Destination Wedding Photographer Pricing for Photographers

You just got a dream destination wedding inquiry…NOW WHAT?! Panic sets in because you REALLY (I mean REALLY REALLY) want to book it…maybe you start thinking:

“What if I just charge travel only”

“What if I just let them book my flight and hotel”

“What if I give them half-off my packages”

I’ve been there and totally get what you’re feeling. You don’t want this wedding to slip through your fingers. It could kickstart your destination wedding photographer career. It could get you more weddings in that location. You would be devastated to hear “You’re too expensive” or ” We went with someone local”.

News Flash: THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE CHEAPER.

That couple could have a family member taking photos, gather up all the phone photos from everyone that attended, or they could even hire someone who lives where their wedding is taking place. But, they reached out to you! They value what you have to offer. Why do we have a hard time pricing that value?

So many photographers want to book destination weddings, but one of the biggest hurdles is knowing what they would even charge once they got a destination inquiry. I’m going to go through why you should charge travel fees, what you can include in the pricing and how to present it to your clients in this post! I’ll also be sharing my number one pricing strategy to book destination clients. Hint, it’s not a discount but rather how you present your pricing!

Why charge a travel fee as a wedding photographer

Ask any veteran wedding photographer and they will tell you to charge extra for destination weddings. Don’t do it just for travel costs! But how many of us listen? I certainly didn’t. Maybe it’s a right of passage. Maybe it is something you have to do to get the ball rolling…I just think there is a better way for you to get experience and the content you need.

My first destination wedding, I was living in Utah and the wedding was in Arizona. The bride had posted in a Facebook group that she was looking for a photographer that is great at posing so I threw my name out there. I love posing! I also had family in Arizona so I had a vehicle to borrow and a free place to stay.

The deal was, for $500 and they book my flights (they used credit card points) I would give them 8 hours of wedding photography coverage and bring a second shooter and we shoot at a specific location nearby (since that is ultimately what I wanted for my portfolio).

Bless your heart younger Kaci. She was trying! The $500 basically covered my second shooter, gas from Phoenix to Tucson, client gift, and food. It was three days away from my husband and children. It was turning down a full-paying wedding in Utah. I didn’t get any photos for my portfolio because they ended up not going to the location we had agreed upon. The client didn’t appreciate my work. American Airlines checked my carry-on bag that had my camera gear in it on the way back – luckily nothing was stolen or broken…but I’ll never fly American again that’s for sure! That’s why I always book my own travel now.

There is a better way to build your portfolio (more on that in another blog post)!!!

Needless to say – I learned A LOT.

Since then, I’ve booked five-figure destination wedding photography clients all over the Southwest and some Internationally. I book clients from out of state who are having a destination wedding near me as well as ones that pay for me to travel to their destination. Here are some things to consider when determining what to charge for a destination wedding.

You have to pay for travel

One of the reasons you need to charge for travel is that you literally have to pay for travel in order to serve your client. It is a hard cost in business that is dependent upon the client. What people miss when charging for travel are all the little things that add up. Here are a few things you may have to pay for:

• Gas also think about to and from the airports
• Toll Roads
• Taxi/Uber/Lyft
• Tips for valet, waiters, housekeeping etc
• Car Rental
• Car Insurance
• Car Maintenance
• Additional Insurance for the location/venue
• Parking
• Entry/Tickets to historic sites or museums
• Hotel
• Valet
• Food
• Visitor Tax
• Customs
• Passport renewal
• Work Visa
• Permit
• Outlet Converter
• Roaming cell-phone fees
• Conversion rates on foreign currency
• Foreign Transaction Fees
• Special gear needed in different climate or specific locations
• Luggage to keep your gear safe and pack your essentials

Risks of Traveling

Photographing destination weddings are riskier for you and the client…you’re traveling to a destination where you don’t normally reside. It may be brand new to you. Maybe they speak another language or have different customs than you’re used to. You’ll most likely be by yourself, or just you and your partner traveling. Stay safe!

