What is the cost for a wedding photographer in the Lake District?
LAKE DISTRICT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER PrICING AND PACKAGES
If you’re currently planning a wedding or elopement in the Lake District, you’re probably quickly discovering that venues and wedding suppliers all offer very different packages and price things differently. This can make it feel very hard to compare what’s on offer, especially when full day coverage can vary from £500 – £3500+! Wedding suppliers are often tiny independent businesses and what they offer and how they price it is likely to be based on many factors – their experience, their location, their family commitments, whether they just do weddings or have other income streams – the list is endless! This blog should hopefully help you navigate some of the things to consider when looking at the price of wedding and elopement photographers in the Lake District.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
On the whole, most decent photographers are now pretty transparent with their packages and pricing. There are however still those who have a bit of a Ryan-air-style approach and will hit you with hidden costs. All of the following are included as standard in every package I offer – you should check this is the case with anyone else you are considering.
Image usage rights
Standard practice is for the photographer to retain copyright of all images and to grant the couple a licence for personal use. This allows you to print and share the (non-watermarked) images as you wish for non-commercial purposes.
Storage of files
Once you receive your images files you should download and safely them up in several locations (ideally on and offline) for peace of mind. Most photographers will keep a back up too but they may charge additional for online hosting after a certain period (often 12 months).
Travel and accommodation
As I’m based in the Lake District I don’t charge an extra fee for travel and don’t need accommodation. If you’re booking someone from outside the area check their policy on expenses.
Rush editing
Some photographers will offer a speedy editing service for an additional fee. My package prices all include a preview gallery within 24 hours for elopements (usually delivered the same evening) and 24-36 hours for large weddings.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?
Here are a few of the things that I do charge extra for. This is because the majority of my clients don’t want or need these in the package so they are separated to allow flexibility.
Pre-Wedding Shoot
As many of my couples are from outside the Lake District a pre-wedding shoot is often not logistically possible, so it doesn’t form part of my standard package. I charge £200 inc VAT for a pre-shoot which generally lasts 45-60 minutes. You can view examples here.
Second Shooter
I usually work alone at weddings and have very extensive experience of managing to be everywhere I need to! If you think you may need a second shooter (for example if your morning preparations are in two different locations, you have a large number of guests or a very large ceremony space which requires different angles) then I can quote for this. I usually charge in the region of £500 extra.
Albums and Prints
Your usage rights for the images allow you to print them wherever you wish. For professional quality I recommended ordering through the online shop which forms part of your gallery. I can then check your order before it goes to the lab and in the very rare event of any issues I can help to sort them!
Extended Coverage
My full day coverage is usually around 10 hours. I am happy to extend this by an hour or so free of charge. Anything additional to that is £120 per 30 minutes. Elopement pricing and packages start at £480 are outlined here.
FINAL CHECKS
Before you commit to booking a wedding photographer, whatever their price, here are a few things you should check. Don’t proceed with booking them until you are happy with all the answers!
Insurance
A reputable wedding photographer will have Public Liability insurance, full insurance for their kit and also appropriate car insurance if they are going to be taking you anywhere in their vehicle. You may also want to check what back up kit they have with them on the day should an accident happen.
Experience
Ask to see a handful of full galleries to check their experience in different situations, lighting conditions and weather. If they haven’t shot at your venue before ask if they can show a similar venue or at least a similar season and timeline.
Emergency Cover
What is their policy on finding cover if there is an emergency or accident on the run up to the day or the day itself? I run an emergency cover WhatsApp group for photographers in the Lake District. Are they part of this or something similar?
Free Brochure?
You can view headline details of my prices and packages here. For more detailed information please contact me for a free brochure packed with advice, tips and useful links!
