Behind the scenes of your investment in wedding photography

dance floor with groom spinning bride around under confetti cannon

It’s really interesting to be writing this in 2020 because whilst researching I found a post I had written when I was starting out 6 years ago (!) about the same topic; wedding photography pricing, and people’s expectations compared to what they were willing to pay.

At that point I was very much a beginner (I had shot maybe 20 weddings) and knew that I was charging less but because of my small amount of experience. Now I have shot nearly 150 wedding and this is my 6th year full time (and 8th year part time) shooting weddings I feel like I want to shed a bit more light on this subject to help couples understand a bit more about what goes on behind the scenes before and after their big day.

One of the misconceptions can be that wedding photography is just ‘one day’s work’ which definitely couldn’t be further from the truth, as you’ll hopefully see below.

The other misconception is that people are just adding zeros for the fun of it because it’s a wedding. I am really hoping this shows that there is a huge amount that goes on behind the scenes both financially and also work wise to get to the figure but also it’s worth bearing in mind that weddings are different to other events we might quote for. The pressure is huge as it is a once in a life time event, and this is different to photographing at a family gathering or birthday party.

So, first off, there is such long journey to get to how and why you are at a wedding day. Everyone starts somewhere and from the very first time you have decide you want to be a wedding photographer you have to start at the beginning. Before you can even embark on this ladder you need to learn to use a camera and how to take photos of weddings (there is a difference!) and how to run a businesses. Sometimes this last one gets overlooked in favour of the photos but it is definitely worth investing in the business knowledge side of things too.

This first bit is important to bear in mind because when you see a price on a photographers website you need to see that you are paying for their experience. The whole, days, weeks, months or years of training and honing that skill to get to where they are. You are paying for their creativity and how they see things, and that’s why you get some photographers charging £10k - because that’s the price they are putting on their unique creative skills.  You can put 10 photographers in a room with the same scene and I guarantee you won’t get ten of the same images. And that’s a huge part of what pure paying for when you book someone - they’re perspective. Their eye. Their inspiration and the way the view a room and read people. 

Yes it’s what aperture to use and what lens to have on but it’s also about knowing when to shoot and when not to shoot, what angle to shoot it from, which moment to pick between when you have more than one. It’s hundred of tiny decisions that influence and shape your photography style.

So:

  • Workshops (These range from £300-£3000)

  • E-learning & study books

  • 1-1  Sessions

  • Working for very cheap or free at weddings to build your portfolio. This will probably involve renting kit to know which one to buy which costs (approx. £300 + for a weekend)

Then you need to build a website! If you’re skilled you can do this yourself or you’ll need to get someone to build it for you. This is usually about £2,000+. To have a strong website you are going to need to get your branding done. Once you start investing properly in hardware you will need to buy your own kit, this will include

HARDWARE

  • Cameras – at least 2 so you have a backup (2 x £2000)

  • Lenses – most pros have 4 + lenses at £500-£5000 each

  • Camera bag and Holster straps

  • Laptop (2k)

  • Backup Storage

  • iMac + 6 x backup drives - Most photographers have a laptop or iPad + desktop (2k)

  • Flashes

  • Memory cards & batteries & other small bits

(let’s remember that all of these only last a certain amount of time before they need replacing so you’ll probably get 4-5 years from a camera before you have to do the whole expense thing again)

 and of course subscriptions to everything including

SOFTWARE

  • Emails

  • Photoshop

  • Microsoft Office

  • Client galleries

  • Slideshows and album software

  • Music licensing

  • Client management systems

  • Backup systems

  • Subscriptions to photography groups online

  • Insurance (professional indemnity and public liability + kit insurance)

  • Income protection

  • website (square space)

  • social media scheduling platforms

  • Accountancy software and / accountant

and so much more! Mine total over £4,000 for these.

 

PLUS

  • Office premises – My desk space is £225 a month for a desk in a shared office.

  • Delivery of images – including prints, wooden USB boxes, engraved USBs

  • Postage (I spend SO much at the post office!)

  • Accommodation whilst shooting

  • Food whilst shooting away

  • Marketing– business cards, flyers, stickers, envelopes and other stationary

  • Advertising (facebook, instagram, print, blog banners)

  • Printing ink

  • Petrol & trains & cabs & tubes + the cost of running a car in the first place

  • Training – investing in your business means learning online, in person, on retreats etc

  • Wedding fairs – building stand, paying for stalls, time on the day

Walcot Hall Wedding Outdoor Ceremony Photography-17.jpg

So those are all the practical things, and then let’s look at:

TIME

before the wedding

  • Emails / phone calls / sending contracts

  • Skype calls

  • Prepping for the wedding - Printing out, checking kit, cleaning kit

  • Maintaining kit – cleaning, calibrating, REPAIRS!

  • Snap and Chat shoot – organising, travel, shooting, culling, editing, delivering

  • Travelling to and from the wedding

10 hours on the wedding day

this is the bit people actually see!

after the wedding

  • Backing up at home

  • Sending sneak peaks

  • Culling images

  • Culling second shooter images if applicable

  • Editing photos & tweaking photos

  • Uploading to galleries

  • Send off to couples

  • Designing albums

  • Posting albums

 ALSO

other things we do when we’re not shooting weddings but are very much part of our business business

  • Scheduling content

  • Social media

  • Accounting

  • Researching (locations, training, editing)

  • Blogging

  • Online learning

  • Managing CMS (client management system)

  • Submitting to blogs

  • Updating and maintaining the website

TAX!

and of course don’t forget TAX! about 25% of any price you see will go to TAX. and if we’re sensible we should be putting away for pensions and businesses reserves for quieter months too. Not to mention if the computer / cameras need replacing and you have to find 3k from somewhere to carry on with your business.

And lastly, everything falls solely to you There is no sick pay, no holiday pay, no maternity pay and if you are struggling in your personal life you need to show up for that day at work no matter what. Starting your own business is difficult and although it is incredibly rewarding to be your own boss and do the job that we do it’s definitely not for everyone. Being willing to take that risk of insecurity at the start are be confident in managing your own time is paramount to running a successful business.

To be clear, I fully acknowledge that not everyone can afford a professional photographer at their wedding and that is absolutely fine! I just wanted to illustrate some of the there is a lot of working behind the scenes that goes on in our industry. There are things you can do to get best value for your money with wedding photography (getting married on a weekday for example, a lot of photographers offer shorter and cheaper bookings. You can read more about choosing your wedding photographer here.


Wedding AdviceFlorence Foxwedding, london wedding photography, pricingComment