Georgia Peddler Loc: Brunswick, GA

Today's USA Today has an interesting article that will interest all of you wedding shooters. Not me, I quit that end of it a long time ago, but this article amazed me.
The average cost of a wedding in the USA is now $26,989.
A vast percentage of brides surveyed admit to going over this amount, so obviously there are some quite a bit less,; but, still an outragous $$$ amount, seems like. What is really interesting is that the average photography spending is at an average of $2,186. This number appears not to have changed greatly in several years when compared to reception ($11,600) gown ($1,355) flowers ($1,334).
Anyway, interesting reading for all of you current and wannabe wedding shooters. I was really disappointed to see the photo budget has held and showed practically no increase from years past. Maybe all of these new professional digital shooters (read friends and family that hover over your shoulder and holler, "Wait, let me get that one!" have affected the industry?

skidooman Loc: Minnesota

Unfortunately, this seems to be the trend. I think it is perpetuated by the shoot and burn types, that are willing to photograph a wedding for just a few hundred bucks, and then hand over the CD with the full resolution files. I get asked about getting a CD all the time. Seems many photogs out there are providing it too. More and more do not provide themselves with any album or upsale opportunities.

william48 Loc: New Philadelphia,Ohio

How many people a supplementing their income or plan to supplement their income by taking pictures. It is a sign of the times people are tring new things to make a living or to help out with their retirement income. The competiveness of this industry is increasing.

RedIris Loc: MN, USA

I, for one, can definitely see the difference between Professional Wedding Photographers and an Amateur photographer. It doesn't matter if the Amateur has a Pro-camera either!
It's the photographer that makes the photos.

stlbob Loc: St.louis Hills

i just started
doing the wedding and special event thing as a first assistant as i have seen you all recomend here.
Here in St.Louis it is a horrible cut throat market doing a wedding and recpetion today with the guy who hired me.he is getting $1200.00 dollars and $150.00 of that goes with me.I am helping him out with processing since i own a copy of Photoshop 5.

ohallboyz Loc: Boston, MA

There are photographers out there of all different skill levels, charging all across the board for weddings. You do get what you pay for. Potential clients may not be informed enough to know that. A lot of them are trying save money because wedding costs can be high, so they go with the lowest priced photographer still thinking they are going to get great photos. Not always the case. Potential clients take these low bids and try to use them to haggle with the photographers that are charging what they should. In a way, it undercuts the business. Where I live the market is saturated with shoot and burners.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Seems like money mis-spent. An $11,000 dress? Come on! Despite what they say about the economy, the wedding industry is alive and well - and no jobs exported.

If $26,989 is the average, and most people don't spend that much, imagine what "the other half" spends on a wedding.

LouEllen

If you read that again, you will notice the reception averages %11,600, while the gown averages $1355. It is still expensive, but the dress isn't nearly as much as the food.

Lou Ellen

The average cost of a wedding in the USA is now $26,989.
A vast percentage of brides surveyed admit to going over this amount, so obviously there are some quite a bit less,; but, still an outragous $$$ amount, seems like. What is really interesting is that the average photography spending is at an average of $2,186. This number appears not to have changed greatly in several years when compared to reception ($11,600) gown ($1,355) flowers ($1,334).
Anyway, interesting reading for all of you current and wannabe wedding shooters. I was really disappointed to see the photo budget has held and showed practically no increase from years past. Maybe all of these new professional digital shooters (read friends and family that hover over your shoulder and holler, "Wait, let me get that one!" have affected the industry?[/quote]
Seems like money mis-spent. An $11,000 dress? Come on! Despite what they say about the economy, the wedding industry is alive and well - and no jobs exported.

If $26,989 is the average, and most people don't spend that much, imagine what "the other half" spends on a wedding.[/quote]

Jim Peters Loc: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Market Has Become Really Bad For Weddings.The County Reports One Third Less Mariage License Applied For In The Last 3 Years.The Worse Reported In The History Of The County.
Many Young People Have Left Here For Better Jobs Else Where.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

China? Vietnam? Malaysia?

allen finley photography Loc: Sunshine State.

Actually the $11,000 was for the reception. That said there is a Tv show Say yes to the dress that the brides pay anywhere from 7,000 to 20,000 for a wedding dress. As far as pricing 1,500 to 3,000 is about the norm these days, unless you are a hollywood or rock star photog. Craigslist is full of "Do your wedding for $400" and "will shoot for free" for experience ads. If a client is having a small wedding/civil service and just wants a few pics of the wedding $200 - $400 is the norm. It pisses me off when a bride says she can't pay full price for a wedding package, all the while she's having the wedding at the local country club and the rehearsal dinner at an uber expensive restaurant and honeymooning in Hawaii. The wedding dress gets worn once,the food eaten,the band packs up and leaves...so what is left after the wedding? The memories and the photography. Both of wich will last a lifetime. Welcome to the life of a wedding photographer.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

People don' think ahead. At our wedding (coming up on 46 yrs this Monday), friends and relatives took the pictures, the reception was held in the firehouse, and a local store did the catering, and a local band provided music. Couldn't have been better, and we're still married! :thumbup:

FOTOSTAN Loc: Ca..NYC..Fla.

....your last paragraph says it all, I call it the "hitler salute"

Picdude Loc: Ohio

[quote=jerryc41][People don' think ahead. At our wedding (coming up on 46 yrs this Monday), friends and relatives took the pictures, the reception was held in the firehouse, and a local store did the catering, and a local band provided music. Couldn't have been better, and we're still married! :thumbup:[/quote]

We went down a similar path 20+ years ago. Happy early aniversary!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

[quote=Picdude]
Thanks.