I’m guessing you have followed several wedding photographers’ Instagram. Bride to be always expect to hire the best wedding photographer for those ‘WOW’ wedding photos. But hold one minute, let’s come down to Earth.
Do you want to do some research on wedding photography package prices in Melbourne?
I’m sure you don’t want to pay an unnecessarily high price on wedding photography which sacrifices your budget on other wedding services, like your florist, venue décor and of course your dream wedding dress.
Also, you don’t want to see your loved one’s scared face when he sees the quotation which is well over your wedding budget.
In this ultimate wedding photography price guide, I’ll unfold the secret on finding the best affordable wedding photography package, by doing average price comparison of wedding photography packages offered by different wedding photographers in Melbourne in 2021.
Also, I will reveal 3 smart tips to save your money by getting a ‘better deal’.
So let’s waste no time and get started.
Wedding photography cost in Melbourne video
Average Wedding Photography Price in Melbourne
How much does wedding photography cost in Melbourne?
According to Easy Wedding industry report in 2019, the average wedding photography cost was $2914 in Melbourne and $2963 Australia wide.
Compare to the average package prices of last 3 years, the average wedding photography package price on 2019 only showed a small increase. The figure was $2835 in 2016, $2867 in 2017, $2845 in 2018 respectively.
The average expense on wedding photography only increased by 3% in 4 years. The Australian currency inflation rates from 2016 to 2019 are listed below,
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| 1.28% | 1.97% | 1.93% | 1.61% |
We can see the fact that the wedding photography price’s increase is still in a reasonable range as it was lower than the total inflation rate.
One thing we need to keep in mind is 2020 will be a popular year for weddings because it is a good number. In addition, due to the COVID-19, lots of wedding are postponed to late 2020 and early 2021. So do expect a price increase on average wedding photography cost for the next wedding season due to higher demands.
We now know the average price of wedding photography services in Melbourne. However, every couple sets different wedding budget and wedding photography needed to be allocated with a right amount of proportion within that.
What is the Average Percentages of Spending on Wedding Photography Packages in Total Wedding Budget?
According to government Moneysmart and ABIA’s survey on 10,000 wedding couples, the average wedding expense in total was $36,200 for 2019. You can find the details in the chart attached below.
- $ 2,963- Wedding Photography
- $18,683- Wedding venues, food, drink
- $2,896- Entertainment
- $2,896-Flowers and decoration
- $941- Ceremony and celebrant
- $4,271- Wedding dress
- $3,550-Other (makeup, hair, cars, accommodation and etc)
- $36,200- Total Wedding budget
The average spending on wedding photography was $2963 for couples in Australia. The wedding photography packages take account of 8.1% of the total wedding budget.
Let’s get more specific.
How do wedding photography package prices differentiate in different region in Victoria?
I have selected several popular wedding locations in Victoria which includes:
- Melbourne CBD and inner suburb (within 30km)
- Yarra Valley
- Geelong
- Mornington Peninsula
- Dandenong Ranges
Since the 8 hours wedding photography coverage is the most popular packages couples would choose, it allows wedding photographers to cover from bride and groom getting ready to most of the major formalities during wedding reception including cake cutting, speeches and first dances. So, I have set 8 hours as the standard wedding photography packages for comparison.
To ensure all figures are honest, transparent and accurate, I researched all prices by using Google organic search. There are several rules that I followed to make this price comparison:
- Avoid Google ads
- 35 wedding photography packages in each location
- Set 8 hours wedding photography coverage as the standard package
- Excludes prices on albums and enlargements.
- Melbourne CBD wedding photography packages average at $1931
- Yarra Valley wedding photography packages average at $3650
- Geelong wedding photography packages average at $2983
- Mornington wedding photography packages average at $2757
- Dandenong range wedding photography packages average at $2896
Surprisingly, the average wedding photography price in Melbourne CBD and inner suburb ($1931) is significantly cheaper than the average price of elsewhere in Victoria ($2914).
The average price of wedding photography package in Geelong, Mornington and Dandenong is closer to the average price in Australia.
Yarra valley wedding photography ($3650) holds the highest price in all 5 locations.
In addition, wedding photography at countryside such as Echuca, Bendigo, Phillip island is slightly more expensive than the average price.
From the data I gathered, we can see that brides have higher chance to get a more affordable wedding photography package from wedding photographers or wedding photography studios who are based in Melbourne CBD.
There are few reasons causing this phenomenon. Firstly, according to Easy Wedding, ABIA, Hello May and other major directory websites, there are more than 50% of wedding photographers located in Melbourne inner suburb. Therefore, the competitions are more intense within Melbourne inner suburbs.
Secondly, the Yarra Valley wedding venues became more popular in the recent 5 years. The wedding venues package price in Yarra Valley is higher than those in Melbourne inner suburbs.
The average cost of wedding venue package in Yarra Valley is around $200 per head for 2019.
The average wedding venue package price of Melbourne inner suburb’s reception is around $150 per head.
