How to Price Wedding Photography

If there is one thing that ties most wedding photographers together, no matter where they live, it is this: Pricing can feel like guesswork at the beginning.

I’m Paul, a wedding photographer based in the northwest of England. I have been in the industry for a fair few years now, and when I started, I had no idea how to price myself properly. I threw a number out there that sounded reasonable (and that I thought people would actually pay) and hoped for the best.

Looking back, it was not enough.

The thing is, most of us start cheap, and that is okay. Early on, you are still figuring out what you are offering, what your style really is, and most importantly, who your clients are, so you have to give yourself room to grow. Over time, I slowly adjusted my wedding photography prices to better reflect the work I was producing and the kind of weddings I wanted to photograph. Now, I sit comfortably in the middle tier of the market, happy with the couples I attract and the days I get to document.

Could I charge more? Probably. But doing so would mean shifting my ideal client base, and at the moment, I enjoy working with couples who plan relaxed, personal weddings rather than huge formal events.

If I could go back and do things differently, I would have spent more time early on figuring out exactly who I wanted to work with and where my market was. I would have worked on building a portfolio that spoke to those couples and set my wedding photography pricing to match from the start. It would have saved me a lot of trial and error.

Your pricing is not just a number. It is a signal to the couples you want to attract. 

In my last guide, we talked in depth about how to photograph a wedding. In this guide, I’ll share with you everything I’ve learned about wedding photography pricing, and a few insights and tips on how to price wedding photography

How to Match Your Wedding Pricing to Your Ideal Client

One of the biggest lessons I learned when figuring out how to price wedding photography(and one that is worth mentioning straight away) is that your pricing should align with the kind of wedding and couple you aim to work with.

If you want to attract couples planning relaxed, unfussy days, your wedding pricing and your packages need to feel accessible to that group, but not so cheap that you end up undervaluing yourself.

On the other hand, if you are aiming for high-end chic city weddings or big country house events, your pricing needs to reflect that world. You cannot price like a budget photographer and expect clients spending £50,000 or $100,000 on a wedding to take you seriously.

Where you are based plays a big part too.

In areas with higher living costs like London, New York, or Toronto, photographers often need to charge more just to stay sustainable. Rural areas might bring slightly lower price points, but that does not mean your work is worth less. It is just about matching your pricing to your environment and your market.

What’s the Average Price for Wedding Photography?

The average cost of wedding photography varies massively depending on where you are, what’s included, and who you’re hiring. A student or part-time photographer is naturally going to charge less than someone with ten years of experience and a consistent, recognisable style.

Here in the UK, most professional wedding photographers charge somewhere between £1,500 and £3,000 for full-day coverage. You’ll find newer photographers offering coverage for under £1,000, and others with more experience or a luxury brand charging £4,000 or more. It all depends on the market they’re in and the type of weddings they want to shoot.

In the US and Canada, pricing often starts higher, partly because of larger average wedding budgets and differences in cost of living. According to WeddingWire, the average couple in the US spends around $2,000 on wedding photography. But that figure includes everyone from hobbyists to seasoned pros, so it’s not a great benchmark on its own. Plenty of well-established photographers in bigger markets like New York, LA, or Toronto are charging upwards of $5,000 to $8,000.

There are also a few reference points floating around — some blogs suggest £1,500–£2,500 is “semi-pro” territory, with £3,000+ seen as a more premium range in the UK. In Europe, pricing varies again, with Scandinavian countries and places like Switzerland or the Netherlands often seeing higher average rates than, say, Spain or Portugal.

There’s also this old idea that photography should make up around 10–15% of a couple’s total wedding budget. Personally, I’ve found that to be pretty unreliable. I’ve photographed weddings where the couple spent 5% of their total on photography, and others where it was much closer to 25% or more. It really just comes down to how much value that couple places on photography — and that’s a good reminder that your pricing should speak to the kind of clients you want to attract, not just fit within a generic percentage.

In short, while averages are interesting, they shouldn’t be the foundation of your pricing. Use them as a loose reference, then focus on your experience, your market, and your long-term sustainability.

Structuring Your Services: Packages, Products, and Add-ons

When it comes to structuring your pricing, there is no one-size-fits-all. But here are a few approaches that have worked well for me and plenty of others.

1. Packages

Packages are still the most common approach. You offer different levels of coverage, like 6, 8, or 10 hours, with some extras bundled in.

On my own pricing page (you can see it here), I offer a few simple packages that suit different types of days. I also include highlight films in my offerings, because over time I found that short, natural films add real value for my couples without massively complicating the day.

2. A La Carte Pricing

Another option is to charge a base rate for coverage and let couples add extras like albums, engagement shoots, second photographers, or films.

This can work well if you want to offer more flexibility, but it can also create decision fatigue for your clients. Personally, I like to keep things simple.

3. Tiered Packages with Optional Upgrades

A middle ground is offering clear packages with optional upgrades. Albums, drone footage, fast-track editing, or additional hours. This gives couples flexibility without overwhelming them.

However you build your photography pricing, the key is clarity. If your packages confuse people, they are less likely to book.

The Technical Side: Working Out Your Base Pricing

Before you even start putting numbers on your website, it is worth sitting down and figuring out your actual costs. Here is a rough way to do it:

Cost of Doing Business

Add up all your yearly expenses, including equipment, insurance, photo editing software like Aftershoot and Lightroom, website hosting, advertising, subscriptions, travel, and any training.

