It’s needless to say that having a good wedding photographer is possibly one of the most critical aspects of your wedding day. Those beautiful photos and videos taken on your big day are something that you can look back on at any time in your life and ones you can share with your children, and grandchildren, and can be passed down for future generations to see. These are memories that can be cherished forever! We understand it can be a daunting task in choosing a photographer or even a team of photographers, but follow our tips and this process will be made a whole lot easier for you!
The differences between a wedding photographer and a videographer
Although it might seem obvious to some what the difference is between a photographer and a videographer, they are sometimes interchangeably used by mistake, however, their roles are definitely not interchangeable (unless of course, they obtain both skill sets)! They both have an artistic vision, but the skills they use to capture this vision are very different. Wedding photography focuses on capturing those insta worthy photos and are snapshots of intimate moments throughout the day. Whereas wedding videography is hours-long of footage of the whole day, capturing different emotions from the bride, groom, immediate family, and all other guests. Some photographers are also videographers, so if you require both these services you may be better off asking for a package that includes both!
Asian Wedding Photography Costs
With what seems like a plethora of Asian wedding photographers on the market, what is most likely going to be the deciding factor is the cost. Spending too little could result in compromising the quality of the photography and videography received. We understand however that for some breaking the bank on this isn’t something up for debate.
Prices for wedding photographers and videographers can vary depending on various factors. We’ll try to provide an average cost with some justification behind this and later go on to the factors that may affect pricing.
As mentioned at the start of this article there are plenty of photographers willing to capture your wedding out there. From individuals who have just picked up a camera, teams who have years of experience behind them, and finally veterans who have showcased their work in huge publications. Photographers are solely liable for making sure your wedding looks as good as it did in real life or to make it look even better in photos and videos. It’s important you take your time to carefully look over their portfolios and choose the photographer that provides the style that you desire.
Having asked 30 recently wedded Asian couples, how much they paid for their wedding photographer. We can say a rough average price for Asian wedding photography in the UK is about £3875. A wedding videographer would also come at a rough cost of £3000.
You shouldn’t have to pay exorbitant prices to find a good photography company especially when this is only one aspect of your wedding. There are many other costs to consider such as your venue and catering. Make sure you set aside a budget for your wedding and the amount you want to spend on vendors for the day.
Asian Wedding Photography Packages
Wedding photography is mostly if not always sold in packages of some sort, which can include photography and videography together as a package. You can usually make changes to these packages if you need them for other events such as pre-wedding shoots, mehndi, wedding receptions, sangeet nights, etc. The more services the package generally the cheaper your price will be. This is because photographers would ideally like to do all the work at your wedding and other wedding-related events, rather than hire multiple photography/videography companies. So although the price of photography packages increases as they become more inclusive discounts are generally passed on.
Packages usually have the following options:
- Pre Shoot
- Wedding Photography
- Wedding Videography
- Reception Photography
- Reception Videography
There are plenty of more options offered but these 5 above are usually always an option. If you are on a budget, it’s advisable to pick only a team that provides both photography and videography and get all the services you want from them instead of choosing multiple companies to do the same work.
Factors That Could Effect Pricing
Venue Location
One of the first questions any photographer will ask when you first contact them is that all-important question “where is your venue?”. The reason they ask this is that Asian weddings can start at the crack of dawn. It may not be possible for them to travel from their home to your venue in time for you, whereas others are more flexible with this.
If they cannot reasonably travel to the venue on the day they’ll charge you for the hotel and all travel and subsistence costs. In certain areas of the UK, the cheapest hotel near your venue can cost hundreds of pounds for a night, so please bear all this in mind.
Wedding Duration
Time is money as they say. The longer your wedding day is, the longer your photographer and videographer need to be working. It’s a very strenuous job as there’s no time for breaks as nothing from your crucial day should be missed by the cameras. The reason for us pointing out how duration is also a factor to consider is because once the recording is all done and you head off on your honeymoon, the photographer/videographer has to spend days or weeks editing the content from their cameras. This is something that’s often overlooked by couples, the longer your wedding the more editing that’s required from the team.
Wedding Date
Some days in the year are much more costly than others to hire a wedding photographer for. There are two aspects to this. If you’ve given your dream photographer and videographer really short notice, then expect a pricey bill for their services. Be that couple that are well organised with their wedding day. Book your main vendors in advance, such as your wedding photographer and videographer; up to 6 months in advance is ideal! This not only gives you the piece of mind you’ve chosen the best vendors for your big day but also the fact that you’ve booked them at the best possible price!
Asian Weddings are generally seasonal with most couples preferring to get married in the Summer which is the most expensive season due to the demand. If you’d like to save on a photographer/videographer and don’t mind when in the year your wedding happens consider having a winter wedding, it’s likely they’ll be cheaper during this period and also makes a lovely theme for the wedding!
Conclusion
Our advice to newly engaged couples is to definitely look around when it comes to choosing which photographer and/or videographer to have on your big day. Get advice from friends and obtain a list of photographers and videographers they’ve used and recommended. Look at photos and videos from weddings from your family and friends and see if this is a style you see fit for your wedding day.
With so many photographers in the UK, there is an increasing disparity in the quality of work of photographers as the level of entry to become a photographer is pretty low, you just need a camera. Therefore it’s important you do your research. Make sure you don’t just look at their Instagram following and how many followers they have, as this does not reflect how good/bad their work is. The best way is to speak to them, check their website out, and see if they can share good-quality videos and photos with you of weddings they have taken.
Your wedding photographer shouldn’t be seen as a cost but instead as an investment, because as mentioned before it’s the only thing apart from your partner, oaths and rings, that has the potential to last a lifetime.
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