wedding photos survey

[sean_morrison44]

just curious how the prices vary throughout our country..
how much did you pay and what did your package include?

 

[rainbowtrout]

same as SDL. I think really good ones run about 1K.

 

[larussel03]

our event coordinator told us that the photographers are typically 3k in the Boston area

This would include something along the lines of "unlimited time" (which I kinda dont like b/c I'd be fine with them leaving after the cake was cut for a reduced fee) and at least one album, maybe one for each parent as well.
We haven't had the chance to start pricing them yet though, so hopefully it's at least a little less than that.

 

[rainbowtrout]

http://www.jjtiziou.net/main.php

THis is who my FI is going to ask. They are good friends. He is in Philadelphia and young enough that he might be cheaper--worth an ask! I don''t know if he technically does weddings though.

 

[E B]

If we go with the photographer we're seriously leaning toward, her package price is a little over $2,000 for 5 hours of shooting time and a CD full of all the high-res images she captures. It would also include travel costs, since she'd be driving in from the next state over.

 

[nytemist]

We''re paying $1000 for 6 hours of coverage, proof album, CD, 3 months hosted online and an 8x10.

Sweetpea- we are seriously budget conscious since our entire wedding limit is $5000. We found a photographer on craiglist. We''ve met with him twice and he''s a good guy. His "no frills" package was something like 5 hours of coverage, proof book with 200-500 images (I think) and CD for $799. Not sure if he is still offering this, but it''s worth checking.

 

[larussel03]

Date: 7/27/2006 4:48:20 PM
Author: nytemist
We''re paying $1000 for 6 hours of coverage, proof album, CD, 3 months hosted online and an 8x10.


Sweetpea- we are seriously budget conscious since our entire wedding limit is $5000. We found a photographer on craiglist. We''ve met with him twice and he''s a good guy. His ''no frills'' package was something like 5 hours of coverage, proof book with 200-500 images (I think) and CD for $799. Not sure if he is still offering this, but it''s worth checking.

I''m definately going to check out Craigslist now! Thanks for the advice!!

 

[nytemist]

Not sure if I can post this, but his site is mb-imaging.net.

 

[JCJD]

We got lucky - our photog increased their prices a month or two after we booked them. We found them as they were just starting out their photography business (already did wedding video).

We paid $800 -10% Friday discount, + tax for 8 hours, unlimited digital shots, an engagement session, all proofs online and provided on CD, online ordering, and a proof book of the wedding. All prints are a la carte, or we can use the cd's and print them ourselves.

Now it's $1000 for 4 hours, $100 for each hour more.


ETA: We're in Nebraska.

 

[dani13]

OMG!!! A good photographer around here is going to run you around 4-6 K, just to shoot the wedding, not including any albums, engagement pics, etc....It is just INSANE!!! And, we are in NJ!!! Maybe we should have the wedding in Nebraska!!!

 

[JCJD]

LOL Dani! We do have beautiful scenery! Even for Nebraska, and looking at their current prices, they are very, very reasonable. There are several photogs around here that cost $4000 for 4 hours, no proofs, no prints.

You know, they''re willing to travel "for destination weddings" with travel expenses added to the cost - hee-hee!! www.threepillarsmedia.com (Leonid and Irina, please feel free to remove the link if it''s not allowed!!! I don''t want to break any forum rules!). They also have several photos of our wedding in their photo gallery.

 

[sean_morrison44]

i myself am still in the process.
the person who did a fantastic job on fiance''s high school pictures was already booked for our day, but gave me 3 recomendations for others.
also, the venue person started off by giving a packet of examples..then after we booked..they highlighted what she thought were the better ones..
2 of them were picked by both, and the 1 other by the high school one were my three i was going to choose from.
After about 2-3 weeks of requesting a packet on the phone..i hadnt still recieved it in the mail. (that includes after 1 week recallin to make sure they got my address right). so i finally found an email yest. and got a response today that they were stillt rying to have some printed-but gave a website. (i was having a hard time finding a website from them-just found an offpage of a magazine''s website showing some of there photos.
Well.. i checked out that website..and IT''S EXPENSIVE!
http://www.winslowlane.com/home.html

THAT''S 4500 for the cheapest one! and 11000 for the most expensive! that''s ridiculous. So needless to say, there off my list-leaving me with 2.

I''ve visited with 1 who had various packets and his work is great. Pretty much has a packet for every price range.
So we think we''ve narrowed it down to 2 packages if we choose him.
The first ''traditional wedding"
5 1/2 hours coverage. 1 16x20 custom wall portrait. then 12 8x10''s 12 5x7''s and 48 4x6''s (all but that wall portait go in an album) 2 parent albums with 20 4x6''s in them. free engagement session (thou it sounds like we had to buy the pictures seperatly-the free part is for just taking them)
and 350 preview prints. thou it might be more because it sounded like the next package could have close to that and its less time (because he hasnt updated the packet in a couple years and is on verge of doing so)
for a hinged its 1799 and for hand crafted leather album 1999.
the hand crafted one looked soo much better hands down (the hinged looked kinda cheap) so definatly going with hand crafted
the 2nd package is
The Romantic Wedding
4 hours of coverage
1 11x14
8 8x10''s
6 5x7''s
48 4x6''s
select from 250 preview prints
free black and white engagement session (same note as above)
and hinged album 1275
handcrafted leather album 1395.

this photographer is called ''Bruce Pitcher"
and both he and his wife actually take pictures at the wedding-so its like your getting 2 photographers for 1 price.


the 2nd one i''m meeting for a visit aug 1. On the phone she said she had a 3 hour package for 1000 dollars.

