Not every wedding photographer or wedding photography package is created equal. And today, many photographers cling to older business models that do not make sense in the modern world. So I would like to go through the 5 things that every modern wedding photography package should have.

First, let’s discuss value. Everyone’s looking for it, the best “Bang for the Buck.” But, in any service based profession or industry, you’ll often hear the phrase, “You get what you pay for.” And it’s true. If you pay a rock bottom price, you should expect rock bottom quality and service. And if you pay top dollar, you should expect exquisite service and quality.

But the terms “rock bottom” and “top dollar” are all relative, right? So you should know that in major markets like NYC, LA, and San Francisco the price range for a “normal” package will range from $2500 to $10000. In more rural areas or smaller markets, the difference will be a lot less. So the median price point is probably much higher than most people think.

Despite all the price disparities, in every modern wedding package, you should expect all or most of the following:

1) Pre & Post Production TIme
Your photographer should be there to answer and advise you at every step of the wedding process, to ensure both your peace of mind as well as the success of the photos to be created. If you’re working with a wedding planner, that’s their job to coordinate with your vendors. The photographer should scout locations, as needed, to completely understand the lighting and logistical challenges of your wedding. And after your wedding, your photographer should process each image with love and care. You should feel confident that your photos will look nothing like your grandparents’ snap shots (unless of course your grandparents are wedding photographers!).

Did you know that many photographers may spend upwards of 60-70 hours of work outside of your wedding day? They spend a lot of time coordinating, scouting, prepping gear, downloading, backing up, processing, color correcting, uploading, and designing your album, among other things. That’s a lot of time!  And probably a lot more than you were thinking.  If they have multiple photographers, that amount of time only increases.

2) Online Viewing Gallery
How are you going to see your photos? Yes, you might swing by their studio for a slideshow presentation with your parents and closest friends. But what about your cousin in Italy or Spain or Asia? How are they going to see the photos?

Every photographer should have the ability to upload the images to a password protected website. There are a gazillion websites out there that provide this service for reasonable costs. And no, Facebook does not count.

3) Online Ordering for Prints
And it would be even better if you and your family could order prints from that online gallery. Afteral, some people still like to post photos on their physical bedroom walls, and not just their Facebook walls.

4) Album(s)
In a digital age, it’s easy to forget about an sort of tangible photo or book? Everyone just wants copies on their computer and to see it on Facebook and you’re good, right? But when was the last time you backed up your hard drive or computer? Or what happens when you decide to close your Facebook account? That’s right! Eventually, that computer might give out or you’ll leave Facebook. That’s where a good album comes in. Usually, the album is the centerpiece of any photography package. But like photographers, not all albums are created equal. Some are cookie cutter and some are custom-designed pieces of stately beauty. It should stand the test of time for you to pass onto your children to show how young and beautiful Mom and Dad were on the day of their wedding. The album will show all the vivid colors and details that made one of the most special days in your life. And a book or album will be easier to pass onto your children, because let’s face it the JPEG format may not last forever, much like floppy disks, eventually people won’t be using it anymore. Books, they’ll be around for a good long while.

5) Access to the Digital Negatives
Back in the old days, pre digital cameras, photographers would hold the film negatives for a period of time, usually 2-5 years. This practice would force the couple to purchase prints through the photographer and that’s how most of the photographers back then made their money. In the digital age, that business model does not work as well, because let’s face it, most people do not order prints as much anymore. It’s all about Facebook and online sharing. There will be a few prints here and there for wall art or the office desk. But couples just want access to the digital negatives.

And this is a heated debate among photographers, these days. Many have argued that sharing the digital negatives decreases the photographer’s revenue that was once supplemented by prints. So how do they make their money now? Well, photographers should be increasing their upfront prices to cover. And I can get into a whole cost breakdown of digital vs film and what not, but you don’t care. You just want your digital negatives. But if you want access to your digital negatives, be prepared to pay top dollar for them cause a photographer’s also got to eat… and pay for their digital equipment.  Also, don’t be surprised if there are some rights limitations on how you can use those digital negatives.  Check your contract or ask your photographer how and where you can use the images.