You need to have insurance and a cushion of cash in case you need it. Prepare for the worst (but expect the best). Some things to think about:

• Travel Insurance
• Delayed/Canceled Flights
• Sickness or Injuries
• Car Problems
• Gear
• Forgot to pack something
• Backing Up Photos
• Thieves
• Personal Safety
• Weather

Opportunity Costs

Destination weddings are NOT a vacation. Nor is that a good reason for you to want to book them. Clients want to hire vendors that are there for THEM, not just there for the location. Most likely, you’ll have more stress than at a normal wedding since you have so much more to worry about. It can be exhausting to travel for weddings because at a minimum you’ll be gone 3-5 days, if not longer. You have to have time to adjust for the time zone difference and jet lag.

Would you make more money booking a wedding, two weddings, or three weddings during that time? Then you can use that cash to book a real, stress-free vacation. Think of all the work you will have to catch up on when you get back.

What about the time you’ll be missing out on with your family? Are you going to be missing birthdays, holidays, or important games/events? There is an opportunity cost to traveling for your weddings. A big part of determining your pricing is determining what your own time is worth. When pricing destination weddings you have to decide, how much is your time worth to you?

How to Charge for Travel as a Wedding Photographer

My number one tip for booking destination weddings is to INCLUDE travel in your pricing. When you present your pricing as all-inclusive it feels prestigious and comparable to a local photographer’s pricing. The customer doesn’t feel nickel and dimed or worried about hidden fees. It’s like Amazon’s genius free shipping sales tactic. The travel feels FREE to the client but in reality, you’ve estimated the cost and included it in your packages.

There are a few ways to do this, you can have pre-made price sheets for each location such as (local, southwest, the USA, and international) after doing some research and finding an average cost for these types of destination weddings. Which is what I used to do.

Now, I create three custom collections after speaking with the client on the phone. That way I get a better feel for the scope of work they need. Will they be having a welcome dinner and farewell party? Do they want a portrait session before all the guests arrive? How many guests are there so I know how many photographers I need to bring. But I still roll the travel cost into the pricing I present to them.

Note that I still require the client to pay for any permit or visa required for their specific location. Especially if it is for a wedding permit that they will most likely have to apply for themselves. I will usually apply for and handle any photography permits. Eloping in Sedona doesn’t typically require a permit, but eloping at the Grand Canyon requires a $500+ permit. Many resorts will charge an additional fee for the couple using an outside vendor.

You don’t have to create a million price sheets, you can create your base price sheet then modify it based on the inquiry you get. Or even use a spreadsheet calculator so you’re not always starting from scratch.

I’ve found as you increase your prices, the clients care less and less about the price and more about having the best. If they’re having a destination wedding, they already understand that the costs will be higher. But everybody loves transparency and a good deal (even rich people). They don’t want to feel taken advantage of or nickel-and-dimed either.

Pricing Mindset

It sounds logical to run your cost of doing business. It sounds logical to do market research and copy what other photographers around you are charging. But the thing is, pricing for a service, especially a creative, artistic service is completely subjective. Do you know this photo of a potato sold for $1,000,000? Also consider this legend about Picasso:

Picasso was at a Paris market when an admirer approached and asked if he could do a quick sketch on a paper napkin for her.

Picasso politely agreed, promptly created a drawing, and handed back the napkin — but not before asking for a million Francs.

The lady was shocked: “How can you ask for so much? It took you five minutes to draw this!”

“No”, Picasso replied, “It took me 40 years to draw this in five minutes.

Our art is worth more than the physical tools we need to create it or amount of time used. It is a culmination of our experiences.

Two of the best mindset shifts that helped me were “Don’t price with your own wallet (what you can afford)” Don’t assume anything about your clients. Don’t assume they can’t afford you. Most people will find a way to pay for what they value! They want to work with you, otherwise they wouldn’t have inquired. “You can only charge what YOU think you’re worth and you’re clients will only spend what THEY think they’re worth”. Show them that you’re both worth it!

Honestly, some of my highest net worth clients book my mid or lower packages while more average couples book the highest package. You just never know. You also don’t know if they’re parents are paying for it, they just received an inheritance, their business took off, you just don’t know so don’t ever assume.

