California · Updated 4 November 2026
Wedding photographer cost in California
We read the published price lists of 16 California wedding photographers. Their median starting price is $3,400, against $3,400 across the whole study.
At a glance
$3,400
Median starting price
The middle of each photographer’s lowest full-wedding price in California, from 16 price lists.
$2,400–$3,850
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 11 photographers who publish one.
$430/hr
Median price per hour
Package price divided by hours of coverage, from 12 photographers.
7 weeks
Median wait for the full gallery
From 8 photographers who state a delivery time.
Where California photographers start
Each dot is one photographer’s lowest published full-wedding price. The shaded band holds the middle half.
The 16 price lists
Every price links to the photographer’s own pricing page, as it read on the date shown. Cities covered: Bakersfield, Chico (Northern California), Fresno, Glendale (Los Angeles area), Los Angeles, Los Angeles / Southern California, Orange County / Temecula, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Snelling (Central Valley), South Orange County, Southern California (city not stated).
| Photographer | City | Starts at | Full day | Packages | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magdalene Louise Photography | Snelling (Central Valley) | $1,350 | $3,200 | 4 | 4 November 2026 |
| Alicja and Scout | Bakersfield | $1,995 | $2,795 | 3 | 4 November 2026 |
| Pamela Leeds Photography | Fresno | $2,000 | $2,900 | 5 | 4 November 2026 |
| Vivo Photography | San Jose | $2,195 | $3,495 | 5 | 4 November 2026 |
| Big Fish Wedding Co. | Los Angeles / Southern California | $2,500 | $3,500 | 2 | 4 November 2026 |
| Kelsey & Melo Photography | Fresno | $2,800 | $2,800 | 2 | 4 November 2026 |
| Yakim Photography LLC | Fresno | $3,100 | $3,400 | 3 | 4 November 2026 |
| Aleson Photography | Fresno | $3,300 | — | — | 4 November 2026 |
| Hasselblad Studios | Los Angeles | $3,500 | $3,500 | 2 | 4 November 2026 |
| Terialina Photography | South Orange County | $3,500 | — | 3 | 4 November 2026 |
| Kylie Jungling Photography | Chico (Northern California) | $3,600 | — | — | 4 November 2026 |
| McCoy Wedding Photography | Orange County / Temecula | $3,750 | $4,550 | 3 | 4 November 2026 |
| Kelly Williams Photography | Glendale (Los Angeles area) | $4,200 | $4,200 | 2 | 4 November 2026 |
| Kara Reynolds Photography | San Diego | $5,500 | — | — | 4 November 2026 |
| Marlyn Andrea Photography | Southern California (city not stated) | $5,700 | $5,700 | 2 | 4 November 2026 |
| Bridget Burnett Photography | San Francisco | $8,500 | — | — | 4 November 2026 |
Questions couples ask
How much does a wedding photographer cost in California?
The median starting price for full-wedding coverage in California is $3,400, across 16 published price lists. Half start between $2,400 and $3,850.
How much is a full-day wedding photographer in California?
Packages covering 7 to 9 hours have a median price of $3,500 in California, from the 11 photographers who publish one.
How long do California wedding photographers take to deliver photos?
The median published delivery time is 7 weeks, from 8 photographers who state one.
Is California more expensive than the national median?
No. California's median starting price of $3,400 is level with the study-wide median of $3,400.
Compare other states
- Florida$2,800
- Georgia$3,200
- Illinois$3,550
- Michigan$4,000
- New York$3,250
- North Carolina$3,500
- Ohio$3,400
- Pennsylvania$3,450
- Texas$2,500
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. “Wedding photographer cost in California.” Updated 4 November 2026. https://thewedding.pics/research/wedding-photographer-cost/california
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