We paid $2500 and I think it is the worst money we spent on our wedding day.
The person who was supposed to be doing our photos couldn't make it so he sent his partner, who had no people skills at all. She couldn't look us in the eye when speaking to us, she actually looked away when talking to us.
She took stupid pics of us hugging everyone after we got married. Just useless back-of-the-head shots. She was sitting down eating when we did the garter & bouquet throws. I had to ask her to take photos and she didn't get 1 shot of our wedding cars
If I had my time again I would probably spend the money on a good camera and have someone I trust to take the photos. Trust me, they would have come out better than the ones we paid for
I think about $3300? That included both of us getting ready, beautiful natural shots, massage for DH, and then he hung around at the reception for ages (only half an hour was included in the package, but I think he was having a good time!) and took some gorgeous shots there. We got a full set of regular photographic size prints, and $400 worth of enlarged prints.
The photos are amazing, and I don't regret spending the money for a second. That said, the photos that friends and rellies took are amazing too, and a wonderful complement.
I would go with the Fijian photographer, and get some family and friends to take their own photos as well. We had a BBQ the next day, and had a laptop there, so we got everyone's photos together and shared them.
Alternatively, what about flying a photography student over with you? Bit cheaper, and you'll still get amazing stuff. They're also often not as bound by copyright, and more open to sharing options.
our ceremony was a bit different to normal, so our photographer altered the price to suit us. It was a night and outside aswell so needed a really good photographer who could pull it off.
In saying that it only cost us $1500 for 2 hours of her time. and that included before hand, the ceremony photos afterwards and then moving to another location and havig more photos taken.
We got unlimited photos on a dvd - which she had colour version and b&w versions of them all (think there was over 2000 photos) and a few she edited extra.
it would have been extra to get prints/album though.
I was really really happy with the photography. if you want i can give you her details, or show you some of ours so you can see what a great job she did.
my best friend is a wedding photographer and i *think* her cheapest package starts at about $1900. she has told me that that is a very reasonable price and that most people would expect to pay upwards of $2000.
HTH
We got married in 2000, just before GST came in. Our photographer was a relative of my dad's, (well his wife was i think) so my parents got a discount. Our package was $2300 for our photo's and video from getting ready through to leaving reception. They gave us our music for free (Photographer was a well known person on local radio here, so knew his stuff)
We got all our photo's in a 4x6 size, then we chose which ones we wanted for our album, which was made from rosewood i think?
Also included a video for us, with photo's of DH and I from being babies through to a few early couple shots when we met, and another 2 copies, one for each of our parents.
We also got an enlargement as part of the package, but DH and I couldn't agree on which photo we wanted to enlarge for our wall, so we never did it I got all negatives from them a few years ago, so when we can decide, I plan on getting one done on canvas.
Oh one thing that i was picky about, and didnt realise till after we got married, was what type of clothing they show up in. A friend got married after us, and all her wedding photos have a 2nd photographer in the background somewhere, wearing jeans and a polo shirt with the business name on the back. It was then that i truly appreciated our photographers showing up wearing a nice pair of pants and shirt, and his wife wearing a beautiful skirt/top that looked very business like
We got married 2006 and had an awesome photographer so friendly, easy going with a great eye for detail and great shots. He took lots of pics of me and girls getting ready and before wedding, boys before hand, wedding ceremony, guest group shot, lots after of bridal party and family pics, fake cake cut, and bridal waltz. He also took pics of shoes, beading on dress, jewlerry, favours which were lollies from suga, place cards etc etc.
We got 1 large wall print and 3 smaller, plus a big album with aluminium cover with names cut out, some digital pages, some pages that open out, package all up was $3500.
Our proof albums some of pics were used into album to save reprinting costs and double ups so only pics re printed for album were bigger ones than proof size.
Last edited by feeb; October 16th, 2010 at 02:16 PM.
We paid about $3600 I think it ended up being back in 2000. That included travel, black and white shots, and we had them for 7 hours - so they didn't have to stay for the reception we pretended to cut the cake and pose as if we were dancing. We originally only paid $1500 for an album with 40 photos but when went to create the album (4weeks after wedding) he'd taken over 300 pics and there was no way known we could condense our day into only 40 photos. So we doubled it and went to 80. We also got a 20x24 mounted wall photo and an album of all proofs (this was back in the day when digital cameras and photos were only new and our photographer didn't trust the technology to produce good photos). We don't regret the cost at all. Our photos are amazing and we look at them often. Other people I know who have gone the cheaper route have always regretted it.
Our best friends don't even have their photos after the photographer said she would put them in an album for them and then she left town and they never saw their photos again. All they have of their day are the few photos their family took.
A friend of DH's had one of their friends take the pics for free - she was an amateur and 95% of the photos are just of the Bride (they were besties in a single white female kind of way LOL) and none of the bridal party.
A close friend of mine had her photographer run out of film half way through (again back in the good old days LOL)
DH's brother and his wife had someone take them who was a friend of a friend. We have never seen the pics because SIL does not want them to see the light of day. She said they went to pick them up and as soon as she walked out of there she cried they were that bad.
And SIL had two women do it semi-professionally and I could have taken better photos. A lot of them were really good, but the ones they took of my girls (flowergirls) were just crap.
You have no idea how helpful your replies have been for me.
Lisa- I am so sorry to hear that your photographer turned out to be so crap. I would have been massively kicking up a stink to the owner.
That is awesome to all the people that got great shots from family and friends. I know that this is likely but I feel like I shouldn't risk it just in case.
Okay maybe the deal I have been offered is not that bad after all.
This photographers work is amazing and his attention to detail is present everywhere.
He has given me two options
1. $3500 for a full package with
- a 10x10 designer leather & glass wedding album.
- This will also include approx. $1500 on accommodation & travel.
- It will also include 2 x A3 framed images OR 1 A1 image (large professional framed & printed images).
- 2 dvd slideshows of your favourite photographs to tell the story of your day to your favourite love songs.
- Plus all images from the day (breakfast, getting ready, family shots, ceremony, location shots, reception start to finish) on a dvd/cd in HIGH resolution. I will also photoshop any imperfections (if you wish) out of any photos and include some black and white, artistic & sepia images as well.
ALTERNATIVELY
2. $2800 with
- FULL resolution images on dvd
- high definition slideshow with your love songs, i can do 2x the slideshow with cover etc for your family if you like for this price.
- travel & accomodation
Either way it is still a lot of money but I LOVE his work and have seen it first hand at a wedding and then the final products. Arhhh decisions.
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