How much does it cost for a photographer for a wedding?

Finding the right wedding photographer can make a big difference for your ceremony. Nationally, the average wedding photographer’s price ranges from $800 to $1,000, but costs can be much higher in areas like Chicago, New York or Los Angeles where some couples spend $2,000 to $5,000 or more for the photographer they want. Factors that can affect your wedding photographer prices include the photographer’s reputation and experience. Heavy hitters can command top rates, especially during wedding-season weekends. Day of the week also affects your cost. You may get a $200 discount on wedding photographer prices if you get married on a Friday in November rather than a Saturday in June. Time onsite is also an important cost factor. Hiring a photographer to snap photos from the moment you wake up until after last call at the reception is going to cost more than five hours of pictures during the day. Multiple photographers, special lighting, and videography will also increase your costs. Ultimately you want to find someone who has a style you love and can provide the number of edited shots you want for a price you can handle. Learn more about hiring a wedding photographer.

Jennifer H.

Verified review

Will did an outstanding job shooting our event at a local LA school. He captured moments with students so beautifully, was exceptionally professional, arrived early and stayed late to get the job done. My company uses Thumbtack to find event photographers in almost every city across the US, and Will is among the best.

Rebekah K.

Wow. I have hired a lot of event photographers but Brad truly stands out. Brad comes equipt with all of the gizmos and gadgets to take the best photos in any setting. I have yet to receive such professional images. Event photography is difficult. It is hard to capture the right natural moments. Brad is a master at this. Turn around time of edited image gallery was less than 24-hours. Incredible. Will definitely hire again!

Josalyn B.

Ivan Hundric was an amazing photographer for my event! He made my guest feel comfortable and glamorous. He was ready with his equipment at my location and on time. Very nice and pleasant guy who was focused in doing the task. Everything I asked he gave me no problems which made me event go that much smoother. I really appreciate your time and dedication Ivan! And after the event he sent all the pictures in perfect quality in a timely manner. Ivan will be the only photographer I go to for any events or special occasions I have in the future.

Valerie A.

Nona is hands down one of the best photographers our family has ever worked with! Very professional and extremely good at what she does. We had to reschedule d/t the bipolar Houston weather and she worked well (and FAST) to get everything done, EVEN had a few pics ready in less than 24hrs!! I only wish we could've gotten the remaining photos a little sooner as a small project I was working on was delayed (and so many were so good!). To be fair, she delivered on her original ETA AND photos were done just before the holidays, so we know she was very busy. I would absolutely recommend her to everyone I know, our pictures have gotten rave reviews from family and friends!

Mary B.

Joe photographed our special event and the results were great. We were very pleased with the overall quality of the images and service. Everything we asked for was done in a timely manner and he was a really great guy to work with. We would recommend him for anyone who is looking for an event photographer.

Jason B.

My family and I were vacationing in Newport from out of state and chose Danielle to capture our beach fun. I had never been to the area before and didn't know any photographers much less any good spots that would work well for family photographs. After exchanging some emails a few weeks before our arrival, we set a date and location for our photos. Danielle was prompt, professional, and chose an excellent location for the photos. Our session was no easy task because I have two small children, ages 5 and 2. Combine that with water and sand and you get a recipe for disaster, but Danielle was able to somehow capture great photographs of my family. I would definitely use her again in the future.

Margaret P.

My family and I had a great experience with Sheryl. We had a huge family photo shoot due a very meaningful reunion- with a newborn, several Oct. birthday celebrants, and a family member that has been in remission with cancer for one year to the date. I was coming from out of state and I searched online for photographers. What caught my attention and what drew me to Sheryl was her great eye and great shots from her portfolio. The colors in her pictures were vivid and creative and wanted to have memorable family photo shoot. She was very professional, easy to contact and talk with. One family member has to be careful with large crowds due to health issues, and she worked well with the space we had. She was resourceful, efficient and accommodating. And she worked well with all the kids- which were 6 in total! Overall, I highly recommend Sheryl for her professionalism, her talent, and for her thoughtfulness.

Sonya G.

Jami was a pleasure to work with, and provided us with a great set of photos from our graduate student welcome event. She was very responsive and flexible from the start, working with us to fit our needs. On the day of the event, Jami arrived early and was ready to go. Afterwards, she worked quickly to send us the final product. We are happy to have worked with her, and would recommend her services to all looking for an event photographer!

