What’s the average cost/price of a Wedding Photographer in Dublin, Ireland, 2024 (UPDATED)

What’s a Wedding Photographer’s average cost/price in Dublin, Ireland, in 2024?

UPDATED – 2024

Preparing for a wedding and choosing the best photographer for your special day can be stressful – I know; I’ve been there myself!

As a professional wedding photographer, I know that the whole process can bring a whirlwind of questions to mind. So, if you’ve found yourself asking yourself any of the questions below, I can help!

• “What’s the typical or average cost for a wedding photographer in Dublin and Ireland?”
• “Where can I find full Wedding Photography Packages and a reasonably priced photographer?”
• Second wedding photographer? Do I need one?
• “How do I avoid losing half of my wedding day getting my wedding photographs taken?”
• “What’s the difference between a photographer that costs €900 and one that costs €6000?!”

• Can you imagine being dragged out of your drinks reception for hours to take photos?
• How much will a wedding photographer cost and why?
• How much is a great wedding photographer?
• What’s the typical Irish wedding budget?
• What’s the average price for a wedding photographer based in Dublin or nationwide in Ireland?
• How can I save money on my wedding day or photography and videography packages?
• How do I avoid losing half of my wedding day and getting my wedding photographs taken?

I hope that by answering these questions, I will help you plan a stress-free wedding budget.

First off, I’ve Been in Your Shoes!

I got married on June 1st 2019, meaning that I’ve been on both sides of the camera – I’ve been the Groom and the wedding photographer, with hundreds of successful wedding shoots in my portfolio!

So, let’s discuss a few things worth remembering to help you plan a stress-free wedding budget…

The wedding budget is very important, and it’s usually the first thing you’ll agonise and stress over as the planning starts and the costs slowly mount. The budget will greatly impact your wedding day, and what you spend your hard-earned money on needs careful consideration.

The decisions you make at this key point in the planning process are likely to have the biggest impact on your memories, how you spend your day, how long you’ll need to spend looking at the camera, and how much time you’ll have to enjoy the big day with family and friends.

One of the most common questions I get from potential clients, and the one I see most from many people on Facebook wedding groups, is: “What’s the average cost for a full-day wedding photography or a Documentary Wedding Photographer?”

According to One Fab Day, as of this year (2024), the average price for a wedding photographer providing wedding packages in Ireland is between €2,000 and €4,000.

Now, while this rate might be okay for some, perhaps it won’t be for others.

Yes, I know it’s a lot of money! But is spending so much worth it???

Well, in the last few months alone, I’ve received many emails from people asking me to reshoot their wedding photos as they weren’t happy with their wedding photographer’s photos.

Now, it’s important to mention that this was not my work – more often than not, it was because they had hired either an inexperienced wedding photographer or mistakenly tasked a family member with their wedding photography!

I usually find that when looking back, many people regret saving €200-€500 on the cost of a wedding photographer just so that they could book the more affordable option. I get that, at the time, they likely needed the photographer’s cost to fit the price they had in mind for their wedding budget.

However, rather than being a cost-saving measure, this penny-pinching often turns out to be a ‘costly’ one, especially regarding the final photos, which can often be below par.

I always have to remind the wedding couples that, unfortunately, you can’t recreate the emotions, moments, and atmosphere of the most important day of your life! It’s impossible to re-shoot, so I strongly recommend that you make sure that you are very excited by your wedding photographer’s portfolio BEFORE you make the booking!

Here are some pointers to help you make the right decision:

• How important are your wedding day photographs to you?
• Would you risk hiring someone whose portfolio of photos is OK (but not great) if the price is far less – maybe €400, €500, or €900 less?
• How much would you pay for your amazing memories to be captured professionally on your wedding day?

Unfortunately, most couples don’t realise how much of an impact the cost and quality of a wedding photographer and videographer can have on their wedding day. 

Do you need help choosing a wedding photographer? If so, why not look at my detailed post on choosing the right wedding photographer?

On average, the price for a photographer in Ireland and Dublin can vary massively, anywhere from €400 to €4,000. I know these figures, based on my research for my wedding photographer when I got married!

I guarantee you that you’ll likely find many photographers at both ends of that scale. So, what’s the difference between the photographer you can book for €400 and the photographer you can book for €4,000 then?

Would you like an average photographer to work on your wedding day or the best photographer with years of experience? (Of course, having the best photographer for the cheapest price would be great, but that’s unrealistic!)

 That’s the difference – Unfortunately, there’s simply no way that you will book a great photographer with loads of experience for even €1,000.

The WOW Factor

Paying more for the experience is usually necessary for a wedding photographer to take breathtaking and memorable photos.

I know a great photographer can have very different meanings, as each person has a different opinion. I recommend that you find the photographer who makes you feel excited when you go through their portfolio—someone’s work that makes you think, “WOW—what an AMAZING photograph of that couple!!!”

Back in 2019, when I was looking for a wedding photographer, I received many quotes from photographers ranging from €1,000 to €2000. However, I didn’t see anyone with much experience and breathtaking photos as part of their portfolio.

In my humble opinion, when looking for the perfect photographer for your wedding, you must find a photographer with a portfolio that excites you! Only then look at the costs of hiring him or her- also ask about travel costs!

This is one of the main reasons why first asking for an average price is not a good idea, as the average price varies between €400-€4,000, but may not indicate the photographer is the right one for you.

