Wedding Photo & Video Package Calculator

Wedding industry surveys consistently show that skipping videography is the top wedding regret of couples who did so. Video captures audio — vows, speeches, laughter — that photographs cannot. A 5–8 minute highlight film distills the emotion of the entire day into a timeless, rewatchable keepsake. If budget requires choosing one over the other, photography should take priority — but a basic videography package at $1,200–$2,000 is worth including even in modest budgets.

A highlight film (3–12 minutes) is a cinematic, music-set compilation of the most beautiful and emotional moments from the wedding day — typically the only deliverable in most videography packages. A full-length film (60–120 minutes) captures the entire ceremony, speeches, and reception in real time. Full-length films are offered as a premium add-on by most videographers, typically adding $500–$1,500 to the package cost.

Wedding photos typically take 4–8 weeks to be fully edited and delivered. Wedding videos take 8–14 weeks due to the more complex editing process (syncing audio, color grading, music licensing). Rush editing is available from most providers for an additional fee of $200–$600. Ask your photographer and videographer for their specific turnaround time commitment in writing as part of the contract.

A wedding album is a professionally designed, printed, and bound physical book containing curated images from the wedding day. Album types include: flush-mount (images print to the edge of the page, $800–$2,500), matted (images surrounded by white mats, $600–$1,800), and fine-art ($1,500–$4,000+). Most photographers offer albums at a markup of 40–80% above their wholesale cost. Albums ordered within 6 months of the wedding often receive a discount from photographers.

RAW files are the unprocessed, original image files from the camera containing maximum data and flexibility. JPEG files are compressed, color-corrected, and edited final versions ready for printing and sharing. Most photographers deliver edited JPEGs only — RAW files are the photographer's working files equivalent to a chef's unprepared ingredients. Some photographers offer RAW file licensing for $500–$2,000 as an add-on for couples who want maximum flexibility for future editing.

Most wedding photographers deliver high-resolution digital files that allow printing at any size and at any print lab. However, professional photographers often recommend ordering prints through professional labs (MPIX, Bay Photo, Artifact Uprising) rather than consumer labs (Walgreens, CVS) for significantly better color accuracy, archival quality, and paper options. Avoid printing important family photos at consumer drugstore or big-box retailers — the quality difference is dramatic.

Essential contract elements: specific name of photographer(s) who will shoot the event, date, start and end times, venue addresses, deliverables (exact image count range, delivery timeline, file format, resolution), album specifications if included, payment schedule and deposit amount, cancellation and rescheduling policies (especially important post-COVID), substitution policy if the primary photographer is unavailable, copyright ownership and usage rights, and social media sharing consent.