You're ENGAGED! What a fun and exciting time in life! I remember the day Brian proposed to me (gasp, 17+ years ago!) on a hike to Lake Isabelle near the Indian Peaks Wilderness of Colorado. It was late October and WINDYYYYYY. He got down on one knee at the edge of the lake, said some stuff that I honestly don't even remember, and asked if I'd marry him. HOLY HECK, I said YES and we cried and hugged and soaked in the most incredible mountain views before heading back down the trail.
Then it hit me: WE NEED TO PLAN A WEDDING! It was never a question that we'd have a big wedding with all our family and friends present, but it was a big deal to figure out how to pay for it. To be honest, we never really set a wedding photography budget per se. We researched the things we wanted for our wedding day, what they'd cost, and prioritized what mattered most to us. The result? A perfect day with perfect memories to set the stage for our incredible marriage.
Wedding planning is a lot like vacation planning. Did we need to have a beautiful 100-person wedding at a stunning venue? Well, need? No. Want? YES. Do we need to fly nonstop to Rome and spend 3 weeks in Italy? Haha, maybe we did need that. But the point is: people spend money on the things that matter most to them.
That leaves many couples asking: How much should we spend on wedding photography? While your wedding photography budget may not appear to be flexible, there are ways to allocate and prioritize photos so that you can have amazing, timeless photos of your big day.
The wedding photography industry is widely varied, especially in Colorado. Brides.com suggests that couples spend around 15% of their overall wedding budget on photography. So if your total wedding budget is $30,000, you'd spend $4500 for photography. Sites like WeddingWire.com give local and national average prices spent for various vendors. However, these averages reflect the recent influx of hobby and newbie photographers entering the wedding industry with extremely low (aka - nonsustainable) pricing.
Unfortunately, setting your photography budget as a percent of your overall wedding budget doesn't allow you to prioritize your photos as a lifelong investment. If you have a smaller overall wedding budget, say $15,000, you would be looking for a photographer priced no more than $2,250. Some photographers offer rock-bottom prices but might not have the necessary skills or experience to deliver stunning photos. You may not get the quality you expect. Poorly composed, underexposed, or blurry photos can’t be fixed afterward, and you’ll regret it. They may not know how to handle a sticky family situation, how to photograph the dark corner where your cake is positioned, or where the sunlight will be best for your portraits.
The old saying, "you get what you pay for" is so true in the wedding industry.
Photography isn't just about pressing a button on the camera. It's about artistry, the anticipation of key moments, vendor collaboration, technical skill, and image editing. Truly seasoned wedding photographers are able to pivot, remaining flexible and calm even in chaotic or emotional situations. They have backup gear and contingency plans so that no images are lost.
Think of your wedding day as an experience. Photography should be a priority, not just a supplementary expense. It’s one of the few elements that truly lasts beyond the day itself. Investing in photography ensures the beauty, joy, and love you experience will be captured in the highest quality possible. Having a professional photographer means you can trust that everything will be taken care of without worrying about your pictures. You’ll be able to enjoy your day fully without distractions, knowing your photographer has everything covered.
There is no "standard" price for photographers, as each one has their own expenses and cost of doing business, lifestyle, and schedule limitations. In Colorado, established professional wedding photographers range from $4,000-10,000+ and offer a wide variety of package options.
HOW DO WE AFFORD QUALITY, PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY?
From a photography perspective, I recommend allocating more of your overall budget to these parts of your wedding day for the best results: venue, catering, photography, florals, and DJ. Your choice of venue will set the vibe of your wedding, while the flowers can spruce up the space and tie the decor together (and provide your photographer with loads of inspiration!). A professional, energetic DJ will set the mood of the reception and dance party to ensure no awkward moments and an epic experience for your guests. And of course, people will talk about the food for years to come so make it good!
You can cut costs in other areas to help maintain a reasonable budget such as centerpieces and decor (think thrifting or repurposing!) and alcohol (consider a cash bar or drink tickets for your guests).
