Wedding photography and videography business

Wedding Photography and Videography Business — Earn $2,000-$8,000 per Weekend Capturing the Most Important Day of People's Lives

Wedding photography and videography is one of the highest-paying creative side hustles available, with the average couple spending $2,900 on photography and $2,000-$3,500 on videography according to The Knot's 2025 survey. Since 2.1 million weddings take place in the United States each year — predominantly on Saturdays — this creates an enormous weekend-based business opportunity that pairs perfectly with a Monday-through-Friday job. A single wedding booking can generate $2,000-$8,000 in revenue for a full day's work, and experienced photographers in major markets command $5,000-$15,000 per wedding. Shooting just 2-3 weddings per month on weekends can produce $4,000-$24,000 in monthly income, making this one of the most lucrative side hustles by hourly rate.

The wedding industry is remarkably resilient. Even during economic downturns, people continue to get married and prioritize professional photography and video as one of the few lasting tangible memories of their day. Unlike trends that come and go, wedding photography has only grown more valuable as social media has made high-quality wedding content a cultural expectation. The rise of social media-first couples who want Instagram-worthy photos and cinematic highlight reels for TikTok and YouTube has actually expanded the market — couples now commonly hire both a traditional photographer AND a content creator or videographer, increasing the total spend per wedding.

Services You Can Offer

• Wedding day photography packages: The core offering. Packages typically include 6-10 hours of coverage, a second shooter, edited digital images (300-800 photos), an online gallery, and print rights. Entry-level pricing starts at $1,500-$2,500, mid-market at $3,000-$5,000, and premium at $5,000-$15,000+. Most photographers deliver 3-6 weeks after the wedding.
• Wedding videography packages: Full-day video coverage including ceremony, reception highlights, speeches, and first dance. Deliverables include a 3-5 minute highlight reel, a 15-30 minute documentary edit, and full ceremony footage. Pricing ranges from $1,500-$3,000 for entry-level to $5,000-$12,000 for premium cinematic videography.
• Engagement session photography: A 1-2 hour photo session for couples before the wedding, typically used for save-the-date cards and wedding websites. Pricing: $300-$800 per session. Often included as part of wedding packages or offered as a standalone service that leads to wedding bookings.
• Elopement and micro-wedding coverage: Shorter, more intimate weddings of 2-4 hours. Pricing: $800-$2,500. The elopement market has exploded post-2020 and represents a growing segment with lower time commitment per booking.
• Wedding content creation: A newer service where you capture iPhone or camera content specifically optimized for social media — vertical Reels, TikToks, and Stories content during the wedding. This is often hired alongside traditional photography. Pricing: $500-$2,000 per event. Lower barrier to entry since smartphone content is acceptable and expected.
• Photo and video booth rentals: Providing a self-service photo or video booth with props and instant prints. Pricing: $400-$1,200 per event. This can be a semi-passive income stream at weddings where you are already shooting.
• Album design and print sales: Custom-designed wedding albums are a high-margin upsell. Albums cost $100-$300 to produce and sell for $500-$3,000. Many photographers generate 20-30% of their total revenue from album and print sales after the wedding.
• Bridal portraits and boudoir: Pre-wedding portrait sessions in the wedding dress or intimate boudoir photography as a gift for the partner. Pricing: $300-$1,000 per session.

How to Start Your Wedding Photography Business

Step 1: Equipment Investment — $2,000 to $10,000

• Camera body — $1,000-$3,000: You need a camera capable of performing in low-light reception venues and fast-moving situations. Full-frame mirrorless cameras are the current standard. Excellent entry points include the Sony A7III ($1,500 used), Canon R6 ($1,800 used), or Nikon Z6II ($1,500 used). Having a second camera body is essential for backup — equipment failure at a wedding is catastrophic. A used backup body adds $500-$1,500.
• Lenses — $500-$3,000: The essential wedding lens kit includes a 24-70mm f/2.8 (versatile workhorse, $800-$2,000), a 70-200mm f/2.8 (ceremony and candid shots from distance, $1,000-$2,500), and a 35mm or 50mm f/1.4 (low-light reception work, $300-$800). Starting with just a 24-70mm and a 50mm covers 90% of wedding situations.
• Lighting — $200-$800: An on-camera flash (speedlight, $150-$400) is non-negotiable for receptions. Off-camera flash kit with triggers ($200-$600) elevates your work significantly. Learning to use flash well is what separates amateur from professional wedding photography.
• Memory cards and storage — $100-$300: Fast, reliable memory cards (always carry extras). A portable hard drive for backup. Cloud storage for delivery and archive. Never shoot with only one memory card — use dual card slots for redundancy.
• Videography additions — $1,000-$5,000: If offering video, add a gimbal stabilizer ($300-$700), shotgun microphone and audio recorder ($200-$500), video-capable drone ($500-$1,500 — requires FAA Part 107 certification for commercial use), and additional camera body for video.

