Photography budget

half pint · 22-10-2014 10:11pm #1

Hey guys!
Getting married May 2016 and am currently trying to work out a budget. I'm finding it hard to find prices online without having to contact people directly. Looking for an average price for photographs for our wedding. We're not wanting a photo booth or anything gimmicky. We are getting married just outside of Galway City.

Just looking for a ball park figure. All help greatly appreciated!!

skyline1515 · 22-10-2014 10:25pm

It can cost anything from €1600 upwards , that would be a good photographer, it also depends on how many albums you want and the finish etc... i can PM you a quote i got if you like

Gatica · 23-10-2014 7:49am

I would say from 1000 up. We got 2 photographers, no album for 1200 2 years ago (special offer, but otherwise would be 1500, less for just 1). Loved the photos and got the album printed recently for less.
If you're not too organised (just things get in the way etc...) and think you won't do your own photos, then go for an album package, at least that way you'll definitely get an album. I can't believe it took us so long to get them printed.
Nothing wrong with contacting suppliers, just look up their websites, get their emails and mail each one same text, simples... It seems like a pain if you call each one, but I think email is quick and painless by comparison. If they're not available for your date, they often won't bother to give you a price either, btw. Most of them would be open to haggling too, so don't dismiss any too soon if there's a chance to lower price.

teggers5 · 23-10-2014 1:36pm

Our photographer is costing €1200. That includes an album. I can PM her quotes to you also just to give you an idea of what you get for that.

Fionn · 24-10-2014 4:31pm

how long is a piece of string?

I'm sure you'll get wildly different prices, its a tough one to answer.
Photograph Albums can add a substantial amount to the overall cost, expect to pay around six to eight hundred euros for a high end package down to twenty euros for a cheap and cheerful one.
For your budget I'd say leave the album out and you should get someone for under a grand easy

good luck

biddywiddy · 24-10-2014 6:50pm

We're getting one photographer for six hours, no album, on NYE for 1000 euros.

It's true that including an album bumps up the cost considerably. We might decide to do it later, either by ourselves or through our photographer, but for now we're happy to just get the disc of photos.

Rob Thomas · 24-10-2014 7:02pm

I'm in Galway and we were married in 2012. We wanted no fuss and we had a great photographer. Two of them on the day, they took over 600 pictures during the wedding, after at another location and during the party later that night. All were provided to us on disc to pick out our favourite 120 which were then put into 3 photo books, one for us and two smaller ones for each set of parents.

We didn't want a video, but changed our minds the day before the wedding and the second photographer did one on a hand held camcorder and it was beautifully arranged onto a disc and included for free. Not what you would get if you had a professional video but perfect for us.

All in it cost €1000.

I couldn't recommend them highly enough. He is a small local operator and really puts you at ease. PM if you want details.

racersedge · 25-10-2014 9:02am

Like the OP, currently on the look out for a photographer. Have to day like a few above have stated, I dont think me and the future missus would skimp on this area. One of the things we have allocated more of the budget for.

End of the day when it is all said and done, you are left with the photographs to look at - a lasting memory if it all. only thing I would be considering is just getting a photo's only package and look into doing the album ourselves after - though that needs some research. Good luck with your search.

fits · 25-10-2014 9:35am

We really don't know what to do on this. We have so many photos from over the years and never look at them. Not sure if its worth it to us to spend 1500 odd on a photographer.

shellbean · 03-11-2014 5:20pm

I'm looking for a photographer at the moment and have been quoted between €1600 and €1795, not including an album!! Reading the other posts I need to keep looking, would prefer something closer to €1000 mark

Gatica · 03-11-2014 5:28pm

We had Gina Brocker + assistant, they were under 1500 without album, but they stayed for a good bit of the dancing at the start of the night. We were very happy with our photos and they were really wonderful to have around. Friendly and chatty if you engaged or just taking pics in the background of guests without interfering.

argh, just saw already posted in this thread - well, now you have our photographer info as well

NewMrs2b · 03-11-2014 5:39pm

A friend of ours used Caroline Smith - She is based in Ardrahan I think she said. But she was about €1500, think this included a canvas as well (may have been an offer at the time don't quote me on that!)

The bride (our friend) was pretty happy with the photo's might be worth checking out,

nightpark · 04-11-2014 10:31pm

We paid €850 for the photographer on the day and disc afterwards. We said we'd get the album afterwards.

superman28 · 06-11-2014 5:08pm

After getting quotes of 2 and even 3 grand,, I did a bit of research and found a great photographer (that we tried out with a few engagement pics) for 650 euro for the basic package 400 pics on a USB stick..

So it pays to shop around, I have nothing to do with this photographer,, but if you want to know more you can PM me..

DavyD_83 · 06-11-2014 5:14pm

We use Fleeting Moments photography last year and were really happy with the price and results. Peter is based in Kilkenny, but will work anywhere in the country.

I have no affiliation.

