Hidden Costs your Wedding Photographer wont tell you about.

Hidden Costs Your Wedding Photographer Wont tell you about.

Two Peaches Photography has been in the wedding industry for well over 10+ years. Over the years we have heard many stories about hidden charges other studios slug their couples. Getting married can be a costly exercise. There are wedding dress costs, suits, wedding reception venues, church hire, car hire, wedding photography, food, drinks and many more. Wedding Photography is an industry where you can be hit with a lot of hidden charges and costs if you are not aware of the hidden costs. Here in this blog, we'll try and provide you with all the additional information you need to make better decision but more importantly lock down your photography contract to ensure you dont get taken for an expensive ride.

Our Top Tips and Questions you need to ask your potential wedding photographer?

Do they outsource your wedding photography and videography?

• Many studios outsource their wedding photography and videography to contractors who are not very experienced or very cheap to maximise their profits. A number of large studios are just "body shops" where they have a black book of cheap wedding photographers and videographers who are contracted for your job and bought in on an as need basis.
• To avoid this issue ask your wedding photographer
• Who is my wedding photographer? May I have a name?
• Ask for wedding photographer name to be included in your quote or contract. If a studio declines to name a wedding photographer there is a good chance they will outsource your job to someone else. They just dont know who yet.
• Ask to meet your assigned wedding photographer before you book the studio. We cannot stress this enough. Make sure you gel with your photographer and get along. Ask to see a portfolio of their wedding photography woirk
• Some studios charge you a fee to request a specific photographer. Make sure you are clear in regards to fees you may be charged.
• Look at their google reviews. See if the named photographer you are being assigned is mentioned positively in google reviews

Will all my wedding photos be edited exactly like I see on your website?

• A lot of studios are not very forthcoming in regards to this issue. Editing your wedding photos takes time. A lot of time. Here at Two Peaches Photography we typically deliver anywhere from 1000 to 2000 wedding photos to our wedding couples. That is a lot of wedding photos and a lot of editing and can take any where up to 2-3 solid weeks of editing. To reduce costs to the studios a lot of studios do not edit all the wedding photos they provide you. They typically deliver you all the raw photos and ask you to pick and choose 50-200 wedding photos which they may edit to match their website portfolios. Any additional photos you want to edit they will charge you a fee per photo or per "bundle of photos". Fees can range from 15-50 per photo to edit and you will be charged these if you wish to edit more. Other studios do "light color correction" which is not the same as properly editing your wedding photos to look exactly like their online portfolio. Any additional editing will be at a costs to you.
• Some studios vaguely mention unlimited photos delivered or all photos color corrected. Ask the studio very clearly for an actual number so you are clear on your expectation what will be delivered to you edited to avoid hidden costs.
• To make sure you get the photos you want and avoid hidden costs ask the wedding photographer "Will my wedding photos all be edited exactly like what is displayed in your website? If yes how many? and will you put that in my contract"

Will I get Full Resolution Files? Will my Photos have a logo on it?

• Many Studios wont tell you that the files they give you are not full resolution files. They will tell you that you get "High Definition" or "High Resolution Files". What this really means is that you will get files that cannot print large resolution prints. Google defines a High Definition or High Resolution file as "HD refers to 1280 x 720, or 1366 x 768 pixels. These are around 1 megapixel! FullHD is twice as large, at 1920 x 1080 pixels. That's 2 megapixels." These files are far too small in todays day and age for printing. Studios do this so that you are forced to buy the prints from their studios at huge mark ups.
• To avoid this hidden costs, ask the studios to deliver your wedding photos in full resolution files. Full Resolution files means the resolution that their camera took the photo at on the day. Eg 36mp, or 40mp or 50mp. This will ensure you are getting the full sized files so you are able to print. Request they put that in writing in your contract.
• Also ensure the studio do not include logos with all your delivered photos. Some studios will charge you a very high fee to remove the logo. Also request your wedding photographer to put this request in writing in your contract.

Inclusions thrown in for free that actually costs you money!

• Many Wedding Photography Studios will try and throw in freebies to hook you in to try and convince you to book their wedding studio. One of the most popular tricks is throwing in a "complimentary engagement photoshoot". What they dont tell you is that you dont get all the photos from the shoot. The studio will give you 1 or 2 or 5 edited photos and show you a thumbnail view of all the other photos taken on the day of your engagement shoot. If you want those additional photos you will have to pay an extra fee for it. We have heard studios charging anywhere from $900 to $1500 for those additional photos
• To avoid this hidden costs ask your wedding photographer very clearly if they are including an engagement shoot do you also get all the photos from the day professionally edited as part of the package or are the photos an additional costs.

The Hidden fees and charges you were never told about.

• Many studios have hidden charges that you are not aware of and they will not tell you until you are fully booked and paid up when its too late to backout. Some of the hidden fees we have heard of in the industry includes things like:

Parking Fees (per person)

Early Morning Start Fees

Late finish fees

Travel Fees (per person)

Additional Photo/Video Editing Fees

Consultation Fees

Over time fees

Logo Removal Fees

Full resolution files fee

Online storage fee

Delivery fee

The requirement to purchase prints and other products from the studios.

• While many of these fees are inevitable operating costs, it is very very important that your wedding photographer is up front about their fees and charges and you are clear on what additional fees you may be up for. Here at Two Peaches Photography our fee schedule is laid out clearly in our contract and we disclose all possible fees. Where possible we will advise charging the fee and advise you on ways to avoid the fees.

Do they edit your wedding videos?

• Many studios outsource their wedding video edits overseas and try and do it as cheaply as possible to maximise profits. You may realise that your wedding video doesnt quite look like their videos on their portfolio. That maybe because your video hasnt been color graded correctly. Your studio may ask you for extra fees for things like color grading your videos so they look professional.
• Some studios do very basic edits which looks nothing like their website. You may be charged an extra fee for their "cinematic" edit which you were not told about at the time of your consult
• Some studios charge you endless fees if you wish to re-edit your wedding video.

Consultation Fees.

• Some studios charge you a fee for ongoing consultation after your initial consultation once you have signed up with the studio. Be very careful that studios are not charging you extra fees for consultations that you are rightly entitled to

Other Fees and considerations.

While fees are inevitable there are additional things you do need to be aware of and you should ask your photography studios

• Get a full listing of their fee schedule. Understand what the fees you could be slugged are. Any studios that DONT have a fee schedule is a risk for you. Here are Two Peaches we have a very clear fee schedule of any additional charges
• If you are not given a fee schedule becareful of exhorbitant charges you might be up for once you have booked and committed. Some studios view their clients as an ATM machine and will try and milk the most out of them. Their view is once you have booked with them, you're stuck with paying their fees regardless of cost. Hence why it is extremely important a wedding photographer list out their fee schedule.
• If there is a fee schedule, ensure that you will ONLY be paying the fees listed in the fee schedule and at the price listed. Some studios do ridiculous price rises every year and say sorry the fees listed last time have increased you need to pay the new fees.
• Ask the studio very clearly if you will be getting the products as displayed on their website and social media as is without any additional costs and that ALL photos and videos will be delivered. Not just a small amount
• GET everything in writing. We cannot stress this enough. If its not in writing you dont have a leg to stand on

Here are Two Peaches Photography, we are one of the most popular wedding photographers in sydney for a very good reason. We are open and very transparent in our costs and fees. You will never be in for a nasty surprise.

Finding the right wedding photographer is hard and challenging at best. But if you follow this guide and brief very carefully you will hopefully have a great wedding experience and avoid all the heart aches and hidden extras that you didnt know about!