When you start comparing wedding photographers, every studio seems to package things a little differently. One lists hours, another lists photos, another lists products, and it can be hard to tell what you’re actually getting. Here’s a clear guide to what’s typically included in wedding photography packages, why each piece matters on your wedding day, and what to look at closely when you compare.
At Jaimie Dee Photography, we call our packages collections. You’ll find ours on our Atlanta wedding photography packages page, and we’ll point out how we handle each piece along the way.
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Coverage Hours: How Much of Your Day Is Photographed
Coverage hours are the backbone of any package, because they decide which parts of your day end up in your gallery.
About 4 hours (half day): a beautiful fit for micro weddings and smaller guest counts. For a larger wedding, 4 hours usually covers the ceremony, family photos, wedding party and couple portraits, and the start of the reception, so getting ready and the last part of the night are often trimmed.
About 6 to 8 hours (full day): where most full wedding days land. When we say a full wedding day, we mean about 8 hours, which comfortably covers getting ready through your key reception moments.
Extended coverage: for multi-location days, longer receptions or extra events such as a send-off.
Most studios, ours included, let you add hours if your timeline grows. If you’re still mapping out your day, our guide to how long you need a wedding photographer for walks through sample timelines hour by hour.
Why it matters: the right number of hours is the one that matches your timeline. A package with fewer hours can look like the better value on paper and then leave your getting-ready photos or your first dance out of the story.
Who’s Photographing Your Wedding: A Team of Two
Packages often list “two photographers,” and it’s worth asking what that means. Every one of our wedding collections includes a creative team of two: one lead photographer and one assistant photographer.
Your assistant photographer works in a dual role. They support the lead throughout the day by managing lighting gear, placing your train and catching stray hairs before a portrait, and they photograph the same moments with different lenses from different angles. During the processional, that means one of us can capture you walking down the aisle while the other catches your partner’s reaction. Our team stays together all day because we work better as a team, and your gallery shows it.
Your lead photographer may be Jaimie, Kyle or one of our associate photographers, each trained in our process and editing style.
Photography Timeline Planning
Planning is one of the most valuable parts of a package, and it’s easy to overlook because it happens weeks before the wedding. About 30 to 60 days before your date, we meet with you for photography timeline planning. Together we build the portrait list and family photo order, confirm venue details, add realistic buffers for travel and late starts, and plan your couple portraits around the best light.
Why it matters: the thinking happens before the wedding, so you get to be present on the day. It’s also how we protect the moments that matter most to you when the schedule shifts.
Digital Images: How Many Photos Come in a Wedding Package
This is one of the most searched questions about wedding photography packages, and the honest answer is that it depends on your hours, your guest count and how much happens during your day.
With a lead photographer and an assistant photographer, most of our couples receive about 100 to 150 edited digital images per hour of coverage. For a full wedding day, that’s typically 800 to 1,200 images. Every image you receive is carefully selected and edited for color and exposure in our true-to-life style with a little added pop, and a full wedding takes about 40 hours of careful editing. Your collection also includes a personal print release, so you can share and print your digital images for personal use. You can read more about our editing and post-production process.
Why it matters: a high photo count only helps if every image is one you’d want to keep. When you compare packages, look at sample full galleries alongside the highlight images on a website, so you can see the consistency across a whole day.
Previews and Delivery Timing
Delivery timing varies widely between studios, so it’s worth knowing what to expect before you book.
Previews: please allow at least a week (and up to two) for your preview images. Most of our couples receive them the same night or the next day, which is perfect for sharing with family and friends while the excitement is still fresh.
Your full gallery: we present your full gallery at an ordering premiere that you schedule with us, usually about two weeks after the wedding. Many couples choose the date during their photography timeline planning meeting.
Fast, reliable delivery is one of the things our couples mention most in their reviews. If quick turnaround is high on your list, our guide to fast wedding photo delivery explains how we make it happen.
Albums and the Ordering Premiere
Albums are where many packages differ the most. Some include one, some offer it as an add-on, and the quality and size can vary a great deal.
Our full-day wedding collections include a wedding album, because your photos deserve a home beyond a hard drive. At your ordering premiere, you’ll see your full gallery, design your album with us and decide whether you’d like any upgrades, wall art or additional products. Images chosen for your album and artwork receive complimentary custom retouching, and advanced retouching is available if you’d like it. See examples and options on our custom wedding albums page.
Why it matters: an album is the version of your wedding you’ll actually pick up and share for decades. Ask what size and materials are included and how the design process works.