 

[MelissaSue]

We are probably going to end up paying between $1600-$2000 for our photos..
www.artshotphoto.com (we are allowed to post vendors websites.. just not our own.. I got a full tutorial on the rules of the board )
Including
-Engagement Pics
-All day wedding coverage
-24-34 page album (this is where the price "range" falls in
-Some ccredit towards prints.
-Proof CD
-We are going to purchase a CD of our digital negatives which is $200 extra (not in his package price but is figured into my estimate)

I am thrilled with our photos.. I have them posted about various threads..

 

[fatafelice]

Well, we had a really tough time choosing a photographer in the Asheville, NC area. We were seriously considering three, but only met with two. We loved them both, but went with the one who had an album style I really loved and the lowest bottom line. All of our possible photogs were much more expensive than most of you, though! I don''t know if that area is just high, or if I just managed to find the most expensive ones! LOL. Here''s what we are getting...

Two photographers (husband and wife)
Unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding
12x12 leather album with 30 sides (around 60 prints)
Online proofing for 3 months
Cost: $3700 (though I think I want to add more sides to the album, so it will probably go up accordingly)

The other company we were looking closely at was:
Two photographers (1 main and 1 assistant)
8 hours of coverage
12x12 leather album with 30 sides (around 60 prints)
Online proofing for 3 months
All negatives and digital files after 2 years
Cost: $4300

While it would have been nice to have the negatives and files, we decided we probably don''t really need them. And we can buy them from our photographer if we really want them later. The album I loved and the unlimited time on the day of the wedding were the deciding factors for me.

 

[KimberlyH]

I''m in San Diego. We''re paying $200 per hour (she''ll be there for approx. 3 hours for a total of $600) for the photographer, 125 shots and we get the negatives and a proof book. The wedding album is an additional cost. She does this on the side, is a graphic designer full-time and we got a GREAT deal. Most other photographers I looked into were at least $2000.

 

[MustangGal]

We paid $1200 for unlimited time, all the proofs, and all the negatives, then we had whatever we wanted printed. They guy too 900 picutres, and they''re all beautiful! My SIL paid $2400 for unlimited time, but only one album, the parents had to buy their own. These were both in Palm Springs.

 

[jcrow]

Package $2750
Bridal Session
Engagement Session
Wedding-Unlimited Hours & photographs taken
Wedding-Two Photographers
Online Proofing for 6 months
Negatives w/ Copyright Release
10x13 Preview Magazine of all photos taken
Bridal Session with 11x14 print, 2-5x7 prints, Negatives, Online Proofing, 8x10 Preview Magazine of all photos
Bride’s Flush Mount or Matted Album (leather) with 60 photos


eta: louisiana

 

[budgetbride]

ok, there are 2 options right now.
Option 1: $1000
6 hours
1000 printed 4x6s
CD of all prints
online gallery

add bridal pics with 1 16x20 and 20 4x6s and CD:225

Option 2: $1500
unlimited coverage
1 album 5x5
CD of pics
bridal portrait included

I''m leaning towards option 1

Houston, TX

 

[dani13]

Question for everyone- Do you really need unlimited time? Is 8 hrs enough? We are still trying to decide on a photographer, and it is hard to compare apples to apples, since everyone's packages are slightly different...I dont want to go with 8 hrs and then need to pay extra for overtime, extra rolls,etc. Just wanted to find out everyone's opinion (especially the married ladies/gents who have been through this already)! TIA!!!

 

[NewShiny]

Southern California

Package $5000
Engagement Session - we didn''t use, so ended up with a $500 credit
Wedding-Unlimited Hours & photographs taken
Wedding-Two Photographers
Online Proofing for 1 year
CD of all photos w/copyright release (we ended up with about 900)
Hard bound proof book of all photos taken
20 page album (40 pages counting front and back) from zookbinders.com

It was 100% worth it to me. But photography was my number 1 "vendor priority" so I really had to budget in other areas.

 

[plantationcatt]

We''re looking into a local photographer...
does this sound reasonable? I am meeting with her next week sometime. What should I try to bargain down or anything else to ask? I think we all could use some advice from brides who wish they had asked or told their photographer something! So, notice to married women: Help us! Thanks!

$3500
Up to 10-12 hours of coverage
Engagement Session
includes:
-sitting fee in studio/location inside of Greenville city limits
-10-4x6 prints
-1 small package
Bridal Session
includes:
-the sitting fee
-30-4x6 prints of session
-1- 11x14 stretched canvas
approximately 500-700 4x6 prints (including 50-70 art images)
2-11x14 composite of wedding day (up to 5 images)
30 page flush mount storybook
2-Parent’s Album with 40-5x7’s
2-Proof CD with all images
*all packages include 2 photographers
*all packages also include online proofing & ordering, as well as color and black/white prints
* non-refundable $50.00 fee due in order to reserve wedding date-this is not applied to wedding package
* $125.00 fee for each additional hour