If you are balling on a wedding photography budget, there's no shame in that! Don't hesitate to ask your photographer if they offer a flexible payment plan to make it easier to you to choose quality photography.
UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF THE FULL-SERVICE EXPERIENCE
The first way I ensure you have the best photography experience is hopping on a video call with you both to get to know you and your wedding vision, walk through what it's like working with me, and how I can best serve you. I'm very honest and if I feel like we aren't a good fit, I will tell you. It's vitally important that personalities fit together and that what I offer is what you're looking for.
My packages are all-inclusive to include timeline planning assistance, associate 2nd photographer, next-day preview and 4-week gallery delivery, no travel fees in Colorado, and a stress-free guided posing experience that will leave you feeling incredible.
Once you become a booked client, you receive a hard copy magazine of my Exclusive Planning Guide that walks you through the wedding day from the photography perspective, offers suggestions, and how to make the most of your big day. If included in your package, we'll plan your engagement photo session and begin dreaming about the wedding day!
One month before your wedding, you'll complete a comprehensive Photography Questionnaire that serves as my roadmap for your big day. The more information I have, the better I can anticipate and document your wedding in a deeply personal manner.
My wedding day workflow is loaded with backups: both my second photographer and I shoot dual Canon cameras that each record to two separate memory cards. I also use multiple flashes and have extra gear and batteries so that no moments get missed. Once I get home, the images are copied to an external hard drive on my computer for editing. That hard drive is also backed up to a cloud storage service for safe-keeping. The original memory cards are not formatted until after I've delivered your full wedding gallery.
I believe the magic of a photo truly happens during the editing process. While I'm photographing your wedding, I have an idea of what the final photo will look like so when it comes time to process your photos, I can create a colorful, bold memory of that moment.
I offer basic retouching services, such as blemish removal and skin softening. Dress wrinkles or bulges are also softened. Unnecessary or distracting objects are removed, like exit signs, light poles, often my assistant or second photographer, and occasionally myself. The final result is a refined, polished gallery of the best photos that are cohesive and vibrant.
WORDS FROM REAL CLIENTS
I promise you that prioritizing quality professional photography for your wedding is 100% worth it.
"I was super nervous before our engagement shoot because I had never had photos taken professionally before, but Sarah set us both right at ease and captured all our love and joy in a way that felt natural and true to us. We are just obsessed with our wedding photos and the professional manner in which Sarah interacted with us, our wedding parties, and our guests to get the most memorable shots! I will cherish these photos forever and would definitely recommend Sarah to anyone." - Laura & Evan
"I had the pleasure of working with Sarah and her team for my wedding, and I couldn't be happier with the entire experience. From the beginning, she demonstrated exceptional organization by understanding the shots that were important to me and making sure to capture the important events of the night. Not only was she punctual, adhering to the timeline seamlessly, but her direction during poses showcased a level of professionalism that truly added to the overall experience. Sarah and her team managed to capture every special moment and even caught an important guest photo I wanted near the end of the night that I had otherwise forgotten. In addition to their professionalism, Sarah and her team were an absolute delight to work with during the entire day and left me, someone who hates having their picture taken, completely at ease. The end result surpassed all expectations – the photos were nothing short of amazing. Many of our guests couldn't stop commenting on how awesome Sarah and her team were throughout the event. I wholeheartedly recommend Sarah for anyone seeking a skilled and professional photographer to capture their special moments."
- Dana & Connor
BONUS! 10 QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
How do you describe your shoot style?
What is your backup process and contingency plans for my photos?
How do you handle inclement weather?
Can you provide referrals from past clients I can reach out to?
Do you help plan my timeline to make the most of our time?
How do you ensure a smooth wedding day experience?
How do you handle low-light situations?
Can we view multiple full wedding galleries?
What does the post-processing workflow look like? Do you edit blemishes, remove distracting objects, and fix
Can I preview your contract?
I hope this helps you discover and prioritize your wedding day! I truly believe in quality, long-lasting photography that you can't put a price tag on.
Let's make your big day a big deal!
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