Wedding Photography Average Cost in UK : Guide to explain.

Planning a wedding is hard. Especially when it’s your first one, and you don’t know who to trust or how much something will cost. I am here to help with all the little details you need to know about, so that you can make an informed decision on whether hiring a wedding photographer will work for your wedding day.

Wedding photography is an industry that is constantly evolving and growing. As the wedding industry grows and more couples come to expect a certain level of quality when they look for a photographer, wedding photographers are expected to meet those expectations.
As a result, wedding photographers charge more for their services. This is something you need to understand before you start planning your big day.

Knowing all the little details and information about wedding photography prices, will help you make the best decision and allow you to keep within your budget.

How much should I spend for a wedding photographer?

Wedding photography average cost in UK  it depends primarily on the budget of the brides.

Most couples invest around 5% – 10% of their total budget on their wedding photography. This is a rule of thumb which works well with most budgets but there are always exceptions. With the average UK wedding costing £32 000, that works out at around £1,600-£3,200. However, there are lots of factors that can push the price of your wedding photography up or down.

The average cost of wedding photographers in the UK is £1500.00 day with some packages going up to £2500.00 per day. The latest wedding photographer survey from “Your Perfect Wedding Photographer” & Hitched.co.uk. show that these prices haven’t change much  in 2017-2022

Remember this is only an average. there are photographers advertising full day packages way below that average at £ 500, and others way over at £ 4000 +.

The average wedding photographer price is about £150-200 per hour. The price depends on factors such as location, experience level, day of the week and time of year.

Package pricing is more common during peak seasons and when there is more demand for wedding photographers, but there are still many photographers who prefer to charge only hourly rates.

Hourly rates for wedding photographers are not as common as package-based pricing – the best photographer want to tell the whole story of the day and not to be forced by hourly rates.

When looking for a wedding photographer, one of the first things you should consider is what kind of wedding photography package they offer.

Most wedding photographers will offer some form of packages( Doing my own research they offer mostly 3 package), but each photographer might offer something a little different for different reasons. The packages will normally stipulate the time the photographer will be at your wedding, how many edited images will be delivered, does he include a slideshow with music,  and any other products, such as a USB or wedding album.

To give you an idea of the different types of packages wedding photographers offer, here are some examples:

Basic Package

If you’re on a budget, but still want to capture the most important moments of your big day, then a basic wedding photography package might be right for you.

Basic packages tend to be shorter in the amount of overall time your photographer will be at the wedding. Couples who choose a basic wedding photography package are looking for coverage for specific events and only a few edited photos with no products (such as albums and prints).

For example, I offer “The Only Ceremony” package. That include 2 hours of coverage your ceremony, portraits of the couple alone and with friends & family. You will received  approx 100+ edited photographs.

Half Day Package (Midrange)

Midrange wedding photography packages are the perfect choice for couples who want a little more than just a few hours’ worth of coverage on their wedding day. These packages typically include coverage of preparation of the bride, wedding ceremony, family photos and reception till sitting down.
and a good amount of wedding photos on a USB or online gallery.

“Half day Package” wedding photography packages tend to limit these packages to about 6 hours. But will cover most of the important moments on your wedding day. And you will received  and a good amount of wedding photos on a USB or online gallery.

Full Day Package ( the most expensive)

Full -day coverage packages are the best of the best. They include everything you need for your big day

These packages include full-day coverage of your wedding, right from the start of your wedding preparation all the way through the moment you say “I do” to at least 1 hour dances after the first dance at your reception.

Which package should you choose?  Ask yourself what is your budget and how long coverage you need.

How long should you hire a wedding photographer for?

you really need to ask yourself how many hours of coverage will you actually need? If you start your day at 10am and finish with a late evening party then you’re probably going to want ten hours or more of wedding photography coverage

Being a wedding photographer is not all that glamorous. You don’t get to just sit back, snap a few photos, and call it a day. In fact, being a wedding photographer is one of the most time-consuming professions there is!

First off, you have all the equipment costs: cameras, lenses, lighting gear, computers and software.

Breaking down these costs:

Equipment:

Wedding photographers are the rockstars of the wedding industry. But, just like any other industry, it takes a lot of money to make it as an elite professional.

As a wedding photographer in Wiltshire, UK, I understand that being a professional means having the right equipment. You can check all the prices online, but here’s a breakdown of the typical photographer’s bag:

• Two full frame cameras (DSLR or mirrorless)
• Four different high-end prime lenses (24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm or 70-200mm)
• Two flashes (speed-light for each camera)
• Flash receivers and transmitters

ALl these Cameras, lenses, flashes, tripods can cost thousands upon thousands of pounds.

Insurance:

If you’re working in a public place like a church or park then you’ll need to have the right insurance coverage in case something happens to your equipment or you get injured while on location shooting; this can be very costly as well. Most of the Wedding Venue required also public livability insurance from all vendors.

Software:

You’ll need software for your computer that allows for editing photos after each shoot so that you can provide clients with an end result that they are happy with; this software can cost anywhere from £100-£500+ for each subscription. We need lots of them to provide our branding.

Marketing and advertising cost:

Seo:

The marketing, SEO, website designing and social media advertising is not free. Google Ad words or Facebook marketing is all done as a PPC or pay per click. The phrases like ” Wiltshire Wedding Photographer” or “London Wedding Photographer” in Google costs from £2 to £4 for a click. So about 100 clicks a day cost about £6000 – £12000 a month. Therefore we cannot rely on ads verbs alone.

Facebook and Instagram

Facebook and Instagram Marketing can be just as expensive as Ad Verbs. Facebook used to be a free platform for many wedding photographers and creatives but is not anymore.

Social media has become more expensive in the last five years. All because nowadays it is hard to get organic traffic. Wedding photography are in demand right now and advertising is expensive because of that demand! You can spend from £250 – £1000 a month on ads and can book only a few average-priced weddings every month.

If you have time to do social media marketing yourself, you can save some money there, but most people hire someone else to do it for them.

Wedding shows

Some couples may find it helpful to meet potential wedding vendors at bridal or wedding shows, but they come with fees. It can cost between £300 to £1500 per book, depending on how exclusive the show is.

A book is basically a place in the program that lists your business name and contact information. This can be a great way to get more clients, but it will cost you a pretty penny if you want to be included in one of these events.

Wedding directory

If you were looking for a photographer on one of the wedding portals, you probably know that being listed by the portal is not free. You have to pay a fee to be recommended. The same goes for booking agencies and wedding planners.

The wedding portals are great, but they can often be expensive. The fees vary depending on which portal you use: some charge up to £1,000 for membership, while others charge as little as £120. However, even if you don’t pay anything, there are still costs involved in using these sites.

Conclusion

The question was “What is the average cost of a wedding photographer?”

I’ve come up with this guide to help you understand what you’re paying for, and how much it should realistically cost to hire a professional wedding photographer.

I know it’s difficult to find out the true cost of hiring one—and it’s even more difficult to decide whether or not it’s worth the money.

Ultimately, it comes down to your experience, quality of service, creativity, and most importantly personality of the person you decide to hire to spend 10-12 hours on your most important day. You have to ask yourself this question: Is it worth it? How much is my wedding photography worth to me?

I hope this guide helped you figure out how much a wedding photographer costs in the UK! If there’s anything else I can help with please let me know.

If you’re considering a wedding photographer, have a look at my website, where you’ll find details about my style and experience. I’m taking bookings now for 2023/2024, so if you’re looking for a photographer in UK, don’t hesitate to contact me. Best dates go quickly!