A broad question with a broad answer. In this article I will attempt to answer this question as best as I can. I will explain what factors play a role in wedding photographers’ pricing and give you an idea of how much does a wedding photographer actually cost. Let’s dive in.

What goes into wedding photographers’ pricing?

Pricing in wedding photography isn’t as straight forward as you might think. After all photography is an art and as every art, it is subjective, so how do we price art?

To give you an idea, a typical full-day wedding photography package could range anywhere between £500 and £5,000 in the vast majority. Having said that, of course you might find somebody who will charge less than £500 and there are photographers out there who charge more than £5,000. A 10-fold difference from the bottom to the top range. You might be asking yourself what causes this and how do wedding photographers actually determine their pricing? The answer might be not so simple.

Rationally thinking I would probably say that things such as equipment cost, travel cost, expertise and experience are the main factors. Especially experience. Having said that, I know a wedding photographer toward the end of his career, who charges £900 for a full-day coverage. This is where pricing in wedding photography becomes a little more subjective and is determined by more than experience, equipment, travel costs and skill.

Supply and demand

How much does a wedding photographer cost in 2025

First of all, as with any product or service, there is a certain level of supply and demand which always influences the price of the product or service to a certain degree. Marketing and especially the way a certain photographer is perceived can have a huge impact on their pricing as well. As is with most things in life, you get what you pay for - meaning, more expensive photographers tend to be of higher quality, although not always. You can stumble upon great wedding photographers who are in the beginning of their careers and still not charging what they should be charging. It’s always worth shopping around.

You might stumble upon a photographer who charges £3,500 for a full day coverage, and you might be thinking how the hell is that possible? Art. It’s subjective. You might not like someone’s work, but there might be many people who love it and are willing to pay the asking price so their wedding gallery is produced in the photographer’s signature style.

As a photographer you look around you, set a price you think is reasonable for the service you offer and if people are happy to pay it, great. It means you’re doing something right. As your career progresses you hopefully develop as a photographer, you expand your skills, knowledge, experience and expertise and should charge more. As you can see in the example I gave with the photographer who is towards the end of his career and only charges £900, this isn’t always the case.

Marketing skills

How much does a wedding photographer actually cost

The marketing skills a photographer has or outsources to professionals play a critical role in their pricing. Being able to market yourself well you get exposure to more couples, which leads to more enquiries, higher individual demand and ultimately, higher pricing. I know of great photographers who have been in the industry more than 10 years but only charge the average, and I know of wedding photographers in the beginning of their careers who charge more than the “national average”.

Wedding photographer’s process from start to finish

Pre-wedding chat/call/in-person meet (1-2 hours)
Travel time to get to your wedding (varies)
Photographing your wedding (8-12 hours)
Travel time to get back home (varies)
Selecting the best images to edit (a couple of hours)
Editing your wedding photos (up to a week)
Delivering your photos (a couple of hours)

In total a wedding photographer might spend around 50 hours on each wedding. If the average full day wedding package is £1,500, this equals to just over £30 an hour.

What does the pricing of a photographer indicate?

As I mentioned above, you usually get what you pay for and higher price does normally mean higher perceived quality. After all, if a wedding photographer set their price at £5,000 and nobody paid it for a year, they would decrease the price and wouldn’t be at £5,000 any longer. But if people keep paying it consistently, it should mean that the photographer is indeed worth £5,000. Again, you might not like their particular style or work so much, but there might be many other people who do and are willing to pay to get it.

Generally speaking, photographers who charge more tend to do less weddings than photographers who charge less. I only know one photographer who charges £5,000 and he doesn’t take more than 20 weddings a year. I also know a photographer who charges under £1,000 and does around 60 weddings a year. What does that mean for you? Quality over quantity. Photographers who charge more typically devote more time to each couple and ultimately provide a better experience. It’s one of the reasons I only take on 25 weddings a year. I want to be able to connect with each couple, meet with them in person if I can, and also it means that I don’t have to rush the editing which has a crucial role in the outcome.

What do you get for your money?

In this article I’ve chosen to focus on a basic full-day wedding photography package. This will typically include:

Pre-wedding consultation (chat, video-call, or a face to face meeting - I always prefer the latest)
8 - 12 hours of coverage, normally from your preparations until the first dance
A good amount of photos, edited and delivered in an online gallery

Most photographers also offer extras such as:

Coverage until the end
Second photographer
Wedding album
Quick edit
Print packages
Engagement session

How much should you spend on a wedding photographer?

It depends on your budget. Set a realistic amount aside for photography - £1,500 to £3,500. If your budget allows it, go higher than that. According to Hitched’s National Wedding Survey, 40% of couples in 2023 spent between £1,500 and £3,000 on photography.

Your photos will be the main way to relive the emotions from your wedding so you shouldn’t compromise on the quality of your photographer. Find someone whose work you love and you’d be happy if your wedding gallery is in their style and book them as soon as you can.