Most photographers will not put a number on their website. We do, and this post explains why the numbers vary so much from one studio to the next, so you can compare quotes on the same terms.
The short answer
In 2027, a professional wedding photographer in the United States costs somewhere between $1,500 and $6,000 for a full day. National surveys of couples put the average spend in the $2,500 to $3,000 range. Large-city studios with a name and a waitlist run $6,000 to $12,000. Part-time photographers and people early in their careers charge $800 to $1,500. Videography follows a similar curve, usually a few hundred dollars under photography at each tier.
Those ranges are wide because a "wedding photographer" can mean anything from one person with one camera for four hours to a two-photographer team for twelve hours with an album and an engagement session. The price is mostly a function of five things.
What actually drives the price
Hours of coverage. This is the biggest lever. Eight hours is the standard full-day collection; six covers a compact day; ten is for a long day with a first look, a long reception, and a real exit. Each additional hour typically adds $150 to $400. Ours is $175.
Number of photographers. A second photographer covers the other side of the getting-ready, a second angle at the ceremony, and cocktail hour while the lead shoots portraits. Expect $400 to $800 for the second person. Ours is $500.
Travel. This is the fee couples forget to ask about. A photographer who is "local" to your venue might still charge mileage, and a destination photographer will add flights, a hotel, and a per diem, often $500 to $2,000 on top of the collection. We build travel into every collection, so a wedding in Boulder costs the same as one in Newport.
What you get afterward. Edited high-resolution files with full ownership rights should be standard, but read the contract. Some studios deliver a limited number of images and sell the rest, or charge for print rights. Albums add $500 to $2,000 depending on the size and the binder.
Demand for the date. A Saturday in October in New England or in the Texas Hill Country is the most expensive date on the calendar, and studios that price dynamically will quote higher for it. We do not; the price is the same for a Tuesday in March.
Our published pricing
Every collection below includes nationwide travel, a planning call, venue scouting before your wedding, and full-resolution delivery you own forever. Prices are pay-in-full. A payment plan adds $500 to any collection with half down at booking.
| Collection | Hours | Photography | Film | Photo and film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four hours | 4 | The Portrait, $1,500 | The Vignette, $1,200 | – |
| Six hours | 6 | The Signature, $1,700 | The Story, $1,400 | The Ensemble, $3,000 |
| Eight hours | 8 | The Gallery, $2,000 | The Feature, $1,500 | The Keepsake, $3,500 |
| Ten hours | 10 | The Archive, $2,600 | The Cinema, $2,000 | The Opus, $4,000 |
Add a second photographer or videographer for $500, or an extra hour for $175. Every photography collection includes an engagement session. The full breakdown, including what is inside each collection, is on the collections page.
Hidden fees to ask any photographer about
- Travel and lodging. Ask for the all-in number for your venue, not the base price.
- Overtime. What happens at hour nine, and is it billed in full-hour increments?
- Second shooter. Included, optional, or required for your guest count?
- Delivery. How many images, at what resolution, and do you own the rights to print them anywhere?
- Raw files. Most photographers do not release them. Videographers sometimes do; ours include raw footage on every film collection.
- Sales tax. In some states photography is a taxable service and it will appear on the final invoice.
- Retainer versus deposit. A retainer is usually non-refundable. Know which one you are signing.
Is a cheaper photographer a bad idea?
Not necessarily. A photographer charging $1,200 might be excellent and early in their career. The risk is not price; it is the lack of a track record on a full wedding day. Ask to see two complete galleries, start to finish, from real weddings rather than the highlight reel on the website. A full gallery shows you how they handle a dark church, a rushed family-formal session, and a reception with mixed lighting. That is the work you are actually paying for.
How to compare two quotes fairly
Put both on the same footing: eight hours, one photographer, travel included, all edited images with print rights. If one quote does not include those, add the line items until it does. Then compare. In our experience the "cheaper" quote is often within a few hundred dollars once travel and the second shooter are added, and sometimes it is the more expensive one.
If you want to see what a specific wedding would cost, every one of our venue pages shows the published collection prices for that exact spot, and the answer is always the same number.
Price ranges outside our own collections are general industry observations for 2027 and will vary by market. Elizabeth Scott's prices are current as of this post and are published on the collections page, which controls if the two ever differ.
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