His curent Pricing for packages is listed HERE

Liam McPoyle · 06-11-2014 6:35pm

We budgeted €2500 for photos. It and the band were 2 things we were not willing to scrimp on (not that I'm implying that you need to spend that amount by any means) but we got one for €1900 and haggled her down to €1700. That's full day of shooting, one large 40 page (double sided) album and I think 2 small "parents" albums.

The girl we have gone with has exactly the style we are after and the album itself is gorgeous. One thing I'd say is to try and get the photographer to do a recci with you before the date, especially if they have never shot at your chosen venue.

We got ours to agree to that, after a bit of coercing it has to be said! It's important to have a contingency in place if the weather throws a spanner in the plans.

twillerbee · 08-02-2015 6:41pm

how do you chose your photographer? is it a case of going through their websites and looking at the style of their photos and if you like them? I've been looking around and I'm worried that maybe its not the style of photos I like, but the venues and weddings of other couples!!

Faith · 08-02-2015 7:03pm

Figure out what style you'd like first. Generally, there's reportage style, where the photographer will be almost invisible and will take pictures of people when they aren't aware they're being photographed. It's very natural and relaxed. There's some more formal shots taken too, of course, but the majority is unposed. Then there's the more posed style photographer, where pictures will be set up and staged so you can dictate what shots you want. That style is better if you want a lot of control over your pictures and especially if you want to spend a significant portion of your day posing.

Decide that and then start browsing portfolios. Most websites will have a section where they recommend other similar photographers and you can narrow it down from there.

It's very, very easy to tell the difference between reportage and posed pictures, so it's likely that, if you like a photographers work, it's more to do with their style.

twillerbee · 08-02-2015 7:40pm

Thanks for that. I'm going to have to look at loads of websites. I was looking at a few during the week and there was lots I didn't really like, so kind of got worried as to how you get someone you like.

We're not planning a traditional formal wedding, we're just really having a party to celebrate our marriage - but photos are so important to me that I want to get a photographer, and a good one. (We've next to zero budget though!) I'm not sure how to approach the photographer side of things - because at bare minimum its really just a party with food, music and bouncing castles (with nice DIY touches if I can manage it!) and when you mention wedding photography people think of the usual traditional wedding line up.

Faith · 08-02-2015 8:50pm

Well, wedding photography is quite a specific niche. My fiancé is a photographer, and he would never agree to do a wedding because it's too much work, and it requires someone who's pretty skilled at photographing people.

Prices vary wildly, of course, but naturally the best charge the most. You might be able to negotiate in certain areas - having them for less time, for instance, or getting a photographer who doesn't specialise in weddings. You can also take a chance on someone trying to break into the market - their rates would be low, but the results are still a risk.

stickybookmark · 09-02-2015 4:49pm

yeah I'm after getting a fella who has a range of packages starting at 400, 700, 900, 1200 up to 2250. I think he must be trying to break into the market. Trying to decide whether to go for one of his cheap packages or go for another crowd who I know are good but looking for 1800 min

eoglyn · 09-02-2015 6:20pm

i don't know what sort of coverage you'd get for €400, probably just a few hours and photos on disk, which would suit some people.

The higher numbers will probably include the wedding albums, they are a big part of the cost because of the hours taken to arrange the album layout and proofing etc.

You can definitely save money initially by getting just the digital package, but it is likely you are going to intend to print it at some stage, so it can hang over you as an undone job for months or years after the wedding, not great.

Faith · 09-02-2015 6:32pm

It depends what you want from the photographs, I guess. My fiancé and I agreed at the very beginning of planning that we felt the most important elements of the day were: photography, food and the evening entertainment. As such, they're the three elements that we've spent by far the most on. I think we're paying about €1900 for our photographers (two working together) and that doesn't include formal albums. On the other hand, when my brother got married, they had a friend do the pictures for them and they were quite happy with that.

So if it's something you feel very strongly about, then do some juggling in your budget to free up money. For instance, we saved a fortune on flowers, and my dress was a sample that was €500 cheaper than ordering a new one in. But if you feel a bit meh about pictures, and would be happy with shots that might not capture the day in quite the same way as top of the line photographers, then go with a cheaper package and allocate your funds elsewhere

.

stickybookmark · 10-02-2015 4:05pm

There's great advice in here!! I think you're right Eoglyn and also from other comments i've read in here - I'm just going to get the wedding album out of the way now rather than leaving it on the to-do list (and will probably never get done!) and after reading your post Faith I think I fit into the category of being a bit meh about picture, I'm only getting a photographer to tick that box as it were so might as well go for the cheaper guy. Plus if he's trying to break into the market fair play to him it's nice to help someone on the way up !

ameee · 10-02-2015 6:29pm

It depends what your looking for, most quoted us around 1000. We are having an elopment style wedding in clare and so only need the photographer for the ceremony and two hours of scenic pics around the cliffs and its costing us 450 we even had a cheaper quote of 400. This is for all the pics on usb which we can make our own prints and album from. It pays to shop around as even though we only wanted someone for three hours max on a Friday some photographers wanted the same rate they would charge for a full wedding as in house up to first dance.

Photography budget

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