Salary Goals

How much do you actually need to earn to live comfortably, and how much would you like to earn?

Weddings Per Year

How many weddings do you realistically want to shoot? Think about editing time, admin, personal life and avoiding burnout.

Profit Margin

You will also want enough left over to reinvest in your business and ride out quiet periods.

When you work backwards from these figures, you can see much more clearly what you need to charge to stay sustainable. You are not pulling numbers out of thin air anymore.

Growing and Adjusting Over Time

Your pricing will not stay the same forever, and it shouldn’t.

As your skills improve, your demand grows, and your experience deepens, your pricing should reflect that. You might not be able to charge top rates at the very beginning, and that is fine. Build your portfolio. Get experience. Gradually adjust as you grow.

It is better to charge a fair rate for where you are now and build upward, rather than set high prices you cannot deliver on yet.

The clearer and confident you are, the more the right clients will find you.

Wedding Photography Pricing Examples

Over time, I’ve learned that a clear, simple structure goes a long way. Here’s a basic starting point for UK photographers, but you would need to adjust for wherever you are based:

Package 1 – Essentials (£1,200–£1,500)

• Coverage of the key moments (e.g. ceremony to speeches)
• Digital gallery with edited images
• Travel within a certain radius

This is ideal for couples on a tighter budget or those having shorter weddings.

Package 2 – Full Day (£1,800–£2,500)

• Morning prep through to first dance
• Full digital gallery
• Maybe a few extras like previews within 48 hours or a personalised slideshow

This tends to be your bread-and-butter package and should be priced to reflect your time and experience. It’s the one most couples will choose.

Package 3 – Extended or Premium (£2,800–£4,000+)

• All-day coverage, sometimes split over two days (e.g. rehearsal dinner or post-wedding shoot)
• Highlights film, album credit, second shooter, or extra edits
• Extra travel, destination weddings, or added luxury service

This is the offer for couples who want a more tailored, higher-end experience.

When I added highlight films to my own offering, I made sure to build them into my mid and top packages in a way that kept the structure clean — not tacked on, but properly considered. If you do offer something like films, albums, or engagement shoots, think about how to group them logically rather than listing 10 separate add-ons.

7 Tips to Keep in Mind When Setting Your Wedding Photography Prices

Once you have your rough numbers in mind, there are a few important things worth considering before you set anything in stone:

#1. You are selling more than just hours

You are not just selling time on the day. You are selling years of experience, technical ability, creative skill, and the work that happens before and after the wedding. Make sure your pricing reflects that.

#2. Be confident in what you offer

If you are not confident in your pricing, it will show. Stand behind your numbers. If a potential client asks why you charge what you do, you should be able to explain it without apologizing or flinching.

#3. Avoid racing to the bottom

It is tempting, especially when you are starting out, to undercut other photographers to get bookings. But pricing yourself too low can backfire. It can attract clients who do not value what you do, and it can leave you burnt out fast.

#4. Build value before discounting

Instead of cutting your prices when enquiries are slow, think about how you can build more value into your wedding photography packages. Maybe that is an engagement session, an album credit, or extended coverage. Adding value keeps your perceived worth high.

#5. Remember, it is a process

Pricing is not a one-time decision. It is something you will tweak and improve as your career develops. It is absolutely normal to adjust your prices once or twice a year, especially as you grow your skills, upgrade your gear, or start booking bigger weddings.

#6. Diversify Your Income

Weddings are often seasonal — especially here in the UK — and that means your income can fluctuate. Over time, consider building in other income streams like print sales, educational content, second shooting, or even adding video services like I do with highlight films. Aftershoot wrote a great article on this exact topic: Photography Business Income: Revenue Streams to Consider

#7. Communicate your pricing clearly

How you present your pricing can have just as much impact as the numbers themselves.

• If you have a website, make sure your pricing is visible in a way that matches your brand. You don’t need to list every detail — but showing a “starting from” price can filter the right enquiries.
• When you’re responding to enquiries, keep your language confident and informative. Include a clean, easy-to-read pricing guide, and explain what’s included in each package.
• Custom quotes are useful when a couple’s plans don’t fit your usual structure — like a multi-day wedding or destination job. But avoid overcomplicating things. Start with your base packages and tailor from there.
• Avoid apologising for your prices. You don’t need to justify every line item, and you definitely don’t need to offer discounts just because someone asks. Stand by your pricing with quiet confidence — and trust that the right clients will get it.

How Aftershoot Helped Me Focus on Value (Not Just Volume)

One last thought, and it ties nicely into why I use Aftershoot in my business.

When I was shooting a lot of weddings and editing photos manually, it was tempting to think that working more would solve everything. More hours, more bookings, more editing marathons.

But the truth is, working smarter is what actually makes the difference.

By using Aftershoot for my culling and editing workflows, I freed up hours that I could put back into improving my business. I was able to spend more time refining my client experience, working on my brand, and focusing on long-term value instead of constantly chasing volume.

If you are serious about building a sustainable photography career, not just a busy one, then tools like Aftershoot can make a huge difference.

You can sign up for a free 30-day trial here.

Wedding Pricing is Simple

Pricing your wedding photography is not just about maths. It is about knowing who you want to work with, understanding your own value, and setting up your business to grow. Back yourself. Take your time. It is worth getting it right.