Price study · Updated 4 November 2026
How much does a wedding photographer cost?
We read the published price lists of 176 wedding photographers across 10 states. The median starting price for full-wedding coverage is $3,400, and half of photographers start between $2,450 and $4,500.
At a glance
$3,400
Median starting price
The middle of each photographer’s lowest full-wedding price in the study, from 176 price lists.
$2,450–$4,500
Where half of photographers start
The middle 50% of starting prices, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
$3,500
Median full-day package
The cheapest 7 to 9 hour package, from 83 photographers who publish one.
$475/hr
Median price per hour
Package price divided by hours of coverage, from 98 photographers.
8 weeks
Median wait for the full gallery
From 67 photographers who state a delivery time.
Wedding photographer prices by state
Each state is shaded by its median starting price. Select a state for its price lists, full-day packages and delivery times.
| State | Price lists | Median start | Middle half | Full day | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 16 | $3,400 | $2,400–$3,850 | $3,500 | 7 weeks |
| Florida | 20 | $2,800 | $2,250–$3,950 | $3,300 | 6.5 weeks |
| Georgia | 18 | $3,200 | $2,250–$4,400 | $3,300 | — |
| Illinois | 16 | $3,550 | $2,950–$6,100 | $3,100 | 8.5 weeks |
| Michigan | 18 | $4,000 | $3,000–$5,150 | $4,500 | 8 weeks |
| New York | 17 | $3,250 | $2,500–$5,500 | $3,600 | 10 weeks |
| North Carolina | 20 | $3,500 | $3,150–$4,650 | $4,000 | 7 weeks |
| Ohio | 19 | $3,400 | $2,300–$4,100 | $2,550 | 8 weeks |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | $3,450 | $2,450–$3,900 | $3,850 | 6 weeks |
| Texas | 17 | $2,500 | $2,000–$3,600 | $3,200 | 6 weeks |
What the price buys
- A full day. The 83 photographers who publish a 7 to 9 hour package charge a median of $3,500 for it.
- Per hour. Full-wedding packages work out at a median of $475 an hour of coverage.
- A second photographer. 86% of photographers who say whether their packages include a second shooter include one in at least one full-wedding package.
- Delivery. The median promised wait for the full gallery is 8 weeks, from 67 photographers who state one.
How we collected the prices
- Own websites only. Every price comes from the photographer’s own pricing page. Directory listings, social posts and “average cost” articles are not used.
- Checked word for word. For each price we saved the exact sentence it appears in, then re-opened the page and confirmed the sentence was there before including it.
- Full weddings. Elopement, courthouse and packages under four hours are recorded but left out of the starting price. Bundles with video are left out.
- Spread across each state. Photographers were found through ordinary searches in at least three metro areas per state, in the order results appeared. A state gets its own page once it has at least twelve verified price lists.
- Prices as published. Figures are before tax, travel and add-ons. Where a photographer gives a delivery window, such as “6 to 8 weeks”, we record the longer end. Prices were collected between 4 November 2026 and 4 November 2026.
Cite this study
You are welcome to use these figures. Please credit The Wedding Pics and link to this page. The data is free to reuse under the CC BY 4.0 licence.
The Wedding Pics. “How much does a wedding photographer cost?.” Updated 4 November 2026. https://thewedding.pics/research/wedding-photographer-cost
Questions couples ask
How much does a wedding photographer cost?
Across 176 published price lists in 10 states, the median starting price for full-wedding coverage is $3,400. Half of photographers start between $2,450 and $4,500. A full day of 7 to 9 hours has a median price of $3,500.
How much is a wedding photographer per hour?
Dividing each full-wedding package by its hours of coverage gives a median of $475 an hour. Longer packages usually cost less per hour, so a 4-hour booking rarely costs half of an 8-hour one.
How long does it take to get wedding photos back?
Of the 67 photographers who publish a delivery time, the median promise is 8 weeks for the full gallery. Many send a small preview within a few days.
Which state has the most expensive wedding photographers?
Of the states in the study, Michigan has the highest median starting price at $4,000, and Texas the lowest at $2,500.
After the photographer leaves
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