I’m not a fan of confusing collections or packages. It’s like going to a shoe store and only having the choice of three shoe sizes.
Back in the day, I offered all-day weddings. What I found out after five years of documenting weddings for 10 to 15 hours each was that there were hours of preparation and hours of receptions that 95 percent of those images never saw the light of day. A very large majority of brides don’t want to share, print or include in an album design images before their hair and makeup are done. And unless you’re planning a big, elaborate exit at the end of your reception, three to five hours of receptions images is a lot.
This is why I leave it up to the couples to decide how many hours/days they want for their wedding coverage and how they want to display their images (albums, canvases, prints, digitals, etc.). Maybe you want the last 30 minutes of preparation covered and the first hour or two of the reception documented. Perhaps you want it all. It’s up to you and your budget.
Just know that most weddings can have all their key milestones and moments, the portraits, and the ceremony documented in five to seven hours with some breathing room to keep the day low-stress from the photography standpoint.
Wedding photography collections begin at $1,000 for small elopements, with most couples investing between $3,500 and $6,500 for coverage that documents all the major milestones of your wedding day. This range in the average collection pricing is due to what a couple adds. Some simply want the retouched digital images. Others want albums, canvases, cards, and prints. Custom collections are created for every couple taking into consideration of wedding location, if multiple days are needed, engagements sessions, tangible artwork, and whatever else is needed.
Here is my super-easy approach to collections, and it’s probably the simplest collection breakdown you’ll find:
Everything you need — $4,000
Most couples can get all their wedding milestones (last hour of preparation, couple, wedding party, and family portraits, ceremony, and first hour of open dancing documented with seven hours of coverage.
Addtional hours are $500. Want less hours, take off $500 for each hour.
This is what a majority of the couples get when they hire me. It gets them all the moments they’re wanting, without any extras they don’t. No images of the the bride without her hair and makeup done. Those images are rarely seen again. If you don’t want to filter through 500 dancing images from the hours upon hours of reception coverage, wrap it up after the first hour or two.
You can even add in artwork credit at a discount to be used once you see the images and know what you want. This works out well if you decide to get something for the wall of your new house. Or maybe you want some parent albums.
You’re in control of what you want and what you don’t for coverage and artwork.
Traveling to destinations is a part of wedding collaboration I enjoy working with couples. Over the years, I’ve come up with some creative ways to minimize the amount of my travel fee for couples. But below is my pricing for traveling to weddings — for regional, national, and international travel …
If the wedding is within two hours of drive time from Coeur d’Alene, there’s no travel fee.
Northwest Weddings Travel
Includes travel, two nights of lodging, and per diem — $700
If you’re in that “in-between zone” of just over two hours, but not more than four hours, we’ll determine what works best for your wedding and build out a custom travel quote.
CONUS Wedding Travel
Includes airfare, lodging for three nights, rental car, and per diem — $1,200 to $2,000
International Wedding Travel
Includes airfare, lodging for four nights, rental car, per diem, and permits — $2,500 to $3,500
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