Hi guys, I haven't been in here much as I haven't had as much chance to get my camera out but I have a question for anyone who does or has done wedding photography. I've only done one and that was family so I worked for whisky, but I'm planning my daughters wedding which is happening very soon thanks to her fiance's military schedule and on a tight budget. I wish I could be in two places and do the wedding myself but I can't. What is a typical price for a single photographer and a 4 hour session? I have someone I want and my husband is arguing that she's too much, I disagree. Her price is 1,250 plus a small travel fee and she's willing to relinquish the raw photos to me to handle any processing and printing.

What do you guys think?

Hi Kendra! I'm sorry for replying to you so late. I thought a member with more experience than me with wedding photographers or doing wedding photography would give you some advice, but I'll try to give you the best advice I can. I asked my mom how much my sister's wedding photographer charged at her wedding 14 years ago and my mom said he charged $35.00 per hour. I kept asking my mom are you sure that's how much he charged and she said yes. It sounds crazy huh? I wonder if he was a beginner wedding photographer, a friend of a friend that gave her a big discount, or if she met him at the bridal expo here and got a great deal. I don't know about that price, it had to have been more. I did a little googling and it looks like $1,250 is a good price, but 4 hour session is a little concerning. I read where couples were paying $1,000+ for 8 hours. Like you said your photographer is adding raw photos and etc. so that's probably what is making everything that price. I also saw a couple that was paying $750 for their photographer. I'm going to copy and paste some things I found below.

Wedding2009 Married: 09/26/2009 Reviews: 10 Sep 22, 2009 at 1:32 PM • Flag As Inappropriate Our photographer is costing us $950 for 8 hours of service, all photos on a CD, and a coffee table book album, plus 100 4x6 prints, and a few 8x11 prints. Main reason we got that price is becahse we booked so early, he knocked $300 off of his regular price for that package. He has shot about 45 weddings before since he started shooting weddings in 2006. We received quotes from $795 all the way to $4400 for our wedding. My best friend got married in 2007 and they spent $4200 on a big photography company...while their pictures were amazing, and their album was real nice, they did not believe it was worth spending so much money on the phtotographer and strongly suggested getting a small package, and going with a good free lance photographer. You should be able to find a well versed, experienced photographer for $2000 or less regardless of where you live.

Konichiwa Married: 01/17/2010 Reviews: 7 Sep 22, 2009 at 2:52 PM • Flag As Inappropriate I'm spending about $1500 for my photog. Photography is expensive but if you are going to splurge, do it on the photography. It's like so many of the other posters mentioned, it's the only thing left after the wedding is over! I had the option to go cheap (one guy said $300 and he'd give us an unlocked DVD of the images) But even tho the idea of saving money was nice, I didn't want to look back at the photos and think, 'Wow, you can tell we saved money there." I did tons of research and found someone that took pictures I really liked and gave us everything that we were looking for in a package. We met and I felt really comfortable with him. He's a little more than I had originally wanted to spend but actually much cheaper than many of the photogs I researched.

Typical costs:

Wedding photography can be broken down into four basic categories: budget, moderate, upscale and luxury. Budget photographers run from under $1,000; moderate photographers average between $1,000 and $3,000; and upscale photographers between $3,000 and $5,000. Luxury weddings photographers average between $5,000 and upwards of $10,000. For those on a very limited budget, consider asking a friend or relative to take ceremony photos with a digital camera. Don't rely on someone who is participating in the ceremony, such as a sister or father. BridalTips[1] suggests placing disposable cameras on each table so guests can take candid shots.

What should be included: Basic wedding photograph packages under $500 may include 1-4 hours of coverage by one photographer, proofs in an online or hard cover album, and a limited number of prints or printable images on a CD or DVD. Package prices in the $500-$1,000 range may include more hours by one photographer and an assistant, and additional prints or special albums. Packages between $1,000-$3,000 may include an additional photographer and up to 8 hours of coverage, plus special albums, parents albums or photo books, though for some photographers, the fee will cover only the photography. Packages that cost upwards of $3,000 may include unlimited coverage, up to three photographers, multiple shoot locations, or albums or photo books.

Additional costs: Extras can include more hours of coverage, additional photographers, special albums or photo books, parent albums, or additional shoots (such as an engagement session).

Discounts: Packages are typically the most cost-effective way to purchase wedding photography services. Don't be afraid to negotiate or haggle with the photographer. Some photographers encourage pre-wedding installment payment plans at a discount. However, pre-paying for services can be risky. Consider negotiating payment installments. Weddings are often scheduled on weekends, and some photographers may offer discounts on off-days. According to TheKnot[2] , you can trim costs by hiring a professional just for the ceremony, or a limited amount of time at the reception. Avoid photo "add-ons," such as sepia tones, multiple exposures, or split frames. If selecting digital photography with copyright release, cut down on your print order, since you can easily do your own prints later at substantially lower prices. You can share a virtual album with family and friends, so they can order prints themselves. Check out reviews by CNET[3] of popular sites.

I'm sorry that I googled everything, but I hope I was able to help you a little bit. :)

Let's see... my photographer is 1,000 for 8 hours. But, that's not her FT job. I'd say it differs - depending on the state. Check this article out and read more about it : http://snapknot.com/wedding-photography-prices

If you need any help, let me know!

Thanks guys, I've seen a lot of variances in my area. Some have flat rates, some go by the hour. It's killing me to not be able to photograph it myself but what we ended up with is the same photographer (whose regular price is almost twice that with a backup photographer) who is willing to come down to meet our budget since we learned that we know her husband. I was begging my husband to just book her but this works out better. Her extra hour price is $100 per hour so I'm ok with that and apparently it's not uncommon to release the photos. I don't remember that being the case 20 years ago. And I'll be able to have my camera out some too and take some of the detail shots before the wedding.
It figures my daughter would pick a bad property tax season and the year we have to replace the roof to get married. :)

Every time my parents and I think about my sister's wedding we say we're happy she's married, but she doesn't know all the work we had to do and then we get a little depressed. lol I totally understand what you mean about the bad property tax season and having to replace your roof for your daughter's wedding.