Let me start with what actually brought you here. The question of how much a wedding photographer costs deserves a proper answer, not a contact form. My coverage starts at 4,800 PLN, and that price covers the whole day, from getting ready through to the bouquet and veil ceremony around midnight, plus a minimum of 500 edited photographs. Further on I explain exactly what is included in that price and what tends to be charged separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But a figure on its own tells you nothing until you know what you are paying for. Two quotes at the same price can mean completely different things, and the difference only becomes obvious in November, when one couple is already looking at their photographs and the other is writing their third email asking when theirs will arrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article is about how to read a photographer’s price list. I am writing it after years of answering this question by email, so it will be without any sugar coating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you look at the figure for the coverage, you see one day. I see four things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The shooting day.<\/strong> I usually start with you in the morning, during getting ready, and finish after the bouquet and veil ceremony, most often around one in the morning. That is a dozen or so hours on my feet, with no break to sit down and rest, because a wedding does not pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Editing.<\/strong> This is the part nobody thinks about, and it takes the most time. A wedding produces several thousand frames. They all have to be reviewed, the ones actually worth looking at have to be chosen, and every chosen photograph has to be edited. For a single wedding that is weeks of work, not an evening. So when you hear about a delivery time measured in months, that is not the photographer dragging their feet. It is the real amount of time the work takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Equipment, and what protects it.<\/strong> I work with two cameras. Not because I enjoy carrying extra weight, but because if one stops working halfway through the ceremony, the other is already on my other shoulder. Every photograph is saved to two memory cards at once, immediately. That costs money, and it is a cost you cannot see in the photographs themselves, until something breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Running the whole thing.<\/strong> The contract, conversations before the wedding, planning the timeline, travel, storing the material long after the gallery has been delivered. Dull, but without it all that is left is the shooting day and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most common misunderstanding goes like this: if the photographer only works one day, why does the figure look like it is for a week?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because it is a week. The day at the wedding is the visible part. Behind it stand the selection and editing, which for a single set of coverage can take several times longer than the wedding itself. On top of that come the meeting before the wedding, travel and preparing the equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is one more thing photographers rarely say out loud: at the height of the season it is not possible to work every Saturday and still deliver material quickly. In July and August I have Saturdays booked almost every week, so weddings from peak season are delivered in the autumn. I say this outright when we sign the contract, because that is exactly the moment you want to hear it, not in September. I write more about how long you can realistically expect to wait for your finished photographs<\/a> in a separate article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where most misunderstandings happen, because everyone counts it a little differently. For me, the following are charged separately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask everyone you talk to about this before comparing two figures. A quote that is 1,000 PLN cheaper, but adds travel and accommodation on top, can end up more expensive than the pricier one that already includes everything. It is worth asking the same kind of question about the venue itself, because a similar mechanism hides there too: how much corkage, the charge a venue makes for alcohol you bring in yourselves, really costs and what to look for in the contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you ask about price, you usually get a range in reply. That range does not come out of nowhere. Here is what pushes it upwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Distance.<\/strong> Up to a certain limit, travel is included and there is nothing more to say about it. Beyond that, accommodation is added, because after a wedding that finishes near dawn no sensible person gets behind the wheel for a three hour drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A second photographer.<\/strong> Two people means twice as much material to edit, not just a second person on site. That is why it is a genuine cost, not an add on for a couple of hundred zloty. I write separately about when a second photographer at a wedding actually makes sense<\/a>, because it is not always a necessary expense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Video.<\/strong> A separate service, separate equipment, separate editing work afterwards. It is the most expensive add on in any wedding offer, and that is the case everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An unusual timeline.<\/strong> A ceremony at ten in the morning with the wedding running until dawn the next day is not the same working day as a ceremony at four in the afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And here is what usually does not move the price, even though couples often worry about it: the number of guests. A wedding for one hundred and fifty people and one for eighty are, for me, the same day and the same editing work. It is much the same with the type of venue. A palace does not cost more than a barn, although a palace can be darker and requires more effort to work around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It makes sense to save on scope, not on quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can save on:<\/strong> the number of hours, if you consciously give up part of the evening. On a second photographer, if the wedding is small. On an outdoor session on a separate date, if the outdoor photographs on the wedding day itself are enough for you. On the album, which you can always order a year later, once the wedding budget has stopped steaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is not worth saving on:<\/strong> how the material is protected, and the delivery time. These are two things you cannot make up for after the fact. If the photographs are lost, there is no do over. A wedding is one of the few things in life that cannot be repeated, so this is exactly the point where the cheapest option can turn out to be the most expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a third category that people rarely talk about: saving on whether you actually feel comfortable with someone. This person will be with you all day, close by, at moments when you will not feel like having a stranger around. If after meeting them you have a feeling that something is not right, that is not a question of price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A single beautiful photograph tells you nothing. Every photographer has ten shots like that, and those are exactly the ten you see on the homepage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask to see one whole wedding, from getting ready through to the bouquet and veil ceremony. Then you will see things that do not show up in a selection of the best frames: whether photographs from a dark reception room in the evening hold up as well as those in outdoor light at six in the afternoon, whether there are photographs of guests and family or only of the two of you, and whether the day can be told, in order, through those photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check too whether photographs from different weddings look consistent. If every one is in a different style, it means the photographer is still looking for their own, and you could end up with a version you never saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the most practical part of this article. When you have two quotes in front of you at a similar price, ask about seven things. The answers will differ far more than the prices do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. How many photographs will we receive, as a minimum?