A wedding is such a special occasion. Showcasing the love between you and your significant other as you make that walk down the aisle is incredible! I’ve been to so many weddings as a wedding photographer, and I never get tired of seeing the faces of the happy couple when they walk towards the love of their life. Makes me smile every time!
When it comes to the cost of elopement photography, the prices are really all over the place. It boils down to what is really being offered. You want to look carefully at what the photographer is offering within their prices, what they charge for extras, and look at their past work to make sure they’re worth the price!
What Goes Into The Cost of Elopement Photography
When it comes to how much elopement photography ends up costing, the price is determined by a few things;
Travel expenses
Accommodation
Photography
How many edited photos you’ll receive
Sure, there might be some additional elements to how people justify the cost of elopement photography in their eyes. But for me, I price my packages based primarily on these four things. These are hardliners. I love capturing the moment, and I adore traveling, but both are expensive in time and money. So I’ve managed to craft my services to the lowest possible price point to make it fair for happy couples, but also worth it for me!
My Elopement Photography Packages
I’ve spent years cultivating a strong system to provide the most reasonable fees when I craft my cost of elopement photography. Here are my three packages, their cost, and what you get as a result.
#1 - Arizona Weddings
Starting at $3400
I’ve got Arizona on my mind! There’s nothing I love more than capturing the special moments of happy couples in my favorite place, home. I am in my element when working around my home state because I know all the best places to go and capture great shots!
Check out a recent elopement wedding I shot in my home state Arizona in Mount Lemmon, Tucson!
Included in the cost of elopement photography in Arizona:
6 hours of coverage (Additional hours/full day optional increase)
400+ high resolution edited images delivered in an online gallery
Engagement session
Wooden heirloom box
#2 - Destination Weddings
Starting at $4000
I love traveling, and I love taking photos, so I decided to do both! I travel with the happy couple to their wedding destination and take stunning photos in stunning locations. For all the people that couldn’t be there, they’ll have to live vicariously through the photos, and honestly, I deliver. I give it my all every time!
Check out my work from a wedding in Cancun, Mexico.
Included in the cost of elopement photography for destination weddings:
6 hours of coverage (Additional hours/full day optional increase)
400+ high resolution edited images delivered in an online gallery
Adventure session
Wooden heirloom box
Travel and accommodation fees
#3 - Intimate Elopements
Starting at $2000
Intimate elopements are one of my favorite types of elopement because the focus is so clearly on two people, with a small guest list, if any. It’s a great way to showcase the love between two people without all the added noise. Getting to go to crazy places and make the most of our time together to capture something beautiful is just the best.
Check out my work from an intimate elopement I shot at Oracle State Park amongst the SNOW!
Included in the cost of elopement photography:
3 hours of coverage (Additional hours/full day optional increase)
300+ high resolution edited images delivered in an online gallery
Location and schedule planning assistance
Wooden heirloom box
A Few Hours Vs. Full Day Coverage
The most significant difference I’d say that exists between a few hours and a whole day with a wedding photographer is how much time you have to waste. Sure, the cost of elopement photography goes up with more hours, but that’s not what I’d say makes it different.
Getting to be more free and loose with time just means that you can take some risks. Shoot photos you know might not work, but if they did, well dang, they’d be spectacular. Above all, you have peace of mind knowing that everything will be captured - you’re never rushing or checking the clock. You can just enjoy the time!
Benefits of Having a Professional Wedding Photographer
There are so many benefits to having a professional wedding photographer shoot your special day. Of course, the cost of elopement photography doesn’t even touch on all these benefits, but they’re there! So, here are just a few of those benefits to a pro wedding photographer!
#1 - Capturing Every Moment Start to Finish
Weddings take forever to plan and seconds to happen. It can feel like it takes forever to get to the finish line, but still, when the day comes, you’ll notice how quickly everything happens.
While the ceremony is the most essential part, there are so many other moments you’ll want to be captured. Some of my favorite photos from weddings aren’t even from the ceremony! There are so many parts to a wedding day that can present prime opportunities to get brilliant shots. The payoff of the cost of elopement photography is that you have a record of the micro-moments that mean the most!
#2 - They Know the Area
The more a photographer travels, the more accustomed they become to the places they offer for elopement photography. I’ve traveled so many places and have experienced so much of what they have to offer.
As a result, I can suggest great places for various aspects of your special day. But, more importantly (at least in my eyes), I can recommend some places to get AWESOME portraits of the happy couple!
#3 - Exploring Alternative Locations
A whole day with a photographer means some freedom to go and explore! See a cool place in the distance? Let’s GO!
Imagine being in a stunning place like Yosemite National Park and seeing an epic spot like the Half Dome or Tuolumne Meadows. You may not have had the ceremony there, but we’ve got time to go and get some shots before moving on to the reception. That’s why when it comes to the cost of elopement photography, I think it’s so worth it to go for a whole day of photography to really get the most out of a location.
#4 - Time to Experiment
Elopement photography that spans the whole day means there is soooooo much time to just play around and see what we can achieve in each place. This can be anything from different angles, traveling a little further into the location or hiking, whatever it may be.
Selfishly, I like getting a great shot! You know, the kind of shot that you look at and are like, ‘Andrea, you’ve done it again!’ Getting that time to mess around with the natural surroundings, or props, or just to come up with ideas at the moment, on the fly, means that you really are making the most of your photographer.
#5 - Guaranteed Quality
I have heard some people decide to forego the cost of elopement photography and record their elopement themselves. Now, I don’t know what they ended up doing for their wedding, but I sure hope the photos came out well.
Knowing what you’re getting in terms of quality photography from the person you’ve entrusted with this job is priceless. I don’t care how great your iPhone camera is! But, it’s NOT a substitute for an elopement wedding photographer.
Final Thoughts
The last thing any couple wants is to look back on their wedding and see low-quality images that don’t capture the location or the beauty that existed on the day! With all the insanity surrounding getting ready for the big day, do you really want the fear of bad photos to weigh on you? I don’t think so! At the end of the day, the cost of elopement photography is far outweighed by the priceless memories you get to keep forever. So let’s chat, and let me answer all your questions. Let this Arizona girl immortalize your wedding in photos and make this a memory you never forget!