The average cost of Yarra Valley wedding photography package price became expensive.
Instagram sponsored vs Google ads
Which platform provides better wedding photography prices?
I spent about 30 days to research the price on wedding photography on Instagram and Google. This time, I focused on advertisements instead of organic search.
I used keywords such as ‘wedding photography Melbourne’, ‘wedding photographers Melbourne’, ‘wedding photography package’ on Google.
On Instagram, I set my account as a 28 years ago, female who lives in Melbourne. And not only I followed several wedding photographers in Melbourne, I also followed wedding dress shops, wedding receptions and wedding decorations.
Then Instagram would know my recent interest would be wedding related topic. Then it displayed ads including wedding photography services on my feed.
There are few rules I set for this experiment on cost of wedding photography:
- 30 days as the timeframe
- 15 wedding photography packages were selected from each group
- Set 8 hours as the standard package
- Exclude Wedding album’s cost from the total price
Surprisingly, the average cost of wedding photography package on Google ads is $2192.
The average cost of wedding photography package on Instagram is $3341.
The average wedding photography cost on Google ads is 34.3% less than Instagram ads.
Hence, you’re more likely to get a more affordable wedding photography package from Google ads than Instagram ads.
Google wins the battle this time. We can see Google is still the best organic search engine in terms of affordability for our bride and groom.
The unknown Secret of Instagram ads–
- You would receive different offers from wedding photographer by using different devices or accounts.
- Wedding photographers set different wedding photography packages on Instagram ads depend on your shopping behaviour and income.
It is similar tactic like car insurance or online shopping. Don’t hurry up, try your friends’ phone and you might get a better deal.
- You might receive a better deal on Android than iOS devices. Instagram assumes bride who uses iPhone would have more budget.
- A male Instagram account would receive a cheaper wedding photography package than a female Instagram. Because Instagram think male would put money as the main factor when choosing wedding photographer.
Beware those wedding photographers who don’t show their pricings on website transparently. They might charge each couple differently based on the couple’s total budget as well as their own availabilities.
Affordable Wedding Photography Price in Melbourne
What is an affordable wedding photography price in Melbourne in 2020?
The affordable wedding photography pricing should be reasonable, manageable, fits within the total budget of couples and mostly importantly, still comes with professional services.
According to Easy wedding reports and ABIA 10,000-brides survey. An affordable wedding photography package price would be around $2000-$3000 in Melbourne.
There are however wedding photography prices under $1000 on Gumtree. We don’t consider those to be relative as most of them are offered by amateur photographers. For those who are offering wedding photography price below $1000, they are more likely doing wedding photography as a side income, rather than a full-time commitment which means less professionalism.
There are also under $1000 wedding photographers who just started their businesses and lack of the experience to handle the busy wedding paces.
If you still want to go head with those wedding photographers and invest under $1000 for your wedding photography. Keep in mind to check the wedding photographer’s portfolio and meet him in person. Don’t sign the paper unless you are hold confident and comfortable with your wedding photographer.
What should an affordable wedding photography package include?
Basic half day wedding photography package- you can find lots of wedding photographers offering 6 hours photography package which priced around $1600.
The 6 hours could cover ceremony, location and first 2 hours of wedding reception. The wedding photographer can capture most important formalities on your wedding day.
If you want to include the bride and groom’s preparation for your wedding photography, you should consider a 8-10 hours wedding photography package.
Using Tree studio wedding photography package as a sample:
THE ESSENTIAL
$1,499
- – 6 hours photography coverage
– ONEphotographer
– 1 enlargement print 14*11 inch
– 1 enlargement print 20*16 inch
– Unlimited images taken
– All High Res Original Photos on the USB
– Pre-wedding Consultation with PhotographerWith Album $1,99812×8 inch (20 sides) Luxury leather bound album
The 6 hours (half day) wedding photography package is $1,499. The package includes 6 hours photography coverage, two enlargements and unlimited wedding photographs.
Also, the bride and groom will join a pre-wedding consultation with the wedding photographer to discuss the wedding day details.
How much should you pay on wedding photography package on a big wedding?
Some traditional wedding, like Lebanese, Greek, Italian and Asian wedding involves heaps of cultural traditions. Those weddings usually require longer wedding photography coverage to capture all the traditional rituals.
Some weddings also require multiple wedding photographers to capture from different angle or one each at bride and groom’s place during the getting ready in the morning.
Even if the bride is planning a big wedding, she would still want the wedding photography package to be manageable and affordable.
In Tree studio Polished package below,
THE POLISHED
$3,499
- – 14 hours photography coverage
– TWOphotographers
– 1 enlargement print 20*16 inch
– 2 enlargements prints 36*24 inch
– Unlimited images taken
– All High Res Original Photos on the USB
– Pre-wedding Consultation with Photographer
The full day wedding photography package has a decent coverage time and there will be two wedding photographers on the day to capture your cherish moments.
The options and extra cost in wedding photography package
To avoid landmines and being ripped off , please check whether there is any hidden cost in your wedding photography package.