<\/strong> Not “a lot”, not “the full set”. A number. With me it is a minimum of 500, 650 or 850, depending on the package, and that is a minimum. It usually comes out higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Until what time does the photographer stay?<\/strong> Until the bouquet and veil ceremony? Until the end? Until an hourly package runs out? That is the difference between photographs from the best part of the evening and photographs of the cake, then goodbye. I stay until the bouquet and veil ceremony, usually until one in the morning, and I do not watch the clock while I am there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. When will we receive the photographs?<\/strong> A specific date, written into the contract. With me it is within 90 days, usually sooner. The answer “when they are ready” is not a deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Who will actually turn up?<\/strong> The same person you are speaking to, or someone else from a team? This is a question worth asking outright, because the portfolio shows the owner’s photographs, while on the day it can be someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. What happens if the equipment fails?<\/strong> One camera or two. A single memory card or simultaneous recording to two. I know of a couple who never received their photographs from 2015, because there was neither a backup system nor a contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. What happens if the photographer falls ill?<\/strong> An honest answer sounds like this: I have colleagues in the profession arranged for exactly this situation. No answer to this question is also an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. The contract, and exactly what it says.<\/strong> Especially one word, covered below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A small detail that can cost several thousand zloty, and it fits into a single word in the contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under Polish contract law there are two different words for money paid upfront: zadatek and zaliczka. If you cancel, a zadatek stays with the photographer. A zaliczka is refundable. That means if your contract uses the word zaliczka, the date is not really secured by anything, because the photographer can give it to someone else and simply return your money. It works the other way round too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With me, the zadatek is 1,000 PLN for photography packages and 2,000 PLN when video is added. The rest is payable after the wedding. Check every contract you are about to sign to see which word is used. It is one of those questions that immediately shows whether someone runs their business seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not about treating every photographer as a suspect. It is about a few things that, in this line of work, simply mean trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coverage starts at 4,800 PLN. Depending on the package, you receive a minimum of 500, 650 or 850 edited photographs. In every version, I am with you for the whole day, from getting ready through to the bouquet and veil ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The deposit is 1,000 PLN, or 2,000 PLN for a package that includes video. The rest is payable after the wedding. I deliver the photographs within 90 days, usually sooner, and we write the exact date into the contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You will find the full breakdown of what is included in each package, along with video and add ons, on the offer page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does the price depend on the day of the week?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A Saturday at the height of the season is the date in the highest demand, so it books up earliest. If you are marrying outside the season or on a weekday, you simply have a wider choice of dates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can the price be negotiated?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We can talk about scope. That means we can work out what you do not need, and then the figure looks different. What is not possible is doing the same scope for less, because it is still the same number of hours and the same amount of editing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much is the deposit?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1,000 PLN for photography packages, 2,000 PLN for a package that includes video. It secures the date, and the rest is payable after the wedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is travel included in the price?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Around Warsaw, yes. Beyond 200 kilometres, accommodation is added, which you either arrange yourselves or I add to the quote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How many photographs will we receive?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It depends on the package: a minimum of 500, 650 or 850. That is a floor, not a ceiling. You receive the photographs after selection, meaning the ones that are actually good. I do not hand over a folder with several thousand frames to dig through, because most of them are repeats of the same moment, closed eyes, or shots caught mid movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When will we receive the photographs?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Within 90 days, usually sooner. Weddings from peak season are delivered in the autumn, because in July and August I work almost every Saturday. I always give you the exact date when we sign the contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What if your camera breaks?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I work with two. The second one is with me the whole day. Every photograph is saved to two memory cards at once, so the failure of one card does not lose a single frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a date and a venue, get in touch. I will check whether the date is free. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing at this stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let me start with what actually brought you here. The question of how much a wedding photographer costs deserves a proper answer, not a contact form. My coverage starts at 4,800 PLN, and that price covers the whole day, from getting ready through to the bouquet and veil ceremony around midnight, plus a minimum of … Zobacz wi\u0119cej<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":233,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wedding-planning","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/weddings.marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/weddings.marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/weddings.marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weddings.marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weddings.marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4650"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/weddings.marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4650\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weddings.marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/weddings.marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weddings.marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weddings.marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why a single day of work is not one day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is usually not included in the price<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What actually raises the price, and what does not move it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where you can save money, and where it is not worth it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to look at a portfolio so it actually tells you something<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to compare two quotes that look the same<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A non-refundable deposit is not the same as a refundable advance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Red flags in a quote<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What it costs with me<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Frequently asked questions about wedding photographer prices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n