A wedding photographer in the UK costs £1,484 on average, according to Bridebook’s 2026 data, and most couples pay between £500 and £2,500. In London and the South East, Bridebook estimates an average of about £1,700 to £2,000. The price depends mostly on how many hours you book, whether you add a second shooter and whether an album is included. This guide shows what each budget usually buys and how many hours you really need.
The short answer: Expect around £1,500 for a UK wedding photographer, based on Bridebook’s 2026 average of £1,484. Budget £500 to £2,500 for most of the country, and a little more in London, Kent and the South East. Coverage hours are the biggest factor, followed by a second shooter and an album.
If you’re pricing film as well, our complete guide to wedding photography and film costs in the UK covers both, including whether booking them together saves money. This article goes deeper on photography alone.
How much should I spend on a wedding photographer?
Bridebook’s average photographer spend of £1,484 is about 7% of its £20,604 average wedding, from the Bridebook UK Wedding Report 2026. Bridebook also finds that over 90% of couples hire a photographer, so it’s one of the few suppliers almost everyone books.
Some couples wonder whether to spend nearly half a small budget on photography. For most, that isn’t necessary. Decide which moments you need covered, book the hours that cover them, and choose a photographer whose full galleries you love. Short, well-planned coverage from someone you trust beats a long day from someone you’re unsure about.
Wedding photographer prices by hours of coverage
Bridebook’s photography price guide, updated in July 2026, links price bands to coverage. These are typical patterns across the UK industry rather than fixed rules.
| Price band (Bridebook guidance) | Typical coverage | What it usually includes | What’s often missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under £1,000 | 4–6 hours, one photographer | Ceremony, drinks, family groups, portraits | Preparations, speeches, the evening |
| £1,000–£1,500 | 6–8 hours, one photographer | Late preparations to the speeches | First dance, album |
| £1,500–£3,000 | About 8 hours | Preparations to first dance on most days | Second shooter, album on some packages |
| £3,000 and above | 10 hours or more, one or two photographers | The full day, often with an album | Little, though extra events cost more |
Shorter coverage exists too. Our minimum is two hours, which suits a register office ceremony with portraits and family groups afterwards. Multi-day weddings, such as a mehndi, sangeet and reception, are usually priced event by event.
How many hours of wedding photography do I need?
Start with your timeline, not a package. Here’s how different lengths of coverage fall across a typical day with a 1pm ceremony and speeches after the meal.
| Time | Moment | 4 hours (12:30–16:30) | 6 hours (11:30–17:30) | 8 hours (10:30–18:30) | 10 hours (10:30–20:30) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:30 | Getting ready, details, outfit | No | Last half hour | Yes | Yes |
| 12:30 | Guests arriving | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 13:00 | Ceremony | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 13:45 | Confetti, drinks, family groups | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 14:45 | Couple portraits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 15:30 | Entrance and wedding breakfast | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 17:00 | Speeches | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 19:00 | Evening guests and cake | No | No | No | Yes |
| 20:00 | First dance | No | No | No | Yes |
Move the times to match your day. Our sample wedding day timelines show 11am, 1pm and 3pm ceremonies in full.
Is 4 hours enough for a wedding photographer?
Four hours suits a register office or small ceremony followed by a meal. It covers the ceremony, family groups and portraits well. It won’t usually cover both the preparations and the speeches, so choose which end of the day matters more.
Is 6 hours enough?
For many weddings, yes, if the speeches come before or straight after the meal. Six hours rarely reaches the first dance, so book eight to ten hours or move the dance to straight after the speeches.
Do I need a second shooter?
Bridebook’s guidance puts a second photographer at £400 to £600 extra and suggests one for weddings of 80 or more guests. Bridebook’s 2026 report puts the average UK wedding at 80 guests, so many couples sit right on that line.
Guest numbers aren’t the only test. A second shooter earns their fee when:
- You get ready in different places, and you want both sets of preparations covered.
- The ceremony limits movement. Some churches, gurdwaras and mosques ask the photographer to stay in one place, so a second angle makes a real difference.