Destination Wedding Photography Packages

How can you practically implement this pricing strategy in your business? To start, you need to come up with a base rate for local weddings. I tell my mentees to research to find the average cost of a wedding in their area, then photography is usually about 10% of that. So now we know the average! Are you going to position yourself below average, average or above average? This will depend on how experienced of a photographer you are. When you’re starting out I think you should be below average or apprentice with another photographer.

Once you get into the average or above average range, my simple math is what is the minimum salary you need to make to pay your bills? Double it to cover taxes and expenses = revenue goal. Divide that by the maximum amount of weddings you could take and there is your middle package price. Now, you have to make that WORTH it to your clients. Sorry, that was a lot of math! But I’m passionate about this topic because so many educators are just telling people to charge more without any methodology or reason.

Then think about what you can offer. I tell my mentees to brainstorm four areas:

Medium- film, drone, unique editing style, video etc

Coverage- additional photographers, hours, portraits etc

Deliverables- prints, albums, gifs, etc

Experience – Check-ins, questionnaires, mood boards, gifts, slideshow, etc

You can make four columns on a piece of paper or even better in trello because then you can rank them and move them to different packages.

I’ve personally offered 4 packages. This has worked well for me since most clients will opt for a middle package. What you include in those packages is up to you and what your clients need. That’s why I always talk to my couples on the phone before sending over pricing to uncover what their photography needs and desires are. I can create custom collections based on exactly what they want.

Once you have your base packages priced out. Research travel costs to your bucket list location at peak season and low season – for how you travel. YOU HAVE TO BOOK YOUR OWN TRAVEL! This reduces a lot of headache for both you and your client. One less thing for your client to worry about. They also can’t judge you if you travel cheaply or more luxuriously. It puts you in control and ensures you and your gear will make it to your destination safely. Sometimes I can stay with friends or family, sometimes I have to stay somewhere swanky so I am near the wedding venue. I calculate 1.5 times what peak travel cost would be because I know I need a cushion. I’ve had a wedding where I had to stay an extra day because I was sick the day after so that was an additional hotel night cost that I had cushion for.

I also have a “non-shooting” or “travel-day” rate that I add on. For example, if I’m photographing a wedding in Paris then I need to arrive at least 3 days early to acclimate and to also have a time cusion in case of travel delays. Whereas if I’m just driving down to Moab, I can leave the day before. Even though I’m not “working” my time is being spent on that client. I do a small flat rate. Some photographers do 10-25% of their shooting day rate. This is all rolled into the custom quote I give them and not a line item so the couple doesn’t see it, but it is a cost of doing business.

Last thing to include – some countries have a really complicated and/or expensive work visa that you will need to get to photograph a wedding there. You have to contact that country’s consulate (Google it and they will have a contact form/email you can contact to ask). Let them know the scope of the work, location, where you and your couple reside, the gear you will be using, how you will be traveling, and any other pertinent details. DO NOT ask in Facebook groups, they are not legal advice and many locals will make it seem harder than it is because they want to book the wedding instead of you. Sometimes you won’t be able to get this information quickly enough to roll into your pricing, just let your lead know that you’ve started the process and they will be paying for that fee later.

I add all of that to my local collection prices VIOLA. Travel is rolled into my pricing and leads are more likely to book me! It keeps your process simple! Couples already have a million decisions to make throughout their wedding process, make it as easy as possible for them to book you! FRICTIONLESS!

Destination Wedding Photographer Retainer

There are two main ways to charge for a retainer: flat rate or percentage. Let’s look at both. You need to charge your clients a retainer to save the date on your calendar and make it an official booking.

Flat Rate Wedding Photographer Retainer

Flat rate is an easier sale, it’s lower the barrier to booking you. Depending on your pricing, it might make sense to do $500, $1000, $2000 or even more. A flat rate is nice because it is simple. No matter the collection that your clients go with, the retainer is the same. If they’re undecided on what package they need, they can always change it when it gets closer, they can at least save their date immediately. It treats all your clients equally. That was a huge topic during covid because if weddings got canceled and the retainer was non-refundable, some clients paid way more than others but both got the same booking service. For these reasons, I mostly do flat rate retainer with my booking process.

