Once you've set a date and booked a venue, one of the most important vendors to secure is your wedding photographer, as dates are limited for each professional. Most couples book their wedding photographer 8 - 12 months in advance. It's an important investment to make - your wedding photos will be the primary takeaway from your wedding day so you can cherish those once-in-a-lifetime moments forever. As a wedding photographer myself, I charge $2400 for 8 hours.
How Much Do Couples Spend in the GTA?
For 2024 weddings, the average couple in the Toronto area is going to be spending between $2500 - $4500 on wedding photography for 8 hours of coverage.
As you begin researching photographers in Toronto and requesting pricing, you'll find a huge range of packages, all with different options. As a starting point, here is a price comparison list of some of the top Toronto wedding photographers.
What Affects the Cost of Wedding Photography Packages?
Hours of Coverage
Coverage time has the largest impact on your quoted price. For couples that want "all-day coverage", or about 8 - 10 hours, you'll be paying on the higher end. Most photographers calculate their package prices base on an hourly rate they set for themselves. $300 - $450 per hour is the average in the Toronto area. It's important to sit down with your partner and decide what photos are the most important to you - not all couples place significance on getting ready photos or drunk dancing photos. For couples on a tight budget, I find they place significance on ceremony and reception coverage up until the end of speeches and the first dance.
Number of Photographers
I find couples don't always know the best answer to "do we need a second shooter?". In my opinion, as a solo working photographer, I've never had trouble capturing tons of angles during the ceremony and reception. Part of this is because I carry around two cameras - one for close up shots, and another for wide-angle shots. That way, in the final gallery, couples get two different perspectives from just one photographer. The time when you may need a second shooter is if you need coverage in two places at the same time (for example, getting ready for girls and guys), or if you have over 200 guests.
Experience
More experienced photographers that have a well-known following and are in high demand definitely charge a premium for their services. You're investing in the years of talent and knowledge they've accumulated.
The Other Stuff
Each photographer structures their packages differently. When comparing pricing, be sure to read everything that may or may not be included in the quoted price. This might include:
- Engagement session
- Travel fees
- Albums and prints
- HST
It's Not Just About The Money
While looking for your dream wedding photographer, it's important to stay in-budget, but not to cheap out too much. If you hire an amateur photographer for $1000, you may find yourself in tears when you look at your final wedding gallery. Professional wedding photographers know how to confidently pose and direct, adjust to changing lighting conditions, and know their cameras inside and out. They also have additional equipment such as artificial lighting to ensure night photos are high quality.
Tips for Booking Your Wedding Photographer
1. Make sure your personality matches your photographer - Your photographer will be working with you and your family the entire wedding day. They will be interacting with you at your best and worst on the most intimate day of your life. Ensure to book a consultation first to get a feeling for their personality.
2. Make sure you like their editing style - As you browse through dreamy wedding photos on Pinterest, ensure you're not just getting sucked into trends that won't be around for more than a decade. I find timeless, true-to-life edits are the most popular. "Moody" and "Light and airy" wedding photos are more trendy than timeless.
3. Book enough coverage time - I've seen so many couples try to stretch their timeline so they can save a few pennies on the number of hours they book. I recommend creating your timeline with padding and extra time between events instead of rushing everything. Some photographers offer optional overtime on your wedding day too if things are running behind schedule.
One Final Suggestion
As a wedding photographer myself, I've worked with a lot of couples. I can see the value they place in their final wedding galleries as they browse through close-ups of family members crying, and feel as if they're reliving their wedding day again. And I agree - I think wedding photos are an amazing takeaway from a wedding day. However, I think more couples should also consider budgeting for videography.
I got married very recently, and while the photos were important to me, I much more enjoy watching our wedding video. It's blissful to literally re-live your wedding day and hear the exact words that were spoken during the ceremony and speeches. At the very minimum, I encourage you to plan for a family member to phone record your ceremony and speeches. The number one regret I hear from couples is that they didn't book a videographer. I highly recommend it - the quality of professional video and audio equipment far surpasses the ability of an iPhone.
