Short answer: spend enough to book the artist whose work you actually love. For a full wedding in Orlando, that's usually several thousand dollars, and an in-demand photographer can be well over $10,000. A common rule of thumb is to put 10 to 15 percent of your wedding budget toward photo and video, but the better question is: whose art do you want to look at for the next 50 years?
It's an art, and you're paying for the artist
Anyone can buy a camera. What you're paying for is the eye behind it. How they see light, how they pose your family, when they know to wait for the moment instead of forcing it, and how they edit, so your photos look like *their* work and not a filter.
You're paying for the artist, and you're paying for that artist's time.
Want planning, photo and film from one team? See the Marvelous Experience →
Is a videographer worth it?
A lot of couples go back and forth on this one, usually because the budget makes them pick. Here's how I think about it: photography and videography are two different things.
Your photos are the keepsakes. They're the images you print for the walls and put in your albums. Your film is how you relive the day. Ten years from now, you can press play and feel the exact moment again: the music, the voices, your dad's speech, everyone on the dance floor. That's a different feeling from a photo, and a very different feeling from having no video at all.
I know because we don't have one. At our own wedding in 2018, we only had photography. No video. That's a big part of why I embraced the film side of this work. I also didn't realize back then how much photography is an art, and how differently every photographer shoots. Video is even more personal. Every film can be made differently, depending on who you hire.
So yes, I think a videographer is worth it, as long as you find the one whose style you love. For me, it's the late-90s and early-2000s Bollywood films I love. That's the feeling I want in my own work. Find your version of that, and you'll have films you'll want to watch forever.
Why good photographers keep getting more expensive
As more people value someone's art, demand goes up. Think about it: if a photographer has 100 couples trying to book them, how are they supposed to shoot 100 weddings in their art style? They can't. So the price goes up.
"But they have a team. Can't someone else shoot it?" Sometimes. But not everybody shoots the same. Not everybody edits the same. Not everybody has the same workflow. If you fell in love with one artist's style, a different shooter gives you a different result.
I've lived this. When I started in 2020, I was doing weddings for $500 to $800. As my skill grew, more couples came. More couples meant I needed help. Help meant I had to charge more to pay for it. Then came better gear, more software and more subscriptions to deliver it all. That's how every artist's price grows.
What your money actually covers
- The wedding day: 8 to 14 hours on our feet.
- The prep: the timeline, the family shot list, the calls with your planner.
- The edit: for me, one wedding film takes about 80 hours, two full weeks. With photo and film together, one couple can take 80 to 120 hours.
- The gear and the backup gear: cameras, lenses, lighting, cards, insurance.
- The business: contracts, galleries, delivery and taxes.
So what should you budget?
| Coverage | What to expect in Orlando |
|---|---|
| Courthouse wedding, 1 to 2 hours | With us, $750 to $1,200 |
| Full wedding day, photo only | Usually $3,500 to $5,500 from experienced photographers |
| Photo + film, one day | Usually $5,000 to $9,000+ (ours starts at $6,500) |
| Guyanese, Trini, Hindu or Indian wedding weekend, photo + film | $9,000 and up (ours starts at $9,500) |
| In-demand artists | $10,000+ |
Multi-day Hindu weddings cost more for a simple reason: the maticoor (matikor) with its tassa drumming, the haldi, the ceremony and the reception are each a full shoot and a full edit. More on that in How Much to Pay for Wedding Photography.
My honest advice
Don't pick by price first. Pick by work. Look at full galleries, not just highlight reels. Find the two or three artists whose work makes you feel something, then see what fits. The flowers die, the food gets eaten, the outfits go in a bag. The photos and the film are what's left.
One more thing to look for: a team that actually cares about you, not one that's just collecting a check. For us, a wedding is sacred. We believe the divine is present in that room, and the best way we know to honor it is to give every couple our best, every time.
Common questions
How much should I spend on a wedding photographer? Enough to book an artist whose work you love. For a full Orlando wedding that's usually several thousand dollars, and in-demand photographers can cost over $10,000.
What percentage of the wedding budget should go to photography? A common rule of thumb is 10 to 15 percent for photo and video combined. Couples who care most about memories often spend more.
Why are wedding photographers so expensive? You're paying for an artist's style and time: the full day, the prep, 80 or more hours of editing, gear, insurance and the business behind it. As demand for an artist grows, so does the price.
How much does a Hindu wedding photographer cost? More than a one-day wedding, because each event is its own shoot and edit. Our photo and film for a Guyanese, Trini, Hindu or Indian wedding weekend starts at $9,500.
Is a wedding videographer worth it? Yes, if you find one whose style you love. Photos are the keepsakes for your walls and albums; a film lets you relive the day and hear the voices and music again years later.
What's the difference between wedding photography and videography? Photography gives you still images to print and frame. Videography captures the moment as it happened, with sound and movement, so you can relive it. Many couples book both from one team so the shots are planned together.