Hey friends! I’m back with another wedding blog post to help you in navigating wedding planning. Today’s edition is all about how much (on average) does a wedding photographer cost in Calgary (or Alberta in general).

To get straight to the point, how much does a Calgary wedding photographer cost? If you google it, the results can vary drastically.

Some local Calgary photographers have on their website that photography services can range between $6,000-$9,000 depending on experience and coverage. On the flip side, if you do a generic google search, it says the average cost can be from $3,000-$5,000, with luxury or high-end photographers charging upwards of $10,000.

Whoa, that’s a big margin of error! So which is it? How much should you budget out for wedding photography? What are some things to look for in wedding photography services/packages that make the price worth it?

Let’s dive in!

(If you want to skip the why of a photographer’s pricing and go straight to the how much, scroll all the way to the bottom of this post)

Pricing Breakdown

So here are a few things that typically affect a photographer’s pricing:

• Experience & Education–Many photographers, like myself, are self-taught. However, just because we didn’t go to school specifically for photography, it doesn’t mean we haven’t invested in hours and hours of educational videos or shadowed wedding after wedding with a more experienced photographer. Speaking for myself, I have invested well over $3,000 in educational resources over the past 6 years of my business. Amy & Jordan Demos, Katelyn James, Julie Paisley, Rebecca Yale, Vanessa Joy, Catherine Guidry, D’Arcy Benincosa, Charla Storey & Jennifer Wilson’s Develope Academy, and local Calgary photographer Justine Milton to name a few. (Seriously, look these photogs up and you’ll understand why I invested in them!) The more education a photographer has, the more value they garner over time.
• Hourly Rate/Wedding Coverage–This is an obvious one, but it’s probably one of the biggest things that determines a photographer’s price point. More high-end, luxury photographers include a rehearsal dinner or even a “wedding weekend” package which definitely raises the dollar signs.
• Extra Inclusions–Many photography packages (mine included!) offer a complimentary engagement session, a second photographer on the wedding day, travel costs, albums & prints, & a blend of film & digital images.
• Editing and Film Processing–For photographers who outsource their editing or offer film for their packages, that also affects their pricing. I do all my digital editing myself, however I do also offer film for my couples (which I don’t process myself). I have to pay to ship the film after the wedding & then pay for the film lab to process the film rolls. Last I calculated, each roll of film I’d buy was about $25-$30 a pop, plus about $30 to ship it, plus the $20 per roll for the film lab to process it. Each film roll holds about 36 photos, so adding everything up, the price of film is about $75 for 36 photos😳. That’s a lot! And all that is included in most wedding day packages.
• Travel Costs–Many photographers include travel fees in their packages, including myself! I actually have a bit of a sweet deal for both Alberta and Georgia couples (as in Georgia, USA). Since I’m from Atlanta and frequently travel back to my home state often, any couple who gets married in either Georgia or Alberta don’t have to pay travel fees!

Other Factors

There are way more things that photographers actually pay out of pocket for, which also factors into pricing. Here are some business expenses that photographers have to manage:

• Equipment–Most people know that camera equipment ain’t cheap, but not a lot of people really know just how expensive it can be. Photographers who’ve been doing this for a few years always have 2 cameras and several lenses + lighting equipment for receptions or dark venues + memory cards. On average, a camera body (no lens included) could run you anywhere between $2,000-$5,000, and many lenses are just as expensive as the camera body! That’s probably close to about $15,000 just for the camera & lenses themselves. And for flashes and light stands, that’s a whole other ball of wax. Speaking for myself, my flashes are $350 a pop and light stands/triggers can be $75 and up. (Many photographers also have to replace or upgrade their gear over the years. I myself have had to replace 2 of these $350 flashes due to a wedding guest knocking them down. There goes $700!)
• Subscriptions–Every photographer has a subscription to SOMETHING. I’ll be brief and just list the subscriptions that are necessary to running a photography business. Adobe Photoshop/Lightroom (editing), Honeybook (contract and client management), Showit (website), Pic-Time (client galleries), Google domain (for my website), Backblaze (photo backup program). Aaaaand I’m sure there’s more I’m forgetting but yeah, those all cost quite a bit when you add them all up. (Spoiler alert, they’re also in US dollars not CAD).
• SEO/Marketing & Website Management–Photographers also need to do their fair share of marketing! I’ve invested well over $1,000 in SEO and updating my website this year, and other photographers do the same thing on a regular basis.
• Additional Education Courses/Workshops–Wedding photography may be a job, but it’s also a creative labor of love. Anytime there’s a course that could help us improve our workflow or our images (like a lighting course to improve our reception photos) or a styled shoot/workshop that builds our portfolio, we typically try to invest in ourselves as well as our business every year.
• Business Insurance–Yup, we have to pay for boring stuff too. Business insurance, equipment insurance, etc.
• Styling Props–This is something most people don’t really know about. All those pretty flat lay photos with a couples’ invitation suite, vow books, jewelry etc? Yup, we pay for that! Every wedding is unique, and for me, one of the extra things I offer to my couples is stylistically sourced props to enhance their details on a wedding day. Ring boxes, backdrops, trinket dishes, ribbons, stamps–all these things and more come out of our own pocked in order to beautify a couples’ sentimental items for their big day.

Wedding Package Costs

So now that we’ve talked (maybe too much!) about all the things that factor into a photographer’s pricing, let’s get into the nitty gritty (sometimes not so fun) numbers.

Here’s what you can safely bet when it comes to pricing based on the types of photographers in and around Calgary:

Beginner Photographers–$500-$1500 (These are photographers who are just starting out and don’t have a lot of experience or a varied skillset i.e. maybe aren’t as strong photographing receptions or have only photographed civil ceremonies over large wedding days.)

Mid-Range Photographers–$2,000-$4,000 (These photographers usually have 3-5 years experience, and can include things like a complimentary engagement session in their packages.)

Experienced/High-End/Luxury Photographers–$5,000-$10,000 (These photographers typically have 7+ years of experience, have worked with premium vendors like wedding planners and luxury venues, and include things like a second photographer on a wedding day, a complimentary engagement session, full day wedding weekend coverage, and albums & prints.)

Conclusion

So now that I’ve peeled back the curtain a little bit for you, you might be asking yourself, “so what?” And the truth is, it’s up to you! My advice to any couple on the hunt for a wedding photographer is figure out what the most important to you is and then go from there. Make a list of all the things you want from your photographer (i.e. an engagement session, second shooter and full day coverage are a must have), and then you can get a better idea for how much you should allow for your photography budget.

Don’t get dazzled by all the other bells and whistles some photographers have in their packages–it’s easy to get lost in the weeds when you’re comparing photography packages. But just remember the main things that are most important to you and your fiancé. And if your photographer has all the main things you want, plus some extra things, then great!

Remember, when the flowers have wilted and the cake’s been eaten, your wedding photos are the few tangible things you’ll be able to see and touch at the end of the day. So make sure you choose a photographer that can do it all for you!

And if you’re still struggling to find a photographer that’s within your budget and ticks off all your “must have” boxes for you, let’s chat!