Photography Prices, How Much Is Too Much???
I need help. My fiance and I have found the PERFECT photographer for our wedding and we really want to use him. My parents are saying that he`s too expensive and want us to go with a friend of the family who is less expensive and also a professional.
The photographer that we want to use is $1650. This includes up to 150 pictures (we get to keep the proofs), our wedding album, the 30-40 pictures that go in the album, 1 engagement picture, no sitting fee for formal in-studio wedding picutres, and unlimited time on the wedding day. He would come about 2 hours before to do as many pics before that we want and stay as late as we wanted or needed him to. He said that many times he has stayed well after the bride and groom left to capture reception fun.
What do you think? Is that too much? Is it reasonable? We live in the Atlanta area and that seems to be the going rate.
SOMEONE please let me know!! I"m getting desperate!!
The photographer that we want to use is $1650. This includes up to 150 pictures (we get to keep the proofs), our wedding album, the 30-40 pictures that go in the album, 1 engagement picture, no sitting fee for formal in-studio wedding picutres, and unlimited time on the wedding day. He would come about 2 hours before to do as many pics before that we want and stay as late as we wanted or needed him to. He said that many times he has stayed well after the bride and groom left to capture reception fun.
What do you think? Is that too much? Is it reasonable? We live in the Atlanta area and that seems to be the going rate.
SOMEONE please let me know!! I"m getting desperate!!
Posted by Kelli; updated 05/24/03
Reply
Hi Kelli:
While I live in Canada where the costs are bound to be different, the price doesn`t sound that bad - for what you get. You`re paying a lot more than we are, but you`re also getting a lot more photos, and a lot more time on the wedding day.
BUT...
Do you really want to spend this much on photos?
We`re paying approximately $800. For that, we get a preview album with all the proofs(fewer than 100 I think), three 8x10 enlargements of our choice, a few smaller ones AND the negatives to reprint whatever we want later on.
Our photographer is coming to photograph me and my bridesmaids before the wedding, and if there`s time she`ll go get some of the guys too. She will photograph the ceremony, then we`ll go get formal photos in a garden, then off to the reception. I belive she takes photos of us when we get there, possibly of the cake cutting if it`s early enough, but then she`s gone. She won`t be there for the whole reception.
It would be sort of cool to have professional photos at the reception too, but you`re probably not going to display those. Do you need them? Probably lots of your family will be snapping away with their cameras, surely there will be some good shots.
We`re paying for this wedding mostly by ourselves, which makes us look at costs a lot more - perhaps that`s not an issue for you. Believe me, if we had a family friend who could cut a deal for us, we would in all liklihood be using him!
It`s possible you could still have your dream photographer and still have your parents happy. Try talking to him/her about shorter photo shoot, leave out the reception maybe. Find a way to make him/her less expensive and perhaps you can come to a compromise with your parents.
Good luck!
While I live in Canada where the costs are bound to be different, the price doesn`t sound that bad - for what you get. You`re paying a lot more than we are, but you`re also getting a lot more photos, and a lot more time on the wedding day.
BUT...
Do you really want to spend this much on photos?
We`re paying approximately $800. For that, we get a preview album with all the proofs(fewer than 100 I think), three 8x10 enlargements of our choice, a few smaller ones AND the negatives to reprint whatever we want later on.
Our photographer is coming to photograph me and my bridesmaids before the wedding, and if there`s time she`ll go get some of the guys too. She will photograph the ceremony, then we`ll go get formal photos in a garden, then off to the reception. I belive she takes photos of us when we get there, possibly of the cake cutting if it`s early enough, but then she`s gone. She won`t be there for the whole reception.
It would be sort of cool to have professional photos at the reception too, but you`re probably not going to display those. Do you need them? Probably lots of your family will be snapping away with their cameras, surely there will be some good shots.
We`re paying for this wedding mostly by ourselves, which makes us look at costs a lot more - perhaps that`s not an issue for you. Believe me, if we had a family friend who could cut a deal for us, we would in all liklihood be using him!
It`s possible you could still have your dream photographer and still have your parents happy. Try talking to him/her about shorter photo shoot, leave out the reception maybe. Find a way to make him/her less expensive and perhaps you can come to a compromise with your parents.
Good luck!
