If you are starting to plan your wedding and would like to know how much wedding photography in Vancouver costs you have come to the right place. I have polled more than 50 wedding photographers in the city to find the results below. While it is helpful to know a starting point for your budget, it is important to note that what is included in each rate varies from one photographer to the next. The two most common items to include or not (in addition to actual coverage) are a second photographer and engagement session. On to the stats:
The average cost of wedding photography in Vancouver is $3800 for 8 hours of coverage and approximately 50% of photographers will include an engagement session in that rate. 5% gst is additional.
Due to a limited “wedding season” in Vancouver most photographers have a minimum of 6 or 8 hours of coverage during the summer months (May-October). Most couples require 10 hours of coverage on their wedding day – this usually allows the photographer to document a portion of the bride/groom getting ready in the morning along with the first dance in the evening. Weddings that include different cultural traditions (such as Chinese tea ceremonies) or extensive travel time will often require 12 hours of coverage. While some exceptions are made, coverage is almost always consecutive hours.
AVERAGE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY RATES IN VANCOUVER, BC
6 Hours of Coverage – $3150
8 Hours of Coverage – $3800
10 Hours of Coverage – $4300
12 Hours of Coverage – $4500
Engagement Session included in above rates – 50%
Two Photographers included in above rates – 18%
Second Photographer (when not included in base coverage) – $500-$800
Engagement Session (when not included in base coverage) – $500-$750
*rates do not include 5% gst
As much as every couple would probably prefer to hire whatever photographer they wanted without thought to budget, that is almost never the case. The fact of the matter is that weddings are a luxury (simply getting married doesn’t actually cost much) and wedding photography usually takes up a substantial portion of a couple’s budget. As the old adage goes, “you get what you paid for”. That said – if you are planning your wedding and hoping to keep your photography budget to $2000 or less I have a couple helpful tips for you
1. Do your research
When you are working with a tight wedding photography budget you are most likely going to be hiring a photographer with very little to no experience and it is more important than ever that you do your research. I suggest starting your search by reaching out to your friends, asking interested students at a local photography school and inquiring in wedding photography groups on Facebook. Read whatever reviews you can online – even asking to speak to a past client of theirs is acceptable. A couple questions you want to ask your prospective wedding photographer include what their image backup system is like and how long they take to deliver images.
2. Ask to see an entire wedding gallery
If the photographer you are considering hiring has shot a wedding (or better yet multiple weddings) I strongly urge you to ask to see an entire gallery that they have delivered to a past client. Any photographer can get one or two good shots at a wedding but it is important to see a range of images from throughout the day. Consider what is most important to you (family photos, portraits, candids) and see how that photographers handles those things.
3. Make sure a contract is in place
Insist on having some sort of contract in place to protect yourself. Most photographers will require a retainer in order to secure a date with the balance owing due a few weeks prior to the wedding. That said, it is not unheard of to request that final payment be made just prior to actual delivery of the images.
In closing, I highly recommend prioritizing wedding photography on your big day. Not only are images one of the few lasting things you will have from the day but you will most likely be spending more time with your photographer than anyone else. You should enjoy being around them :) Set your priorities and then attach budgets accordingly. If having those special moments with your family and friends documented is more important than something like chiavari chairs, go with a more affordable chair option and increase your photo budget.