- Your family is large. A second photographer can cover guests and candid moments while the main photographer works through the family photo list.
- Two things happen at once, such as a baraat arriving while the bride is still getting ready.
For a small wedding with one location, one experienced photographer is usually enough.
Is a wedding album worth it?
An album is the one part of your wedding photography you’ll hold, and it’s often the largest optional extra in a quote. In Bridebook’s guidance, albums usually appear in packages at the top of the price range. Costs vary with size, number of spreads, cover materials and whether you add copies for parents.
Many couples choose their album after seeing the gallery, which spreads the cost. Our guide to lay-flat, fine-art and parent albums explains what changes the price and what to ask.
What’s included in a wedding photographer’s price?
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes:
- Edited images. Bridebook says a full-day gallery is typically 400 to 600 lightly edited images. We don’t ration images: a full wedding usually means several hundred, each edited individually. Our guide on how many photos to expect from your wedding explains the range.
- Delivery. Bridebook gives a typical turnaround of four to twelve weeks. We send a sneak peek within days and the full gallery usually within four weeks.
- An online gallery to share with family and download in full resolution.
- Planning. A call before the day, help with your timeline and your family list.
- Travel. Ours is included within 50 miles of Beckenham. Elsewhere it is often added at cost.
- Insurance and backup. Professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and a plan if the photographer is ill.
Bridebook estimates that a photographer charging £1,500 or more may spend 40 to 60 hours on one wedding. We explain where those hours go in the hours behind your wedding photos and film.
Why do wedding photographers in London and Kent charge more?
Bridebook estimates that London and South East photographers charge about £200 to £500 more than the national average, with a typical range of £700 to £3,000 or more. Whole weddings cost more here too: Bridebook’s 2026 report puts the average South East wedding at £22,637 and London at £26,986. Demand for summer Saturdays is higher, and city days often involve travel between venues.
From behind the camera
The hours couples most often cut are the morning ones, and that’s usually the wrong place to save. The preparations give a gallery its story: the letters, the parents, the nerves, the last button. If you need to trim, it’s usually better to finish earlier in the evening and move the first dance forward so it falls inside your coverage.
I also ask every couple where their speeches fall. Speeches are often the most emotional part of the day for families, and they’re the moment most likely to fall outside a short package. Check that before you book, rather than on the day.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a wedding photographer cost in the UK?
Bridebook’s 2026 data puts the average UK wedding photographer at £1,484, with most couples paying between £500 and £2,500. In London and the South East, Bridebook estimates an average of about £1,700 to £2,000. The price depends mainly on the hours of coverage, a second shooter, and whether an album is included.
Is 6 hours enough for a wedding photographer?
For many weddings, yes. Six hours usually covers the end of getting ready, the ceremony, drinks, family groups, portraits and the speeches, as long as the speeches happen by late afternoon. It usually won’t reach the cake or the first dance. If those matter to you, plan for eight to ten hours or move the first dance earlier.
How much does a second shooter cost?
Bridebook’s guidance puts a second photographer at £400 to £600 extra, and suggests one for weddings of 80 guests or more. A second shooter is most useful when you get ready in different places, have a large family, or have a ceremony where the main photographer can’t move around freely.
How many photos should we get from our wedding photographer?
Bridebook says a full-day gallery is typically 400 to 600 lightly edited images, and shorter coverage gives fewer. We don’t set a number: for a full wedding, our couples usually receive several hundred images, each one individually edited. Ask each photographer what to expect for your hours, and look at a full gallery, not just highlights.
Keep reading
- How much does a wedding videographer cost in the UK?: the film side of the budget, from crew and audio to edit lengths.
- Where your money goes: the 40 to 60 hours behind a wedding gallery, step by step.
- How many photos will we get?: what a realistic gallery looks like for your hours of coverage.
See your price
Our wedding photography is priced by the hours you need, with optional albums and a second photographer. Tell us your date and timings to get your price for your date.