Marc L.

Grant was phenomenal! I have been in the event planning business for 25 years and have hired over 500 photographers in this period... I highly recommend him for any type of event .. he was punctual, professional and personable - And the photos he took really captured my guests and the event...

Thumbtack Customer

My first experience with Kenny was an email exchange. The exchange was friendly, energetic and positive and set the tenor and tone for the entire experience. A phone conversation ensued, and that was again positive and friendly and upbeat. In fact, Kenny is not only a professional, but he’s one who is enthusiastic about his chosen métier. I mentioned that I’m a serious amateur photographer and he immediately jumped at the chance to talk about his passion. In other words, Kenny is not only interested in the business end of things but truly enjoys his work and talking about it. I immediately felt comfortable with him. Kenny was the first of several photographers from Thumbtack that were on my list of contacts. But, as a result of the very positive conversation I had with him, I decided to hire him right then and there. The day of the photo session Kenny was ready to go on time. He welcomed me warmly into his studio and we proceeded to create some very nice looking professional head shots and 3/4 shots. Probably because Kenny remembered talking to me about my interest in photography, he explained things as he went along such as how and why he was lighting his subject in a certain way. He loves “talking shop” and I think this is a sign of someone dedicated to his art. I think this kind of individual makes the best professional. And the proof is borne out of the results. Kenny created some very nice photos about which I’ve already received numerous compliments and enthusiastic praise from family, friends and colleagues alike. I would definitely hire Kenny again. And… I still enjoy talking to him about photography. We still exchange emails and he’s still friendly and genuine. I can highly recommend Kenny to you for your professional photo needs.

David U.

There are photographers and then there are artists with a camera; Nicole Pittman is a true artist. I also hired her husband, Chris. Typically you don't strike gold by having an equally talented spouse - but that's what I found in this spectaclular team. I even hired them for another event. I didn't have the money in the budget but after my client saw the work - we couldn't afford NOT to have them. Oh - and the turnaround was insane. They turned over hundreds and hundreds of photos to me OVERNIGHT and a 5 minute edited video in less than 24 hours. I have NEVER seen such talent in a team. Oh - and they are the nicest couple you will ever meet. I'd hire them just to follow me around and say nice things to me! A MUST HIRE!

Samantha H.

Sean was my engagement photographer in April 2016 and he certainly has a talent for photography. He provided us with his recommended locations and was very patient and comfortable to work with. Sean made us feel at ease while taking our pictures and was able to edit them in a way that was unique and natural. I would highly recommend Sean to anybody who is looking for a photographer for their event. Thank you for your services, Sean!

Alexander P.

Jordan Tritton can easily be considered one of the most professional cinematographers and photographers I have worked with. He has a great attitude, easy to work with, skilled, and brings ideas to the Table.

David D.

We needed an aerial drone photographer for a wedding we were filming and Joe came in and got great aerial shots of the wedding ceremony. He is professional and easy going. We hope to work with him again!

Susan C.

Hugh was amazing to work with from prepping for the event until after the event. He was professional, friendly and super helpful. He was able to bring along a friend who was equally as great. The guests at the event loved both of them and inquired about who the photographers were after the event! And of course we were more than happy with the quality of the photos! Great work!!

Jessica W.

Jess was extremely helpful and easy to work with for the event. She was very kind and took phenomenal photos of our event participants. She did a great job at capturing the special moments of our 5K.

Rubie A.

Thank you Mukaila for being such a great photographer for my son's first birthday! My guests thought that the pictures turned out well. Mukaila communicated well through email with specifics of our party. He also arrived on time and was able to take pictures of all the details of our party like I wanted. He was also able to be inconspicuous when he needed to be to get all the action pictures. Turn around time for the pictures was only a week. That is a lot quicker than a lot of other photographers that I have worked with before. If we ever have another event, I would definitely get a hold of Mukaila again.

Heather A.

I would highly recommend Stephen as a photographer for any event. He was extremely timely. Stephen was there 15 minutes ahead of time and provided pictures to us within 24 hours. I also felt his prices were very reasonable for the quality of the product. Thank you Stephen for capturing the memories of my mom's 60th birthday.

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