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Behind the Price Tag: Photography and videography
- Love Struck
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
“Can’t my friend shoot on an iPhone?” Or, “Do we really need video for a micro-wedding?” Totally fair questions. The truth: great photo/video isn’t just cameras. It’s planning, lighting, audio, storytelling, backup gear, timelines—and the calm, experienced humans who keep you relaxed and get the moments you’ll actually want to revisit.
Here’s what’s realistic for a micro-wedding of 50 guests.
The “DIY/Friend With a Camera” Option
Tempting: borrow a camera, hand a phone to a guest, or hire a new shooter for cheap. It can work for casual coverage—but hidden costs creep in:
No timeline guidance or shot planning; easy to miss key moments.
Weak low-light performance (ceremonies/receptions are dim).
No backup gear/cards; if something fails, it’s gone.
Audio: phone mics won’t capture vows/toasts cleanly.
Hours of editing or… no edits at all.
Micro-wedding reality: $0–$800 out of pocket, but high risk of missed moments and unusable audio.
Standard Coverage (Professional)
With a pro, you’re paying for craft and insurance: pre-planning, timeline help, on-site direction, backups, and post-production that makes everything look and sound like you remember.
Photography (micro-wedding range): $2,200–$4,500
4–6 hours coverage, edited gallery (250–600 images), online delivery.
Add-ons: second shooter ($300–$600), rush edits ($150–$600), albums/prints ($300–$1,200).
Videography (micro-wedding range): $1,800–$4,000
4–6 hours coverage, highlight film 3–6 minutes, licensed music, clean audio (lav on officiant/partner), online delivery.
Add-ons: full-length ceremony edit ($300–$800), speeches edit ($250–$600), drone (where legal) $150–$400, second videographer $300–$600.
Combined photo + video packages: $3,800–$7,500Often better value and smoother coordination.
Hidden Costs You Might Miss
Travel/parking/permits: outside city center or parks may require permits.
Setup time: early arrival for location scout, light/sound checks.
Audio gear: lav mics, recorders, backup batteries, media.
Delivery & storage: hosting galleries/films, long-term backups.
Overtime: if the day runs long (common), you’ll pay by the hour.
Tips to Save (Without Sacrificing Quality)
Prioritize hours, not trinkets. Buy fewer keepsakes, keep 5–6 hours of solid coverage.
Trim the timeline. Stack “first look → vows → portraits → toasts” inside your booked window.
One location. Fewer moves = more shooting time (and less travel cost).
Skip the second shooter if your guest count is truly small and the venue is compact.
Audio > 4K. For video, insist on clear vows/speeches; a single lav + backup recorder beats fancy resolution.
Questions to Ask Your Photo/Video Team
What’s included (hours, edited deliverables, turnaround time)?
Do you bring backup bodies/lenses/cards and a plan for gear failure?
How do you capture vow/speech audio? (Who’s miked? Any backups?)
Can we see full galleries/films from similar venues/light?
Overtime rate + when do you decide to add it?
Usage: can we download high-res files and print freely? (Any watermark?)
For video: do we get ceremony/speeches as separate edits?
Reality Check
Photo/Video aren’t “just pictures.” They’re how you’ll remember the day. For a micro-wedding, expect 12–20% of the total budget if booking both, or 8–12% for photography only. The difference between decent and delightful is usually hours + audio + experience.
Pro Lovestruck Tip
Plan one signature moment to anchor your visuals (first look at golden hour, private vows, or a sparkler exit). Build the schedule around that 20 minutes. You’ll feel calm, your coverage will sing, and you won’t need 10 hours on the clock.
More Behind the Price Tag: Wedding Budget Breakdowns
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