Why is wedding photography so expensive? | Boston Wedding Photography

In this installment of our long-running series we look at why different aspects of weddings can feel so expensive.

The Wedding Tax.

Couples will speak about it in hushed whispers and there are probably a dozen explainers online as to why it either does or does not exist. But why does it feel like everything at a wedding comes with a hefty price tag?

Ask a dozen different Boston wedding photographers and you’re likely to get a dozen different answers about pouring their hearts and souls into their work. But those answers are never quite satisfying because they’re for nerds, and there’s just one honest answer.

Luxury. 

Weddings are aspirational events. The culture has transformed them from a mile marker on the road of life into an outsized event that you only get one shot at, where success means the best night of your life and failure means that your life is over. So as luxury products wedding services aren’t tied to a use value, they’re free to go for what the market will bear.

It’s not to say there’s no value in the labor of wedding photography or in the moments that they capture. I love shooting weddings and think that these moments I’m capturing for my clients are priceless, but the dedication and craft are possible because of the price and the price is possible because people dream about these enchanted, bombastic, and beautiful weddings. Fortunately advances in technology, education, and opportunities mean there are great photographers at every price point and those beautiful moments can be captured for a lifetime for so many couples.

Looking for more information on packages and pricing? Get in touch with Ryan Richardson Photography today.

Ryan Richardson is a wedding and engagement photographer serving Boston and beyond; including Cape Cod Weddings, New England Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings and Rhode Island Weddings.