How much does a wedding photographer cost in Seattle?

The price you can expect to pay a wedding photographer in Seattle varies by experience, quality and business type. In general, we’ve found the best wedding photographers in the Pacific Northwest tend to charge between $2000 and $6000 for a standard photography package. This includes 8 hours of coverage and digital images. Be sure to check out our comprehensive guide to Seattle wedding photographers for more discussion on pricing and quality. You can also click here to view the Sound Originals wedding pricing guide for photo and video.

What is a reasonable price for a wedding photographer?

Everyone has a different definition of a “reasonable price” for any product or service. We’ve studied the pricing for dozens and dozens of wedding photographers in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Bellingham, Kirkland and the Olympic Peninsula. In general, you can expect to pay more than $2000 for an experienced, reliable and trustworthy photographer to capture your special day.

When should you pay wedding photographers?

Every wedding photographer in Seattle will have a slightly different policy for payments. Most photographers require a non-refundable deposit to reserve your wedding date. This ensures the photographer will secure the date for you and commit to be available. The industry standard is 50% for the deposit. Most wedding photographers in Washington State will also require full payment before the actual wedding day, typically anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 weeks in advance. This protects the photographer in case the couple decides to cancel or postpone the wedding. The photographer might still have a few weeks to look for other work to earn a living. It’s rare for wedding photographers to allow payment after the wedding itself.

Do you tip a wedding photographer?

It’s definitely not required – but certainly very much appreciated! About half of couples tip wedding photographers in Seattle according to our own experience. We are so incredibly thankful and appreciative when clients decide to leave a gratuity. According to an article on Brides.com, they say an appropriate tip for a photographer or videographer would be around $100. Since most photographers own their own business, Brides.com editors say it’s not always required to tip them. But it certainly is appreciated!