Wedding & Elopement
Photography Pricing
The most important thing is that you have an incredible experience.
The second more important is that you have photos to remember it by!
Grace B.
“I knew from the moment we first met Jenn that we couldn't book anyone else to capture our intimate elopement. During our consultation call, she went out of her way to center and celebrate our vision for the day. Jenn helped us think through every detail, from time of day to the accessibility needs of our guests to flowers and food. Neither me nor my partner particularly thrive in front of a camera and Jenn made the entire experience so comfortable. She was encouraging, joy-filled, and, perhaps most importantly to us, centered our authentic experiences throughout the day. Nothing was staged, posed, or scripted. Every moment was just us being our goofy selves. She made sure we knew that the day was about us celebrating our relationship, not about making sure pictures came out a certain way and she did so in the most non-directive, supportive, gentle way possible.”
All Your Questions, Answered
What should we expect to budget for wedding photography?
The average cost of full-day wedding coverage might surprise you
Wedding & elopement photography varies in cost by location, hours of coverage, planning & assistance, the size of the team, what is delivered in the end product, and of course the experience of the photographer. Washington wedding photographers charge anywhere from $3000 to $10,000 for weddings and elopements. According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding in 2022 was $30,000. Whatever your budget is, expect to spend 40-80% on vendors. My standard rates begin at $5000 for up to 8 hours of event coverage.
What’s included?
1. Free Pre-Event Consultation
This is everything that takes place leading up to your big day. From the initial consult call, to all the emails finalizing details in the coming months, and a timeline draft (which can be built in coordination with your planner, if you hire one).
2. Outdoor Photography
This is the coverage of your experience. No matter how many hours of coverage you choose, my own travel to and from the event is included in each package price. The more hours you choose, the better the “hourly” deal is with each package. But, as you can see, you get so much more than just my time at your event.
3. Post-Production
This is the editing stage. First, I back up every single file of every single image taken at your wedding. Then, I select a few of my favorites after quickly skimming through the thousands of files. I do a quick edit on those 10-20 images and deliver them to you via an online gallery within 48 hours of your event, so you can immediately share professional photos and get a preview of what’s to come. I then cull the thousands of photos down to a selection of the best images—averaging around 100 pictures per hour—and edit those best-of-the-best and deliver them to you within 8 weeks.
4. Digital Image Gallery
All photography packages come with a full-resolution digital gallery with personal use rights. What’s that mean? Basically, you get all the edited images and can do what you want with them with few exceptions. The higher resolution means the files are perfect for printing without losing quality. I don’t watermark the files, but they are embedded with copyright information. You can share on social media, print out photos to hang in your house, send files to family or friends, and even get an album printed with only your favorite photos.
5. Physical Products
The gallery delivery system I use (Pic-Time) has an online store where you can directly order prints and albums from your wedding gallery. I do not include physical products in any of my photography packages for two reasons. 1) It’s not environmentally friendly to assume someone wants a specific product if they won’t use it/would rather have something else. 2) It’s impractical, because there are so many different options for physical products (albums, prints, cards, fridge magnets, calendars, mugs, pillows, literally whatever you can imagine) and I’d rather you order only what you want.
Photography Packages
Multi-Day Photography Packages
Available anywhere in the world
Ideal for full weekend wedding coverage, or multi-day cultural celebrations
For couples who want to split coverage over multiple days
Includes everything listed above!
Full-Day Photography Packages
Available anywhere in the world
Continuous single-day photo coverage
For couples who want to document the whole experience—from getting ready, to “I do, to hanging out until the sun sets.
Mini Photography Packages
Available locally (local is wherever I am based on my travel schedule!)
Ideal for partial wedding day coverage and elopement experiences
For couples who want to document the wedding essentials
Coverage & Timelines
How many hours should we book our photographer for?
Short answer: It’s different for everyone. Elopements tend to book shorter sessions on average (6 hours or less), and microweddings or traditional weddings tend to book the full-day package as a minimum (up to 12 hours).
Long answer: It depends on the kind of experience you want to have. You can book a shorter session and still have a handful of photos to commemorate your day, or you can opt for fuller coverage where each little detail is documented so you can relive the whole day through your gallery forever! Larger photography packages have a ton of benefits: more photos, less stress of a short timeline, and more opportunity to incorporate bigger adventures into the day. On the other hand, you shouldn’t let anyone tell you what to prioritize, and I don’t think anyone should step outside their budget for photos. Personally, my opinion is that every wedding day is the same 24 hours everyone else gets, and however you spend those hours is up to you. Whether it’s just you and your partner, or a larger group of loved ones, you deserve to have your dream wedding experience documented, and I’d love to help make that happen!
What’s a typical timeline look like?
I have to preface this by saying there isn’t a single, typical timeline for weddings or elopements. However, a full-day timeline tends to run 8-10 hours, and half-day averages 4-6 hours.
