how much does photography typically cost?are prints included?

$300 is a reasonable price when it comes to cost, but is not worth it in the long run for any bride to just go with a friend because they have a new fancy camera.

I totally agree with so many of the posts here. Your photographs are the thing that you will have when the wedding is over and you want to sit back and remember your special day. Photographers don't just learn things once, but they continue to take classes and go to workshops and learn new things. They buy new gear and keep up with what is going on in the industry. We had a friend offer to shoot our wedding, but I knew that I wanted to hire someone that was a true professional an not just someone doing it as a hobby. As a warning to all brides out there, hire a professional or you will be sorry in the end.

I agree with others on the "friend" photography bit. If they are charging, they are working in a professional capacity, rather than as a friend. In that case, you should look at the scope of their work and see if you like all of it. Anyone can make a great picture or two these days. You probably want several hundred great photos of your special day. You may get great coverage. Just be aware that there is quite a bit of risk if you go the low priced route.

As for printing, ask if the photographer has access to a professional printing service, perhaps through SmugMug, Photoshelter or even Flikr. Ask if their workflow is color-managed. I can virtually guarantee you that if you take your photos to WalMart or Costco, you AND YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER will be disappointed with the prints. I'll be writing a blog article soon on this issue. My packages make pro prints available virtually at cost for my clients to ensure quality end products.

$300 is actually a rip-off if your friend isn't a pro photographer.

McDonald's is also "cheap," but it's still a rip-off considering the quality of food you get. But they're still in business because some people don't really care, so it's up to you.

Edit: If you have to ask, then you probably care a lot more about photos than you know. In that case, I would say go with a seasoned pro.

The price you pay may be linked to the area of the country you live in, the skill level of the photographer, and the type of services you want. The best professionals in my area charge between $2500 and $10,000. Then, there are a lot of new photographers (both hobbiests & with degrees) coming on the scene. Some a great...some are awful. Remember the old adage..."You get what you pay for". Whatever price you pay is a "bad deal" if you're unhappy with the results. You only have one shot at getting it right. I got married 33 years ago and paid a friend to shoot. My wife hasn't let me forget it either! This is NOT the time to be cheap. After your wedding is over, all you'll have left are your memories, photos, and hopefully video. Check around. Ask to see samples. Make sure you get it in writing. Make sure you like your photographer or videographer- you'll enjoy the experience more and take better photos. Good luck!

I have photographed 200+ weddings within a wide range (very simple inexpensive to many who spent in excess of $100,000) and been published in numerous magazines and elsewhere. I take my responsibility so seriously since I am referral based. My brides all have one thing in common - photography is a priority because it is what you have when everything is over. Wedding pictures tell the story of the day and preserve those memories for generations to come. A well meaning friend or relative will try to do their very best for you, but they lack the experience, back up equipment and expertise of a professional. I have never "lost" or "missed" shots because it is what I do for a living. I have known brides that trusted their wedding photography to a well meaning and trusted friend and that friendship was forever changed. Wedding photography is like "sports photography with romance". You have to capture the moment when it happens, because it will never happen again. www.aspenlight.com

We have several photography packages available... some with prints, some without. We offer top quality photo printing at wholesale to all of our customers.

Keep in mind when it comes to wedding photography you have 1 chance to get it right. You will get exactly what you pay for. This is YOUR WEDDING you are talking about here... don't get lousy photos to save a few bucks. These photos are meant to represent your joyous day fro many generations!

You're not going to get a true professional for under $2000. I feel like this post might be a joke. Having your wedding memories printed at Wal-mart? Are you serious, LOL? Remember this hun, you get what you pay for.

I offer very affordable wedding packages for less than $800 which includes two photographers, 8 hours of coverage, $100 print credit, and all edited images on a DVD. Check out my work at kelseybagwellphotography.com.

Hi There Shaina, $300 sounds like a bargain and you should have bitten their hand off at that.

My Cheapest Wedding Package, which includes photo's taken of the Following

The ceremony

Formal and Informal shots

Cake Cutting

Announcement in local newspaper along with photograph

Full editing of wedding photographs

up to 100 Photographs on a disc

This one include no Prints Whatsoever and i charge £450 for that on weekdays (around $780) and my prices are cheap compared to some local competition.

My Wedding Photography Business is in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom - you can see my full full Price List here - http://www.joelinman.co.uk/prices/

that shows all my packages from weddings, to baby bumps to pets.

What a lot of people don't understand when they are booking and looking for a wedding photographer is what they are actually paying for! i will list a few things just so you can see why they charge the amounts they do.

Public Liability Insurance

Legal Cover Insurance

Camera Equipment Insurance

Camera Equipment Maintenance

New up-to-date Camera Equipment

Car Insurance (Photographers pay a higher premium due to their Occupation) - i used to work in insurance!

Fuel to and from meetings/consultations/pre-wedding shoot/on the big day

Advertising their services

those are just a few of a photographers outlays... on top of that you are also paying for:

The hours they spend taking the photo's on the Wedding Day - (if your Photographer was charging United Kingdom Minimum wager per Hour, that converts to about $11/hour and they are there morning preperations till the evening due - say 8-10 hours, thats $88-110 straight away)

The hours they spent preparing the beautiful Wedding photos you end up with - I don't know about all Photographers but i go and scout locations before the day and create a plan of shots that i want to accomplish on the day - especially if its a location i'm not familiar with

Downloading the images onto a disc - this doesn't sound like a lot, but i can easily take 1000+ Photographs at a wedding. It can take hours pruning through these, picking the perfect ones.

and finally you are paying for that Wedding Photographers Experience, Knowledge, Passion and Creativity!

Sure you Can pay your friend Dave $100 to take Photographs of the Wedding, but how reliable is he?

Will he turn up with flat batteries and no spares.

Does he have plenty of memory cards?

Does he know how to set his camera properly or will the photo's be badly exposed due to him not reading or understanding the cameras light meter so he shot everything in Auto.

This is your Big Day, Do you Really Want to save $200 and Risk walking away with Wonky, under/overexposed, blurred photographs. I wouldn't!

www.joelinman.co.uk/wedding-photographer-barnsley/

It really depends what you are looking for quality or budget wedding package, I find the my wedding photographer thru google search. They have affordable wedding photography packages and I think they can offer you suitable

Link: www.ourweddingphotography.com

You are paying for dragging and setting up heavy equipment, before and after, paying an assistant to help, and after the pics are taken from an intense shot list of people you don't know and you are trying to catch uncle Bob on the list but don't know uncle Bob or what he looks like and trying to find your point person family member to help, there are hours of processing time after you all have gone home. If you think it's just clicking a camera, then a photo booth may be a better idea. Whatever makes you happy is what counts. It all depends on how much you value the investment in memories that will long outlast the cost. If you want professional memories pay more. If you want snapshots or using an amateur family member there is nothing wrong with that. Professionals charge for their skill.