Is a good photographer worth it for your wedding?

Article by ARJ Photography®

I saw this come up in the ‘people also ask’ bit on a Google search so I thought I’d write down some thoughts about why I think it’s worth having the best photographer you can afford for your wedding. Now, I know what you’re thinking, of course I’m going to say this because I’m a photographer. And yeah… you’re right. But I’m a photographer BECAUSE I believe this so strongly, so have a read about why a good photographer is worth it for your wedding.

Candid wedding photo of a bride talking to her grandparents by wedding photographer ARJ Photography®

Is a good wedding photographer worth it? The short version!

First of all hello and hi, my name’s Adam and I’ve been a wedding photographer in Cheshire, across the UK and around the world since 2010. These days I focus on weddings in Cheshire and the UK.

A good wedding photographer does more than just bring a good camera to your wedding. I care just as much about what’s happening as you do, I put an insane amount of pressure on myself to make sure nothing is missed so that everything is remembered, and I have invested time, money and effort into making sure the photos I make are the best wedding photos you’ve ever seen. You’ll spend a lot of money on things that you and your guests will enjoy on the day, but you’ll enjoy your wedding photos for decades to come. Don’t be one of those people who wishes they’d placed a higher priority on their wedding photos! A good photographer is worth every penny and more!

How much can a photographer charge for a wedding?

If you’ve done some research you’ll probably have found wedding photographers who charge a few hundred pounds right up to wedding photographers who charge ten grand or more. You’ll also have found loads of photographers who don’t tell you any prices up front on their website (my wedding photography prices are totally transparent). The truth is a wedding photographer can price themselves however they wish but here are some questions to ask:

  • Are they a full time wedding photographer? I’ve been full time since 2011.
  • Are they a specialist wedding photographer? A wedding photographer isn’t just any old photographer – it requires a very unique set of skills and isn’t just about whether someone knows how to use a camera.
  • How much have they invested in camera equipment, computer equipment, lighting equipment, backup equipment, training, insurance… I’d worry that someone cheap isn’t taking the gravity of this job seriously enough!
  • How do their full galleries look? These days cameras are so good it’s really simple to take a handful of good photos at a wedding that look great as an instagram post. Make sure you see a full gallery!
  • How will they cope with wedding day curve balls? Weddings are full of curve balls and one of the key skills of a wedding photographer is problem solving to make sure curve balls actually improve your wedding photos!

How much are most wedding photographers?

Again there’s no standard price for wedding photography. If you find a wedding photographer whose work you love (hi, nice to meet you) then check their wedding photography prices page on their website (some people name that page ‘investment’). If they show prices like I do then you need to decide how that fits with your overall wedding budget and if it’s in the ball park then enquire with them. If they don’t show prices then I would suggest you enquire anyway if you love the work. Even if I’m a bit out of your budget I’d love to hear from you and see if we can have a chat about it.

Candid wedding photo of a bride and groom laughing during their winter wedding ceremony by wedding photographer ARJ Photography®

How much should you budget for your wedding photographer?

Unfortunately I can’t help you with this one, but I can give you a few tips! First of all think about these photos and how important they’ll be not just the day after when you show them off on your social media (my photos are very show-offable), but think about in 5 or 10 or 20 years and how important they’ll be in your family. Now apply the same thinking to everything else you’re planning to spend money on for your wedding – all that stuff you’ll enjoy on the day but will be gone the day after – your photos are your memories forever. I won’t single out anything in particular, but if you love my photos and I’m a bit more than you wanted to spend, maybe you can shave a bit here and a bit there to free up a bit more for your photos?

What separates an average wedding photographer from a good one from a great one?

I’ve covered some of this above already, and I do think this is the hardest thing for you as an engaged couple to judge from people’s portfolios these days because cameras are just too good, when the conditions are good! So here are some things to look for.

How unique do the photographer’s photos look? A lot of wedding photography portfolios will be makeup, ceremony, confetti, some portraits and probably lots of sunset photos. And while that’s all well and good, what about the unique moments that happen at every wedding. I call them iconic moments – the stuff that will ONLY happen at your wedding. The unscripted moments. How much of that is in the photographer’s portfolio?

Do the photos hit you right in the feels? I always say I’m not there to capture what’s happening – I’m there to capture how everyone felt while it was happening. If my photos of strangers can make you feel something, then multiply that by a billion and that’s how your own wedding photos will make you feel.