Posted by Kimberly; updated 05/24/03
Reply
It is hard to compare prices on here, as we are from all over the world. I`m in the Chicagoland area, and our photographer quoted us 1350.00 for a similar package and he also will post them online, so our out
Of town guests will be able to view and order them online. In our area this price is very reasonable as we had prices up to $3000.00 for nearly the same package.
But I`m thinking if you have your heart set on this photographer (I am going to assume that your parents are paying for it or this would not be an issue.) ask your parents if you and your F/H could pay the difference between the family friend and the guy you truly want. I don`t think they could object to that.
Of town guests will be able to view and order them online. In our area this price is very reasonable as we had prices up to $3000.00 for nearly the same package.
But I`m thinking if you have your heart set on this photographer (I am going to assume that your parents are paying for it or this would not be an issue.) ask your parents if you and your F/H could pay the difference between the family friend and the guy you truly want. I don`t think they could object to that.
Posted by Jemmy; updated 05/24/03
Reply
I think the package you were quoted is reasonable. Once your wedding is over, what tangible things do you have left to remember that day? To recount all the memories and emotions? Your wedding portraits will be passed down generations. Don`t scrimp on this part of the wedding budget or you might regret it. I`m a professional wedding photographer in a metropolitian area, and I get calls occasionally from a bride in tears who trusted well-meaning relatives/friends to photograph her wedding, and the results were diastrous so they call me to schedule a post-wedding portrait session. Of course the bride has to get her wedding gown of out storage and the groom rents a tux again, another bridal bouquet is made, and it doesn`t come close to capturing the excitement and joy of the actual wedding day. My heart breaks for those brides. TRUST your gut instinct and hire the photographer that you think will do the best job for you.
Posted by Jan; updated 05/26/03
Reply
I think the package you were quoted is reasonable. Once your wedding is over, what tangible things do you have left to remember that day? To recount all the memories and emotions? Your wedding portraits will be passed down generations. Don`t scrimp on this part of the wedding budget or you might regret it. I`m a professional wedding photographer in a metropolitian area, and I get calls occasionally from a bride in tears who trusted well-meaning relatives/friends to photograph her wedding, and the results were diastrous so they call me to schedule a post-wedding portrait session. Of course the bride has to get her wedding gown of out storage and the groom rents a tux again, another bridal bouquet is made, and it doesn`t come close to capturing the excitement and joy of the actual wedding day. My heart breaks for those brides. TRUST your gut instinct and hire the photographer that you think will do the best job for you.
Posted by Jan; updated 05/26/03
Reply
Thank you so much!! Bryan and I talked with my parents on Saturday. They brought some samples from this guy they want us to use and they were decent. But.....we said that we want to go to his studio and see everything he has before we make a decision and my parents seemed okay with that. He and I have talked about splitting the cost with them but we haven`t discussed it with them yet. We`ll see what happens.
Thanks for you responses!!
Thanks for you responses!!
Posted by Kelli; updated 05/27/03
Reply
The price sounds reasonable for most photographers. But what you`re getting doesn`t. We paid only a little more than you did (we paid $2000). We got all our proofs (600) and an album of 100 pictures. I think any photographer who spends all that time taking portraits and taking pictures pre ceremony then the ceremony then 4-5 hours at the reception should be ashamed of himself for only coming up with 150 photos when it`s all over. And an album of only 30-40 pictures? Are you serious?
Posted by jillymo; updated 05/27/03
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No! Hes not too much. That is a really reasonable price if you have seen his work and he is what you like. You have to remember that the pictures are forever. With the archivial film and paper now your grandchildrens grandchildren will flip through you album and learn what you were like. If you can than pay the difference. If you cant than try to reason with your parents. Everyone gets sticker shock and maybe they should go with you to see his stuff.
Posted by Toni; updated 05/27/03
Reply
JIILLIMO.................
I knew you would slip up and loose your cover!!!!!!!!!! In the message "to Layla" you said you were going to be a bride.......well if you ask me , if you were going to be a bride how the heck did you already get your wedding pictures taken?????????????????????HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Nice try now everyone knows you are just some fool, being annoying on the net!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I knew you would slip up and loose your cover!!!!!!!!!! In the message "to Layla" you said you were going to be a bride.......well if you ask me , if you were going to be a bride how the heck did you already get your wedding pictures taken?????????????????????HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Nice try now everyone knows you are just some fool, being annoying on the net!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Eliza; updated 05/27/03