Here are 27 questions to ask your wedding photographer before signing the contract.
Below are some of the most often extra cost you may encounter when booking your wedding photography package:
- Travel cost
- Wedding album and parent’s wedding photobook
- Drone wedding photography
- Extra hours on wedding day
- Photography editing
- Enlargements and canvas
If you’re not getting married in the Melbourne city, the photographers are likely to charge you for a travelling fee to cover the petrol expense
A reasonable range for travelling cost is around $1.2-2 per Km if the distance is more than 25 km from Melbourne CBD.
Please expect and consider the travelling cost if your wedding location has a long distance from Melbourne.
Wedding album-except the digital or softcopy of wedding photographs, some bride and grooms want to add on a custom wedding album or a parent’s album.
A wedding album normally starts from $600 and some handcrafted ones can be priced up to $2000.
Here is the Tree studio wedding album price guide:
| Size | Album Inc. 10 pages (20 sides) | Additional Pages (maximum 20 pages) |
| 12*12 inch | $799.00 | $20.00 per page |
| 14*12 inch | $899.00 | $24.00 per page |
| 18*12 inch | $999.00 | $28.00 per page |
Drone wedding photography cost-the average drone wedding photography cost would be around $400-$800 in Melbourne. It’s often used for group photos, destination weddings and prewedding photoshoot.
Extra hour on wedding day- If your wedding day runs behind the schedule and you would like your wedding photographer to stay longer, the average extra hour rate of wedding photography would be between $200-300 per hour in Melbourne.
Photography editing– some wedding photographers only provide the raw version of wedding photos or only edit a small portion of the total wedding images.
Please check whether wedding photographer edit all your wedding photos and if not, check how much they would charge for editing all photos.
Enlargement and canvas– a 20*16 inch enlargement is $25 and a 36*24 inch one is $79..
Is there any hidden cost in my wedding photography package?
- Some wedding photographers only provide low resolution wedding photographs. It is fine to view those pictures in online wedding gallery, but they are not useable to be enlarged due to the low-res.
- Some wedding photographers provide wedding photos with added watermark and charge you extra when you want to remove the
3 smart ways to save your money for wedding photography package
There are several ways to save money on your wedding photography in Melbourne.
- Combination of wedding photography and videography package
- Weekday wedding photography promotion
- Winter wedding photography special
Combination of wedding photography and video package
Buy more and save more, that’s exactly the same for wedding photography. If you are planning to book a wedding videography to capture your wedding as well, you might be able to get a better deal when you book both services in a same company.
I researched 25 wedding photography studio which provides both the wedding photography and videography services. And it turned out that you can save around 6-10% on a combined package comparing to getting separate package from two different studios.
It is a quite similar experience when you are dining at the Macdonald. You can save money when buying a Big Mac meal comparing to of the total price when you are buying the drink, fries and burger individually.
Don’t just focus on the face value. Your fiancé can be relived from endless weekend meetings and enjoy his newly released X-BOX games. And you could use the saved money from the combined deal to buy a pair of new heels.
Some wedding photography and videography studio provides a decent combined full package.
This is the most popular combined wedding photography and videography package:
ESSENTIAL FULL PACKAGES
$3,999
- Photography Package:
– 8 hours photography coverage
– ONEphotographer
– 2 enlargement prints 20*16 inch
– Unlimited images taken
– All High Res Original Photos on the USB
– Pre-wedding Consultation with PhotographerVideo Package:
– 8 hours filming coverage
– ONE videographer
– 5 minutes video highlight real
– Long version wedding footage video
– 12-month online video highlight showcase
– Pre-wedding consultation with videographerAlbum
12 x 8 inch (20 sides) Luxury leather bound album
You could find different full package here.
The weekday or winter wedding promotion
Weekday from Monday to Thursday and June to August in Melbourne winter is considered as off peak wedding season.
Some wedding photographers offer discount up to 5-10% off when the wedding couples meet the condition.
5 Effective Ways Managing Your Wedding Photography Budget
There are 5 effective tips to manage your wedding photography budget within the reasonable range (the benchmark price of wedding photography package from 2019 to 2020).
Rule.1: Know how much other couples are paying for: the average spending on an 8 hours wedding photography package in Melbourne was $2941 in 2019.
Rule.2: Know how much you should spend: the average spending on wedding photography should take account of 4-8% of your total wedding budget.
Rule.3 Wedding photographers based in Melbourne CBD offer more reasonable pricings: You are likely to get a more affordable wedding photography package from wedding photographers who based in Melbourne CBD and inner suburbs.
Rule.4 know the better platform to research wedding photography price: Google ads provides wedding photography packages with more reasonable prices than Instagram does.
Rules.5 Combination saves money: Booking a wedding photographer and videographer at the same time in a same company could save you 6-10% in total cost of wedding photography and videography.
In next blog, I’ll reveal some invisible landmines wedding photography-Questions to Ask your wedding photographer before hiring them.
If you are curious about more facts, please contact us.