Are the candid moment photos as good quality as the posed ones? I have worked so hard over 15+ years to make sure that every photo I take is worthy of a place on your wall in a huge frame, not just the couple portraits.

Does every wedding look the same? Whether you’re looking at blog posts, or full galleries, does it look like the photographer follows a formula or does it look like they’re telling the unique story within each wedding and for each couple?

Does it look creative and interesting? A big thing that increases the value of a photographer is how creatively they think, to help make your wedding photos interesting as well as capturing the action.

How consistent is the editing? It’s a hot topic in wedding photography, but you absolutely must love the photographer’s editing style as much as their photography style. Lots of photographers use automated AI software nowadays to edit whereas I like to edit all my photos by hand to make sure the quality is world class and not rushed or automated.

How long will it take to see your wedding photos? Again this is somewhere that different photographers will have wildly different service levels so ask the question. With me, you’ll see a handful of photos within 48 hours and all your fully edited photos within 4 weeks.

 

Candid wedding photo of a groom pouring champagne straight from the bottle into the best man's mouth by wedding photographer ARJ Photography®

A good wedding photographer is worth it because they care about your memories

You need to make sure that all your wedding suppliers make you feel like more than ‘just another client’ and that they really care about you and your wedding, especially your wedding photographer. I’m going to spend the day with you, and I will care about everything that’s happening just as much as you do. My main reason for taking each and every photo is because something is happening that I want you to remember – whether you’re stood still at the top of an aisle, or whether you’re pouring champagne into your usher’s mouth. It’s all just as important as each other.

Candid wedding photo of a grandfather on the dance floor during a wedding party by wedding photographer ARJ Photography®

A good wedding photographer is worth it because they’re unselfish

I don’t care about my own portfolio when I’m at your wedding. I care only about you because these are your photos. So you won’t catch me sitting in the corner checking the football scores when your grandad musters up the energy to come to the dancefloor for all of 30 seconds because I’ll be there because I know that’s going to be immeasurably important to you.

 

Candid wedding photo of the bride and her mum laughing during the groom's wedding speech by wedding photographer ARJ Photography®

A good wedding photographer is worth it because they listen as much as they look

I know I’m not there to provide you with a boring record of the day… We got ready, we had a ceremony, we took some group photos, we stood by the fountain and got told to kiss, a few people made a speech etc etc. I care about who you are, who everyone else is, and every moment that happens around you. I care more about the fact you and your mum found his speech hilarious than the fact he was making a speech.

A good wedding photographer is worth it because we care as much about your experience as we do about the photos

Planning your wedding should be a joy, the day itself should be a joy, and you should get endless joy forever from your wedding photos and your wedding album. Social media has turned the world on its head and many photographers now think that the wedding is about their personality. Now, I have a good personality but your wedding won’t be about me – I’ll be a positive person to have around but your wedding is about you and your people and I will capture that without trying to put my own stamp on things. I want you to be in your wedding, enjoying it, and I’ll make sure we plan well to make sure that whenever we do plan in some photos of just the two of you, you’re not missing your wedding just to have your photo taken.

A high energy wedding party photo as a bride and bridesmaid sing loudly to each other while a groom and his friends do the same in the background by wedding photographer ARJ Photography®

A good wedding photographer is worth it because your memories are guaranteed

One of my favourite mantras in life is that if you buy cheap, you buy twice.

But you can’t buy your wedding photos twice. So don’t use that mantra! I’ve spoken to many people over the years who say they wish they could go back in time and book me as their wedding photographer, but that’s impossible. So if you value your long term memories of ALL the moments of your wedding day (not just the obvious ones) then don’t buy cheap, because you can’t buy twice.

 

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Cheshire Wedding Photographer Adam Johnson - ARJ Photography®
Cheshire Wedding Photographers ARJ Photography® – Adam Johnson is a well established photographer who has been photographing weddings in Cheshire and around the world for over a decade. He has been named the UK Wedding Photographer of the Year twice by The Wedding Industry Awards, and Best of the Best twice by Junebug Weddings, as well as receiving over 100 other wedding photography awards for his work. Favouring a rich, colourful style of wedding photography with a strong focus on emotion and the iconic moments, Adam is highly in demand and only opens up his diary to 20 weddings per year.