What Destination Wedding Photography Costs

The question couples planning a wedding abroad ask me first is usually the one they feel awkward asking: what does it actually cost to bring a photographer with you? Here’s the straight answer for my own work, how the costs break down, and what to check when you’re comparing photographers.

How the cost breaks down

The photography

The destination collection covers eight hours on the wedding day, from preparations through to the first dance, with every image edited and your full gallery online within a week. If your day runs longer, and weddings abroad often do, extra hours are £200 each.

Travel

Flights, and any trains or transfers at the other end, are added at what they actually cost. I don’t add a margin, and you see what you’re paying for. Booking early is the easiest way to keep this down, especially for summer dates and school holidays.

Accommodation

I arrive at least the day before, so there’s time to walk the venue at the time of day the ceremony will happen and to absorb any delays. For most European weddings that means two or three nights somewhere nearby, again at cost. Nothing fancy is needed, just somewhere close enough to be on time in the morning.

A day either side

If you’d like portraits the day after the wedding, when nobody is watching the clock, it usually makes sense to plan it while I’m already there rather than as a separate trip. Ask me and I’ll quote it.

Pena Palace and Penha Longa in Portugal, and an ice cave in Iceland.

What to check when comparing photographers

Destination prices are hard to compare, because photographers package them very differently. These are the questions that make quotes comparable.

• Is travel included or added? A lower headline price with travel added can cost more than a higher one with it built in, or the other way round. Ask for the total.
• How many hours are included? Weddings abroad often run later than at home. Check what an extra hour costs before the day, not on it.
• How many nights are you paying for? A photographer who arrives the morning of the wedding is cheaper and riskier.
• Is a second photographer included? Not every wedding needs one, but for a large guest list across several spaces it’s worth pricing in.
• What’s delivered, and when? Edited images, the gallery, any album, and how long it takes. Travelling shouldn’t add weeks to the wait.
• What happens if a flight is cancelled or the photographer is ill? Ask what the plan is.

Local photographer or one from home?

Hiring locally saves the travel costs, and a local photographer may know your venue. Bringing a photographer from home costs more, but you can meet them, see full weddings they’ve photographed, and plan the day in person. I’ve written more about that trade-off in how to choose a destination wedding photographer.

Where I’ve photographed weddings abroad

Weddings in New York, Sintra, Ravello, Lake Como, Venice, Florence, Santorini, Sydney, Kaprun in Austria, Ascona in Switzerland and Château de Condé in France, and pre-wedding shoots in Paris and Iceland. The full picture is on my destination wedding photographer page, and if you’re planning a UK wedding instead, my London prices start from £1,350.

Destination wedding photography cost questions

How much does a destination wedding photographer cost?

My destination collection is £3,995 for eight hours, with travel and accommodation added at cost and no markup. Extra hours are £200 each.

Do we pay for the photographer’s flights and hotel?

Yes. I add flights and accommodation at what they actually cost, with no markup, so you only pay what the trip costs.

How many nights will the photographer need?

For most European weddings, two or three nights. I arrive at least the day before, so there’s time to see the venue and allow for delays.

How much is a pre-wedding shoot abroad?

Pre-wedding shoots abroad start from £2,000 in Paris, £2,995 in Iceland and £3,995 in New York, plus travel at cost.

When will we get our photographs?

Within a week of the wedding, wherever it was.