The Average Cost of a Wedding Photographer

While the cost of hiring a wedding photographer falls in a range where it starts from either free by asking a friend who has a decent camera, or a few thousand dollars a day quoted by a dedicated professional wedding photographer.

For many engaged couples, it's time-consuming to inquire every single photographer out there back and forth for pricing and hidden costs before you can find your favorite photographer.

At Arch Visual Studio, we put everything on the table - all of our offerings is on the Package Deals page and there is no hidden cost whatsoever. 

Here is a list of market price range of hiring a wedding photographer an what your expectation would be:

$0 - A friend who shoots for free

$500-$1000 a day - For couples in a budget or small weddings

$1000 - $2000 a day - Around 100 guests. No more than 8 hours.

$2000 - $4000 - Over 150 guests and usually requires at least two photographers

Over $4000 - Typically charged by an established studio, an album and enlargements are included

$0 - A friend who shoots for free.

Asking a friend who owns a decent camera to shoot your wedding is actually a good idea as long as you plan some extra time for each stage of your wedding. After an entire day of shooting, you treat him/her with a dinner would be sufficient. This sounds all good, however,  it's retouching that gives a picture its soul. Every year, I personally shoot a few weddings for friends for free. However, most people don't realize that it actually costs more time in post-processing than just shooting.

At Arch Visual Studio, we never deliver images straight out of the camera to clients. They have to go through our digital developing stage to look good. If you are interested in meeting us to talk about your wedding plan, we will be glad to show you a before/after look of the same photograph we took, so you get get a glimpse of what's happening after the shutter button is pressed down, as well as learning what it takes for us to retouch a photo.

If you happen to have the budget for artistically-produced photographs and cinematic wedding films, you may want to turn to some professionals on the market. After all, it takes time and skills rather than just pressing down the shutter button.

$500-$1000 a day - For couples in a budget or small weddings

Within this price range, there are many options out there. Look for the best quality possible. Good photographers within this range get booked up fast.

At Arch Visual Studio, we offer a two-hour package that will capture both photo and video at an unbeaten price point to provide you the most value. Check out our Package Deals page for details.

$1000 - $2000 a day - Around 100 guests

Most couples' budget fall in this range. 

At Arch Visual Studio, we offer competitive packages within this price range. If you love the idea of unlimited cover on your day, go ahead and check out our Package Deals page on the top of the page.

$2000 - $4000 - Over 150 guests and usually requires at least two photographers

When you have over 150 guests and a long wedding day, it's important to make sure you get a second photographer. This allows the primary photographer to focus on the couple and the second photographer can shoot from a different angle and cover some of your guests. There are just so many moments as a bride/groom that you won't see on your day! This is where the second photographer proves his/her value.

Most photographers out there charge by the hour. At Arch Visual Studio, we offer unlimited coverage plans so you don't ever worry about going over the hours. We stay until the end of your party!

Over $4000

It becomes increasingly difficult to justify the values of packages that cost over $4000. One thing to keep in mind is that, make sure you communicate with the photographer and get educated about the value of the package before you make an impulsive buying decision.

At Arch Visual Studio, this range is where we offer the most of our value. You get unlimited coverage of your day for both photography and a cinematic wedding film. It even comes with a pre-wedding photo session. Check out our Package Deals page for more information.

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