Step 2: Build Your Portfolio — 2-6 Months

• Second shoot for established photographers: The fastest path to wedding experience. Reach out to local wedding photographers and offer to second shoot (assist at weddings) for free or low pay ($200-$500 per wedding). You gain real wedding experience, build your portfolio with actual wedding images, and learn the workflow. Most established photographers welcome reliable second shooters. Aim for 5-10 second shooting experiences before booking your own weddings.
• Styled shoots: Organize practice sessions with aspiring models, wedding vendors (florists, planners, venues), and friends. Everyone contributes their services to create portfolio-quality content. Post results on social media and wedding vendor directories.
• Offer discounted first weddings: Your first 3-5 solo weddings should be priced at 30-50% below market rate in exchange for portfolio usage rights and testimonials. Be transparent that you are building your portfolio — many budget-conscious couples are happy to work with talented newcomers at a discount.
• Engagement sessions and couples shoots: Offer free or discounted couples sessions to build portrait portfolio. These sessions are lower pressure than weddings and help you develop posing, lighting, and editing skills.

Step 3: Establish Your Brand and Online Presence

• Website with portfolio — $200-$500: A clean, professional website is essential. Use Squarespace, Showit, or WordPress with a photography theme. Feature your best 20-30 images on the homepage, include pricing information (or a price range), and make it easy to contact you. Your website is your 24/7 sales tool.
• Instagram presence: Wedding photography is a highly visual business, and Instagram is the primary discovery platform. Post consistently (3-5 times per week), use relevant hashtags, engage with wedding vendors and venues in your area, and share behind-the-scenes content. Many couples find their photographer through Instagram.
• Wedding directories: List on The Knot, WeddingWire, and Zola. These platforms charge $500-$3,000 per year but are where engaged couples actively search for photographers. Reviews on these platforms are powerful social proof.
• Google Business Profile: Free listing that captures couples searching for wedding photographer near me. Collect Google reviews from every client.

Step 4: Book Your First Clients

• Wedding vendor networking: Build relationships with wedding planners, florists, venue coordinators, DJs, and caterers. These vendors refer couples to photographers they trust and have worked with. Attend bridal shows and wedding industry events. A single strong planner relationship can generate 5-15 referrals per year.
• Venue partnerships: Approach wedding venues and offer to shoot a complimentary styled session at their location. In exchange, they add you to their preferred vendor list and recommend you to couples booking their venue. This is one of the most effective marketing strategies in wedding photography.
• Social media marketing: Share real wedding galleries, behind-the-scenes reels, client testimonials, and wedding planning tips. Tag venues, vendors, and couples to expand your reach. Wedding content performs exceptionally well on Instagram and TikTok.
• Word of mouth and referrals: After your first few weddings, satisfied couples become your best marketing channel. Offer referral incentives ($100-$300 credit or a complimentary session) for couples who refer new bookings. Wedding referrals convert at extremely high rates because couples trust recommendations from recently married friends.

Pricing Strategy

• Entry-level packages — $1,500-$2,500: 6-8 hours of coverage, one photographer, 300-500 edited images, online gallery. Appropriate for your first year while building experience and portfolio.
• Mid-range packages — $3,000-$5,000: 8-10 hours of coverage, second shooter, 500-800 edited images, engagement session, online gallery, print credits. The sweet spot for year 2-3 photographers.
• Premium packages — $5,000-$10,000+: Full-day coverage, second shooter, engagement session, bridal portraits, custom album, prints, same-day slideshow, rush delivery options. For established photographers with strong portfolios and reputations.
• Videography add-on or standalone — $1,500-$5,000: Highlight reel, documentary edit, full ceremony footage, drone coverage, raw footage delivery.
• A la carte add-ons: Additional hours $200-$500 each. Second photographer $500-$1,000. Album $500-$3,000. Rush editing $300-$800. Photo booth $400-$1,200. Drone coverage $300-$600.

