How to price photography packages
Price wedding, event and portrait photography packages from your cost of doing business — with a worked example, package structure and add-ons.
Most photographers set prices by looking at competitors, then wonder why a busy season still feels broke. The fix is to start from your cost of doing business: what it costs to run the business for a year, plus the salary you want, spread across the shoots you can realistically do.
Step 1: Add up your yearly costs
Include everything the business pays for: camera and lens replacement spread over their life, computer and storage, software subscriptions, insurance, website and gallery hosting, marketing, travel, accounting and phone. Don't forget tax and, in the UK, VAT if you're registered.
Step 2: Decide your salary
Pick the yearly income you need to take home, before personal tax. Be honest; this number is what makes the business worth running.
Step 3: Count your realistic bookings
Each shoot is more than the hours with a camera. A wedding can mean consultations, travel, a full day of shooting, culling, editing, gallery delivery and album design. Count the total hours per booking type, then how many you can deliver in a year without burning out.
Worked example
Example figures only. The same method works in pounds.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Yearly business costs | $18,000 |
| Salary you want | $50,000 |
| Total to cover | $68,000 |
| Weddings you can deliver per year | 25 |
| Minimum average per wedding | $2,720 |
That's your floor, not your price. Build packages around and above it, and check that your smallest package still clears it.
Structure packages that sell
Three packages work best. Clients compare them instead of comparing you with another photographer.
- Essential: fewer hours, digital gallery
- Signature: your best seller, with more coverage and a second shooter or engagement shoot
- Collection: full coverage plus an album or prints
Make the middle package the obvious choice. The top package makes it look like good value.
Add-ons that add margin
Extra hours, second shooter, rush editing, albums, parent albums, prints and travel beyond your area are all easy add-ons. Price each one from its time and cost, the same way.
Related: Proofing galleries: how photographers get faster, clearer client selections.
Sarvyam turns your packages and add-ons into quotes clients approve and pay a deposit on from their phone. Start free at sarvyam.com.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge for wedding photography?
Work out your cost of doing business plus your salary, and divide by the number of weddings you can deliver. Then build packages above that floor.
Should I show prices on my website?
Showing "packages from" prices filters out clients who can't afford you and saves time on enquiries.