Here is a breakdown of how much time is needed for each typical part of a wedding or elopement day. Depending on what you choose, you can kind of mix & match to estimate the hours you want to book:
1-2 Hours for Getting Ready: This includes individual portraits of the couple as they get ready, the last touches of hair & makeup, a shot of the dress/suit hanging before it’s put on, candids of the couple and their loved ones, plus details of the attire/jewelry/flowers etc. This time is also great for getting comfortable working with each other, shaking off the nerves, and setting expectations. This is when you savor the cup of coffee, take some deep breaths, and enjoy your morning rituals before jumping into the adventure of a lifetime!
30 Minutes for a First Look: If you’re planning to do a first look before the ceremony, where you reveal your full wedding-day look to your partner, this is also a great time to get some portraits of just the two of you. For couples eloping just the two of them, this can be before a hike/adventure, and for a traditional wedding it’s a “last chance” before spending the rest of the day with friends and family. At this moment you’re fresh and ready, hair & makeup is perfect, the clothes have no wrinkles, and it’s just about the two of you.
1-2 Hours Group Portraits/Cocktail Hour: This sounds like a lot of time to be posing for photos, but it’s harder than you might imagine to wrangle everyone on the photo list. Group photo time often overlaps with a cocktail hour before or after the ceremony, and is broken up into “hellos” and candid moments of hugs, greetings, and well-wishes. I don’t want you missing out on those special moments because we’re rushing through planned portraits where your cheeks hurt from smiling. If you don’t have guests, maybe this time is dedicated to going to a second location for portraits, or incorporating an activity into your day: hiking, canoeing, whatever you want!
30 Minutes - 1 Hour Ceremony: I’d say the average ceremony lasts closer to 30 minutes, but some ceremonies incorporating cultural traditions, feedback from loved ones, and speeches can last much longer. A couple of the longer ceremonies I’ve ever witnessed actually had zero guests—the couple took this time to read letters from family members offering advice and well-wishes for a lifetime of happiness!
1-3 Hours of Reception/Dinner Coverage: This time might look differently for couples who elope, but it’s the time dedicated to eating, resting, dancing, toasts, cake-cutting, and whatever else you want to cap the day with. It’s the time to mingle with guests, or sit on a picnic blanket and watch the sunset. Whether you’re dancing to a Spotify playlist playing through a bluetooth speaker on your backpack, or singing at the top of your lungs in a mosh pit of your favorite people, you can take the time to let this incredible day sink in.
1-2 Hours for Travel and a Buffer: If you’re going between locations, like beginning your day at a cabin and then getting married on a hike, this is the time allotted for driving between spots. It’s also the time built into your schedule for things to run a few minutes behind, which is totally normal and shouldn’t derail your plans. Being a little late is totally fine, especially if you planned for it and end up perfectly on time.
Post-Production
Editing & Delivery
This is everything that happens from the moment we say goodbye on your wedding day until you receive a full digital gallery 8 weeks later. First, I go home and immediately create multiple backups of all your wedding photos. I dual shoot, which means every photo file is copied twice, so there is zero worry of ever losing these images. Then, I choose a select few (10-20) images for a quick edit and deliver within 48 hours. Once you have that preview gallery, I deeply appreciate any feedback, so I can make adjustments if necessary to the rest of the images. The full gallery you receive will always be edited in a style aligned with what you’ve viewed on my social media pages, and my website.
Digitals (Included in ALL photography packages)
This is the digital photo files delivered via Pic-Time. Expect an average of 50-60 images per hour of photography (400+ for an 8-hour wedding). These are all watermark-free, shareable via your own personalized link, and full-resolution for printing purposes. You’ll have access to this digital online gallery for a minimum of 1 year after your wedding.
Tangible Products (Can be ADDED to all packages)
These are things like prints, albums, and all tangible products you can make from your images. I don’t include these in my packages, but albums and prints can be ordered directly through the Pic-Time gallery where you receive your digitals. If you’re interested in album design, I’d be more than happy to help you create a book perfectly telling the story of your wedding with all your favorite images!
Additional Costs to Consider
Other Vendors
While everyone’s budget is different and unique to their circumstances, you should expect to spend 40-80% of your entire budget on vendors. For small elopements, I’ve been one of only two or three vendors involved in the whole day, whereas I’ve also been part of larger weddings where literally dozens of vendors had a hand in making the event happen. I recommend listing your vendors in order of importance. Book the most important first (which could potentially push your initial budget, depending on how realistic your expectations were), and then maybe book “cheaper” vendors for the things you consider less important. For example: if photography is the No. 1 thing on your list, and you find out that your dream photographer charges more than you expected, don’t feel bad about booking them, but maybe spend less than you expected on whatever is at the bottom of your list of priorities.
Travel & Lodging
Don’t forget to factor in your own travel and lodging into your overall budget. All of my photography packages include my own travel and lodging, so you never pay extra in travel fees. If you’re planning a destination wedding or elopement, think about whether you want to drive or fly. Then think about where you want to stay. Wherever you’re staying the morning of your wedding will likely be photographed, so choose a spot with great natural lighting.
Sales Tax
Washington state residents will pay sales tax on top of their package price—this is currently 8.8% and subject to change at any time. Couples traveling to Washington to get married do not have to pay sales tax at this time.