Photography & events
Wedding Photography Cost Calculator
Works wedding photography cost, where coverage hours and a second shooter drive it.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
The package fee for the coverage hours and crew, plus additional hours at the overtime rate, plus engagement sessions, albums, prints and travel. Editing a full wedding day is many times the shooting hours, which is why the package price reflects far more work than the day itself.
What moves the number
- Coverage hours and the overtime rate.
- Second shooter, which affects coverage of simultaneous moments.
- Albums, prints and products.
- Travel and accommodation for a distant wedding.
Where this one goes wrong
A second shooter is a coverage decision rather than an upsell, because a single photographer cannot be at the aisle and capturing the reaction simultaneously, and those moments happen once. Decide it on coverage rather than budget. Coverage hours are the other item: a package ending before the reception means the dancing and the send-off are not photographed, and extending on the day is charged at the overtime rate rather than the package equivalent.
Before you quote
- Decide second shooter coverage on what happens simultaneously.
- Match coverage hours to the actual timeline.
- Confirm the overtime rate before the day.
Questions
About this calculator
Is a second photographer worth it?
It is a coverage decision rather than an upsell. One photographer cannot be at the aisle and capturing the reaction at the same time, and those moments happen once, so the question is whether that coverage matters to you.
How many coverage hours do we need?
Enough for the actual timeline, since a package ending before the reception means the dancing and send-off are not photographed. Extending on the day is charged at the overtime rate, which is higher than the package equivalent.
Why does wedding photography cost what it does?
Because editing a full day takes many times the shooting hours, and the package covers culling, editing, communication, delivery and the equipment and insurance behind it. The day itself is a fraction of the work being paid for.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on the project (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 6 h.
- People on the project. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Hourly rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $175.
- Production, stock and licensing ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $60.
- Discovery or scoping fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on the project | 6 h |
| People on the project | 1 |
| Hourly rate charged | $175 |
| Production, stock and licensing | $60 |
| Discovery or scoping fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $1,205 |
| Labour | $1,050 |
| Before tax | $1,205 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $1,205: $1,050 of labour, $60 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only hourly rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Hourly rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $88 | $683 |
| $131 | $941 |
| $175 example above | $1,205 |
| $263 | $1,733 |
| $350 | $2,255 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on the project (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 6 h.
- People on the project
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Hourly rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $175.
- Production, stock and licensing ($)
- A money amount, starting at $60.
- Discovery or scoping fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.