How Much Should You Budget for a GOOD Wedding Photographer on California’s Central Coast?
Weddings are expensive, we all know that, and budgeting for your wedding can be confusing and emotionally exhausting.
It’s important to make sure you prioritize what is really important to you when planning for your wedding. Make sure that you budget enough to get the wedding photography you really want out of this once in a lifetime experience!
It can be tempting to try and cut costs when it comes to photography, but remember, aside from your marriage certificate and a few mementos, your photographs might be the only tangible thing that remains after the whirlwind of the wedding is over. I have friends that still regret not hiring better photographers for their weddings.
Your photographs will be what you remember your wedding by and what you have to show for all of your hard work and planning. Budget as much as you can for photography!
Cost of Wedding Photography on California’s Central Coast.
The cost of photography will depend mainly on the size of your wedding, how many hours you want covered and how much coverage you feel that you need. Remember, these images will last a lifetime and you want to be able to look back on this day and remember it for how gorgeous it was, how young and beautiful you were, how all the details you agonized over were appreciated, how friends and family members were there to love and support you. These are very precious memories, make sure to prioritize them when planning.
Large Wedding…
A large wedding usually has 50 or more guests plus a large bridal party and can have multiple locations for ceremony and reception. Large weddings generally require 6-10 hours of coverage and require a second photographer or possibly a third, depending on how many moving parts there are and how much you want documented.
The advantage of having a second shooter for a large wedding is that one photographer can be shooting the bride getting ready and another photographer can be with the groom at the same time. You may want a third photographer present for at least the first part of the day, documenting all the details and the set up before the guests arrive. Having more than one photographer also ensures that you will get different angles of key moments and nothing will be missed. For example, one photographer can be shooting First Look and couple portraits at cocktail hour while the second shooter is taking candids, group and detail shots of the cocktail hour. Without two photographers, you must decide what is most important to document in the time you have.
Large weddings with at least one extra photographer average from $4000-8,000.
Intimate Wedding…
An intimate wedding is generally one that has between 20-50 guests. Just very close friends and immediate family are present. They are held at smaller spaces, a friend’s home, a restaurant or cafe with a pretty outside space, a small chapel in a quaint town or on a bluff overlooking the sea. A small wedding can be easily covered with one photographer and generally require 5-8 hours of coverage which runs, on average, $2500-4500.
Elopement…
An elopement can be a few friends or family attending to witness your nuptials, or just the two of you, your officiant and your photographer.
Elopements are absolutely my favorite weddings to photograph as all my time is spent shooting beautiful intimate photos of you and your beloved. Elopements are ALL about you and your photographs. Elopements are the least expensive photography-wise (or they can be expensive fly and hike to the ends of the earth for the best shot affairs).
Let’s stick with the idea of a local Central Coast elopement which would require about 2-3 hours of coverage and might cost anywhere from $1000-3000 for photography.
As you can see, there are a few variables that can affect the cost of photography for weddings in California but I hope this gives you a general idea!
Are you ready to take the next step in planning your wedding? Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions or to schedule!
Hey there!
I’m Gennan ✨ -your central coast wedding photographer. Whether you need a wedding photographer, family portraits, or commercial photography for your endeavors… I’ve got you covered. So meet me, peruse my portfolio, check out my services + pricing, then get in touch and let’s make some magic happen!
BASED IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA & SERVING CARMEL, MONTEREY, BIG SUR, PASO ROBLES, SF BAY AREA, LOS ANGELES… ANYWHERE FROM SANTA ROSA TO SANTA ANA 🌞
