Photographer José Villa regularly flies around the world to photograph couples’ wedding celebrations, be it at a castle in Tuscany, a ballroom in Malaysia, or a private property in Napa Valley.
But he is more than a kid with a camera. He asks for tens of thousands of dollars for his time and talent – one so in demand that he filmed Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ multi-day wedding in India, Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber’s “I Two” in South Carolina, and A hot An air balloon was flown over the vineyards to capture a wedding guest’s departure in the wine country, and we spent seven days covering a wedding in Thailand. A recent concert took place in three different venues, including a coastal city in southern France and New York City.
It may seem like a crazy cost for “the big day,” but the fact is, most wedding photography today is no longer about filming an eight-hour event in one location. It includes everything from engagement photos and pre-wedding sessions to bridal lunches, rehearsal dinners, portrait rooms, after parties and even honeymoons, and then of course editing thousands of images. For luxury weddings that cost six figures or more, there may be multiple event days, and destination weddings often mean traveling on long-haul flights and checking into five-star resorts. Villa even has a team of shooters who assist and photograph from multiple angles.
But now he’s a brilliant talent at the top of his game, with a team and creative team pushing the definition of how to record a celebration. “
Wedding photography is pretty much a given for most couples, and 89% hire a photographer, according to WeddingWire’s 2020 Newlywed Report. In comparison, 87% hire a vendor and 70% hire a florist. It is also one of the most important order lines in terms of cost. The average couple spends $ 28,000 on the wedding and $ 2,400 on a photographer. However, those numbers don’t accurately reflect a large portion of clients at the higher end of the scale, say luxury wedding photographers, who charge between $ 10,000 and $ 50,000 for their services. Your customers often spend hundreds of thousands, or even millions, on your celebration.
It has led wedding photographers into an elite league of their own, each of whom has discovered what specialty sets them apart. For Villa, it’s filming a movie in a land of digital, and for Connell, it’s style. Forgo taking photos in favor of a photojournalism approach to the wedding. “It’s about moving quickly to capture portraits as the couple moves naturally or events unfold,” says Connell.
For Philip Van Nostrand, it’s about connecting his personality with his clients. Or, they’re known for special add-ons: Gurminder Banga now sells a “Banga Booth” brand portrait studio for weddings, and Clane Gessel will book a fine art session.
“Wedding photography has always been the pinnacle of social photography, and its evolution parallels the evolution of society,” Gessel says.
This hasn’t hurt photography, say the photographers, who truly believe that social media has pushed them to think beyond the old-school mindset.
He filmed a couple’s wedding in South Africa, only to meet them in Namibia the following week for a fine arts session on their honeymoon.
The work is not easy. For starters, wearing two or three cameras for more than 12 hours straight is physically exhausting. Villa explains that while it may take many hours, the real work begins after the last wedding guest leaves. Spend 60 hours, on average, editing photos for a two- or three-day event. Sometimes there are an extra 20 or 30 hours just to touch up. It’s a part of the job that customers don’t think about when they hear the price.
This is also the reason why most couples need a few weeks to get the complete wedding album. If a couple wants the images sooner, they can pay a premium, as the photographer needs to hire additional editors to turn it around so quickly. Some of the best wedding photographers, like Connell and Gessel, have included this little perk: a set of teaser images that they send to the couple in the first 24 hours.