Post-Wedding Workflow

• Culling: Reviewing and selecting the best images from 2,000-5,000+ raw photos down to 300-800 final selections. Tools like Photo Mechanic ($139) dramatically speed this process.
• Editing: Color correction, exposure adjustment, and creative editing of selected images. Adobe Lightroom ($10-$20/month) is the industry standard. Develop a consistent editing style that becomes your signature look. Editing a full wedding takes 8-20 hours depending on your workflow and number of final images.
• Delivery: Upload finished galleries to platforms like Pixieset, ShootProof, or Pic-Time. These platforms handle online viewing, sharing, downloading, and print ordering. Deliver within 3-6 weeks of the wedding date.
• Album design: If the package includes an album, design a 20-40 page layout for client approval, then order from professional labs like Miller's, WHCC, or Artifact Uprising. Album production takes 4-8 weeks.

Scaling Your Wedding Photography Business

• Raise prices as your portfolio grows: After every 10-15 weddings, evaluate your pricing. Strong portfolios and positive reviews justify 20-30% price increases. The goal is to shoot fewer weddings at higher prices to avoid burnout.
• Add videography services: Offering both photo and video captures more of the couple's wedding budget. You can learn videography yourself or hire a videographer subcontractor and mark up their fee 30-50%.
• Build a team of associate photographers: Train and hire associate photographers who shoot weddings under your brand while you focus on premium bookings and business development. Associates are paid 30-50% of the booking fee, and you keep the rest. This is how photography businesses scale beyond the solo operator model.
• Diversify into corporate and commercial work: Use your wedding photography skills to offer corporate headshots, event photography, product photography, and branding sessions on weekdays. This fills weekday gaps and reduces dependence on seasonal wedding demand.

Realistic Monthly Income Timeline

• Month 1-6: $0-$2,000 while building portfolio, second shooting, and booking first solo weddings at discounted rates
• Month 7-12: $2,000-$5,000 with 1-3 weddings per month at entry-level pricing
• Year 2: $4,000-$10,000 with 2-4 weddings per month at mid-range pricing and growing referral base
• Year 3+: $6,000-$20,000+ with premium pricing, associate photographers, and diversified services

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not having backup equipment: Camera failure at a wedding is the worst-case scenario. Always carry a second camera body, extra batteries, and extra memory cards. No exceptions.
• Overpromising and underdelivering: Be realistic about turnaround times, number of final images, and what your packages include. Set clear expectations in your contract.
• No contract: Always use a professional contract specifying services, deliverables, payment terms, cancellation policy, copyright, and liability limitations. Never shoot without a signed contract and deposit.
• Burnout: Wedding photography is physically and emotionally demanding. Shooting every weekend during peak season (May through October) leads to burnout. Cap your bookings at a sustainable level — most photographers max out at 25-35 weddings per year for quality and sanity.
• Neglecting post-processing time: Each wedding requires 15-30+ hours of post-production (culling, editing, album design, delivery). Factor this into your pricing — if a wedding takes 8 hours to shoot and 20 hours to edit, your effective hourly rate is based on 28 hours, not 8.

Tools and Resources

• Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop (adobe.com) — Industry-standard editing software
• Photo Mechanic (camerabits.com) — Fast image culling and metadata tool
• Pixieset (pixieset.com) — Client gallery delivery and print sales platform
• ShootProof (shootproof.com) — Gallery hosting, contracts, and invoicing
• HoneyBook (honeybook.com) — CRM, contracts, invoicing, and workflow management
• The Knot and WeddingWire — Wedding vendor directories for lead generation
• SLR Lounge (slrlounge.com) — Photography education and wedding photography workshops

Wedding photography and videography is the rare side hustle that pays premium rates for weekend work, creates deeply meaningful connections with clients, and has essentially unlimited income ceiling as your skills and reputation grow. The initial investment in equipment is significant ($2,000-$10,000), but a single wedding booking can recoup a substantial portion of that investment. The key is to build experience through second shooting, develop a distinctive editing style, and leverage vendor relationships and social media to generate consistent bookings. Within 12-18 months of dedicated effort, a wedding photography business can reliably generate $4,000-$10,000 per month while working primarily on weekends, making it one of the highest-earning part-time businesses you can build.