive and insisted that the "deal" he gave us is a good one. The pictures he showed us were very nice, but is $1500 really a good price to pay when it doesn't include any pictures?? That price is just for him to show up and take pictures. He showed us a "menu" with our options for albums. The albums start at $1200 and go up from there. The photographer is Sam Sarkis. Is his work really worth it?

Re: Is my photographer worth all the money??

  • flamingtwig72flamingtwig72 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    How many hours of coverage do you get? Someone at his level would probably charge about $200-300 per hour, so keep that in mind. I would suggest spending as much as you possibly can on a quality photographer (which Sam Sarkis is). It's the only thing that lasts, after all.
  • Crissy2010Crissy2010 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    @ flamingtwig72, He said it would be unlimited time and unlimited locations. We needed a photographer who could do the all day thing. Our ceremony starts at 12 and our reception starts at 6. I have to be at the church no earlier than 30mins before the start of the ceremony. I wasn't sure of him, and I don't know anyone who has used him before. I hope all goes well, and yeah the pics are the only thing I will have to look back on that day since we're not getting a videograpgher.
     Thanks for the reassurance, I appreciate it.Smile
  • jmucheech21jmucheech21 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My fiance is a wedding photographer and his packages start at $825, including a disk with all digital pictures, 2 photographers, and prints.  I think $1500 to just show up seems pretty excessive.  Granted, you are getting a lot of time, but I really think that is kind of ridiculous for not even getting the disk. 
  • edited December 2011
    Is he giving you the digital files? If yes then it's a very good deal. If not then I would talk to him before hand about the price per picture...It could become even more expensive once it's time for you to choose ur pics.
  • edited December 2011
    We just booked our photographer today actually.  I did a TON of research and I am not sure if Vermont photographers are more expensive than the rest, but every single photographer I looked at was a minimum of $3500!!  Well that is if you want an album and at least 6 hours of coverage which I do.  Pictures are pretty much the only things that last...I think it's worth it. 
  • edited December 2011
    You don't get a disc??? $1,500 does not seem overly excessive to me, but here's what we're getting with ours: $3,000 price tag, two photographer, up to 8 hours of wedding coverage, a disc with edited images, engagement shoot, day after shoot.

    We won't be buying an album anytime soon and I don't plan to buy prints from him either unless I decide later that we can afford it. He is giving us the disc and rights to print though, so I can save a lot of money by making all of that a DIY thing.
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  • edited December 2011
    Photographers are pretty expensive here in the Columbus area.  Mine's 2400 and no actual photographs either, but lots of hours of coverage, engagement photo session included, and all images on CD w/ copyright release for the engagement and wedding photos. 
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