From personal experience, I’ve seen that €2000- €3,500 are the ‘standard’ prices for experienced and exciting photographers in Ireland. You’ll be in good hands when spending that kind of money!

Having a highly experienced and talented wedding photographer on your wedding day ensures that you both have a stress-free day and that you’re safe in knowing that your WOW moments are being captured.

Wedding Timeline explained!

As a wedding photographer, I believe a stress-free bride and groom are crucial. In another of my posts, I discussed the secrets to a stress-free wedding—have a read by clicking here!

Experience is hugely important as a wedding photographer. Wedding photographers with expertise can help you plan your wedding day and know how to work on the wedding day to ensure they have many good photos.

They have to achieve this very fast and efficiently – in doing so, you’ll have amazing photos but will still have a lot of time with your family and friends.

Unfortunately, photographers without proper experience will likely waste time using poor locations with little potential to capture good photos.

They can also waste important time and daylight trying to take these photos, all the while, your day is sipping by and you miss out on quality time with your friends and family waiting for you at your wedding reception.

Would you miss out on enjoying your wedding day for 400 euros in savings? Hmmmmm…

Believe it or not, it happens very often! Recently, I shot a wedding where the bride’s sister told me that at her wedding, she had had no time with her guests as the photographer took ages taking their photographs. She also felt her whole day was spent posing for him—she was understandably very disappointed!

Risky Business

That’s the risk—booking someone just learning about wedding photography on your wedding day is not a position you want to be in. It would help if you had someone with experience in fast and efficient photography.

Is Your Wedding Photographer Insured?

Professional Wedding photography Insurance. Suppose you’re getting married in Fota, Ireland, Altamont Gardens, Irish Castle Venue, the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, or many other places. In that case, these locations require that your wedding photographer has an insurance policy of up to €6.5 million.

A cheap wedding photographer will likely not have insurance and can be banned from these venues.

This is a problem and unnecessary stress you don’t want in the week or days before your wedding.

A sample of my Photography Permit –  Fota Gardens  

Hiring an uninsured wedding photographer can have potentially disastrous consequences for a location wedding.

Your photographs, safe and secure

Any professional photographer will back up your wedding day photographs in multiple places to ensure their safety and security. They’ll usually also ensure they’re saved and backed up online in case of a fire in an office, etc.

Online backup can be very expensive, though, and most average photographers probably won’t have access to online copy, as it’s just too costly to justify with what they’re charging. However, a true professional wedding photographer will always invest in this security.

Remember, when you book a cheap wedding photographer, you risk losing your photos if something goes wrong.

Image storage

A professional wedding photographer will always use a camera that makes an instant copy straight into the camera. Again, if something goes wrong, your photos are saved on two separate cards in the camera, so there’s no fear of losing your precious images. Wedding photos are safe on the cloud.

Do you want your photographs to look very posed and staged? Probably not.

Always check your chosen wedding photographer’s portfolio – this will give you a good example of their style of photography. When doing this, look through one couple’s day and not a montage of the photographer’s best photographs from a hundred different weddings.

When I was hunting for my wedding photographer for my special day, I remember looking at the photographer’s website—it was WOW. Still, I suddenly came across a full wedding album that was very, very average… The photographer got lucky with ONE WOW MOMENT—ideally, you want more than that!

How much do wedding albums cost, and how much do you have to be ready to pay for one?

Well, why not look at my post, Wedding Albums Ireland, to get a clearer idea?

Don’t forget – a Wedding Album will stay with you FOREVER!

First off, let’s look at some examples of truly great wedding photography:

Pictures can paint a thousand words, and choosing the right photographer can mean all the difference to your wedding day’s ‘story.

When choosing wedding photography packages, deciding how much to pay for your photographer, or who you’ll pick, remember one very important point: Your photographer will spend your entire wedding day with you. Before making a final decision on a photographer or wedding photography package, make sure that you check the testimonials of your chosen photographer.

For complete transparency, you can see my testimonials here: Wedding photographer testimonials.

Similarly to how I’ve put together this post about photography, Keith Malone, a wedding videographer, has also taken the time to write about his perspective on hiring the right wedding videographer.

Finally, and probably most importantly, as advice when choosing your wedding photographer, the more relaxed and comfortable your photographer can make you feel in front of the camera, the better your photos will look.

I received this message yesterday from one of my clients:

“Daniel, we had so much fun with you… it was like being with a lifelong friend… Thank you so much for everything. I haven’t laughed so much!”

⦁ There is no average price for a truly GREAT wedding photographer!

⦁ There is also no ‘magic’ – the best wedding photographer WILL cost money, but those photos will stay with you forever

⦁ If I book a cheaper option, can I relax on my wedding day and be confident that my wedding photographer has the WOW Factor??? Is having peace of mind worth the €400/€500 saving?

Remember that only your memories and photos will stay with you after your wedding—nothing else. So, please make a good decision to avoid disappointment—it’s already too late after the wedding!
I hope these pointers have been helpful. Enjoy your wedding planning!

Also, one very last thing: if you’d like to go through my portfolios to get a clear idea of my style as a wedding photographer:

Wedding Photography

I’d love to be part of your very special day!

Daniel

www.dkphoto.ie

Irish Wedding Venues click and learn more:

Ballymagarvey Village

Rathsallagh House

Clonabreany House

Irish Castles

Kilkea Castle

Lyrath Estate

Tankardstown House

Luttrellstown Castle

Gloster House

Barberstown Castle

For more, click here:

Wedding Blog