Percentage Wedding Photography Retainer

Some photographers offer payment plans with 25% upfront then quartlery 25% installments or 3 payments of 33%. I’d say industry standard, especially for above average pricing is 50% retainer, final 50% due 4-8 weeks before the wedding.

When I do custom quotes that are for international weddings or way above average pricing due to the scope of work they would like then I do 50% because I know it will be more work upfront, they’re taking a huge chunk of time off my calendar, and travel has to be booked right away.

I love using Dubsado for my client management system to keep this all organized! Clients can sign their contracts and pay invoices online.

Overcoming Pricing Objections

The number one objection you’ll encounter in charging for destination weddings is “We would rather hire someone local because they are cheaper and they worry about your flight being canceled”. This is where you reiterate your value as a person and as an artist.

This is easy to overcome for international weddings when you’re from the same country as the client. You speak their language and already understand their culture. There can be culture shock and language barriers when working with foreign vendors. I’ve seen it happen in person! I worked with a bride in Mexico who hired a Spanish-speaking videographer when she didn’t speak Spanish. The videographer literally left the property as the bride was getting ready so we had to find someone that spoke Spanish to bring him back, it was wild. Just think about how much photographers communicate with couples on their wedding day, we’re by their side all day, and we’re intimately posing them. Couples need someone who understands them.

There is literally no one like you! Let your personality shine. Are you assertive and able to direct your clients like nobody else? Or maybe your passive and take a more photojournalistic approach which is great when they want more candid photos. Do you have similar values? I’ve had couples book me because I support Leave No Trace and am eco-conscious. Speaking the same language and living the same culture or religion is also another great connecting point. For international weddings, let the couple know that there may be a language or cultural barrier between them and a local photographer.

Do you live by the couple? This can be a great advantage so you can meet in person, take engagement photos, then maybe even book the same flights to your destination. That way you’re not a stranger showing up on their wedding day.

Provide galleries from the location or similar to the location they are getting married at. No one captures or edits just like you. Let them envision themselves in your photos.

You have to believe to your core that you are the absolute photographer for them! Believe in yourself and your work. If you’re not the best option, that is okay too. I’ve had inquiries I referred out because I knew someone else would be way more stoked and better fit to serve them. For example, I got an inquiry to photography a ski wedding. Which is pretty epic, but not my thing at all! I’ve never skiied in my life nor do I like being in the cold haha so I referred some photographers that would love to serve them. As much as I would love to book another elopement, have those photos in my portfolio and go viral for a ski wedding, it just isn’t me. And that’s okay! The further you get in your career, the more you will understand what lights you up and the types of clients that you jive with best. You become a specialist! That’s key to having the confidence to charge what you’re worth.

Additional Pricing Resources

For questions about taxes and accounting, your best bet is to talk to your CPA/accountant/bookkeeper. For legal advice, please chat with a lawyer near you. This blog post is not legal advice or tax advice. If you need to find a professional, ask for referrals from local photographers or your local chamber of commerce.

The book “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz is a MUST for all entrepreneurs. When I picked it up to read it, I thought it was going to be about making more money but it is actually a money management strategy for your business and even your personal life that will help your business and wealth grow.

The book “You are a Badass at Making Money” by Jen Sincero completely changed my mindset around money! If you’re thinking no one would pay me to travel to their wedding to take photos. Or that you’re not good enough. Or you’re too expensive. Or that you can’t raise your prices because no one would book you. Or you can’t make a living do what you love. Jen will help you break through all those self-imposed limitations.

Maddie Mae paved the way for high-end elopements. She completely changed my mindset of what’s possible for me and my business. If you think elopements are just 1-hour photoshoots under $1000, think again. She offers full day, even multi-day elopements starting at five figures. She is an invaluable resource to learn from. Your clients are out there and yes, they can afford you!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this blog post! I know it will help you charge for travel and book those destination weddings you’ve been dreaming of! If you’re ready to book more destination weddings, I offer online courses and mentorships to help you do it!