Average Cost of Wedding Photography in 2022
If you’re asking yourself how much to budget for wedding photographers in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and the surrounding areas, you’ve come to the right place!
Starting to plan your wedding can be exciting and there’s a ton of resources for you out there. One of the first things many couples do when planning is a quick Google search with a question such as “How much does an average wedding photographer cost?” It’s a great first step, but a fast search like this is going to quickly point you in the wrong direction.
Resources that focus on averages don’t place any emphasis on your specific needs. Instead, those averages lump all of it together and then point you towards the middle of the pack, often times without unpacking how it will impact your wedding.
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Truth be told, you don’t want an average wedding photographer. You want the RIGHT wedding photographer that meets your specific needs. Rather than asking what an average wedding photographer costs, we recommend asking…
“How much does a wedding photographer cost that also focuses on what we value for our wedding?”
Approaching your search for a wedding photographer from this perspective guarantees a better experience for your special day because it will help you find a photographer that you love rather than prioritizing your search based on what everyone else spent. You’ll be ensuring that your specific needs are attended to, and the most irreplaceable moments are captured with beautiful detail.
Let’s breakdown the cost of a wedding photographer in Tulsa by experience level and what you may experience:
Brand New | $0-500
Photographers in this price range may have photographed a wedding once or twice, but even then, it probably wasn’t as the lead wedding photographer.
Your experience… Wedding photographers in this price range are a real gamble. There’s always a chance that you find a diamond in the rough. However, if things don’t go perfectly (which it rarely does) you may end up with completely unusable photos. It’s also at this price point that we hear horror stories of the photographer simply disappearing after the wedding day without ever delivering anything to their client.
Beginner | $500-1500
These photographers have likely photographed a handful of weddings, possibly some of them as the lead photographer. Still in an early stage of discovering and learning, these photographers may not have a high demand for their services yet and/or may not have a style that demands a higher price tag.
Your experience… Hopefully you can review some recent work of theirs and have a conversation to understand if they’ll try to match the style you’re wanting. Inconsistency in style will be frequent as this photographer likely isn’t confident with natural posing techniques, and they likely experience significant struggles with lighting and other problem-solving skills that commonly arise during a typical wedding day.
Enthusiast | $1500-2500
Most likely has some demand due to a more developed style, but isn’t regularly booking further in advance. They’re becoming more comfortable as the lead photographer, but usually still won’t be a full-time professional photographer yet.
Your experience… At this level, photographers start having more of the professional gear that you’d expect, and they may have a developing portfolio. It’s common for these photographers to dabble in many areas of photography as they are trying to find their niche. Being a “jack of all trades, master of none” is common here.
Professional | $2500-4000
At this point, the photographer has a more refined and consistent style with at least 20-30 weddings under their belt as the lead photographer. Higher demand for their services usually allows them to transition into being a full-time photographer now.
Your experience… These photographers are known for what they do and have a well-established style. They’ve also invested in their business systems to provide a good experience and deliver high quality photography.
Luxury | $5000+
Booking wedding photography clients up to $20,000, these photographers are well-established, have a very refined style and provide luxury level offerings.
Your experience… Very consistent and predictable style, can handle high-profile events without getting stressed, and will naturally make you feel at ease about having your picture taken. Taking a limited number of weddings per year, they’ll take time to get to know you, and they provide heirloom quality albums and artwork. You will not have to worry about your photographs.
