Wedding Photo and Film: Booking Both, and What It Costs

If you’re trying to decide between a wedding photographer and a videographer, the short answer on cost is this: photography plus the base film usually runs around $16,500 and up. Whether it’s worth booking both comes down to what each one actually keeps, so let’s start there.

What photos catch, and what film catches

They’re two different crafts that hold onto two different things.

Photos are what you frame, print, and hang on the wall. The still frame of the first look, the portrait you’ll have for fifty years, the detail of the rings. They’re the pieces that live in your house.

Film is what brings back the sound. Your vows in your own voice. The shake in your dad’s toast. The song that played for the first dance. A photo can’t do that, and most couples don’t realize how much they’ll want it until a year later.

What booking both costs

I keep photography and film separate so you can book either alone or together:

• Photography begins at $6,500 (Essential), with the most-booked collection at $8,500 (Signature)
• Film begins at $10,000 (Highlight)

So a photo collection plus the base film typically lands around $16,500, and goes up from there with larger collections or higher film tiers. The full pricing page lays out every tier.

If you can only do one

Plenty of couples book just photography, and that’s a real choice. If the budget only stretches one way, here’s how I’d think about it: photos are the foundation, the thing you’ll look at most. Film is the upgrade that brings the day back to life. Start with photography, and add the film if you can.

What I’d steer you away from is booking a cheap version of both to get both. One strong craft beats two weak ones. You get one wedding day, and neither the photos nor the film can be re-shot.

The couples who book both

The ones who add film tend to be the ones who, a year out, are glad they didn’t have to choose. If that’s you, tell me about your day and I’ll put together exactly what photo and film look like together. You can also read the full Northern Arizona cost breakdown.

See photo and film pricing