Engagement Sessions
Some packages bundle an engagement session, and many couples love having one. Our most complete collection includes an engagement session, and couples booking any of our wedding collections can add one.
Why it matters: an engagement session is a relaxed chance to get comfortable in front of the camera with the same team who’ll photograph your wedding. By the wedding day, you already know how we guide posing and prompts, and it shows in your photos.
What to Compare When You Review Wedding Photography Packages
Two packages with the same number of hours can be very different experiences. Here’s what to look at, and why each one matters:
Who will actually photograph your day. Ask who your lead photographer will be and what the second person does. A trained assistant photographer working alongside the lead captures more angles and keeps the day flowing.
Whether the hours fit your timeline. Sketch your day first, then choose coverage. Adding an hour ahead of time is far simpler than wishing for one on the day.
How your photos are protected. Experienced studios record every image to two memory cards at once, back up the full wedding to the studio and offsite, and keep the cards until after delivery.
How planning works. A dedicated photography timeline planning meeting is what keeps family photos quick and protects your golden-hour portraits.
What delivery looks like. Ask when previews arrive and when you’ll see your full gallery.
What’s included in the album. Size, page count and the design process all affect what you’ll have to hold onto.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wedding Photography Packages
What Do Most Wedding Photography Packages Include?
Most wedding photography packages include a set number of coverage hours, one or two photographers, edited digital images in an online gallery and a print release for personal use. Many also include timeline planning, and fuller packages often add an album or an engagement session. Our wedding collections include a team of two, posing guidance, photography timeline planning, true-to-life editing, digital images and an ordering premiere, and our full-day collections include an album.
How Many Photos Come in a Wedding Package?
It depends on coverage hours and how much happens during your day. With a lead photographer and an assistant photographer, our couples typically receive about 100 to 150 edited images per hour, or about 800 to 1,200 images for a full wedding day.
How Many Photos Should I Expect From My Wedding Photographer?
Expect a complete, curated story of your day, from getting ready (if it’s covered) through your key reception moments. A count is a helpful guide, and the more useful check is a full sample gallery, so you can see that every image is one you’d keep.
Why Do Wedding Photographers Have Two Cameras?
Professional wedding photographers often carry two camera bodies with different lenses, so they can move from a close-up to a wide view instantly and catch every moment. Many professional cameras also record each image to two memory cards at once, so there’s always a backup. With our team of two, both photographers work this way, which gives you more angles of every important moment.
Can We Add an Engagement Session to Our Wedding Package?
Yes. Our most complete collection includes an engagement session, and any of our wedding collections can add one. It’s a great way to get comfortable with your photography team before the wedding.
Find the Collection That Fits Your Day
Every wedding timeline is a little different. Tell us about your date, your guest count and what matters most to you, and we’ll help you choose the coverage that fits. You can see all of our options on our Atlanta wedding photography packages page.
Book your wedding photographer as soon as your date and venue are set, ideally 9 to 12 months before the wedding. Spring and fall weekends are the most requested wedding dates in Atlanta, and many couples reserve those a year or more ahead. Weekday and winter weddings often have more availability closer to the date, and elopements book on a much shorter timeline.
We’ve photographed weddings around Atlanta since 2008. Here’s when to book a wedding photographer for your date, why spring and fall fill first, and what happens once your date is reserved.
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How Far in Advance Should You Book a Wedding Photographer?
Most wedding planning guides land in the same place. Zola, for example, suggests booking your photographer at least 9 months out, and at least a year ahead if the photographer you love is in high demand.
In our experience, the right timing depends on your date more than a set number of months. A photographer can only be at one wedding on a given day, and a studio that takes a limited number of weddings each year has a limited number of dates to offer. Here’s a simple guide:
Spring and fall weekends: a year or more ahead.
Other weekends: about 9 to 12 months ahead.
Weekdays (Monday through Thursday) and winter dates: often more availability closer to the day.
Elopements and courthouse weddings: anywhere from a few days to about three months ahead.
Over the last few years, we’ve seen more couples book closer to their date. Spring and fall Saturdays are still reserved a year or more ahead by many couples, so starting later can mean your first-choice date is already taken. If your heart is set on a spring or fall Saturday, reserve it early. If you’re planning on a shorter timeline, a Friday, Sunday or weekday date opens up more options.
Why Spring and Fall Dates Book First in Atlanta
In Georgia, spring and fall are the most requested wedding seasons. Spring brings blooming gardens and mild temperatures, and fall brings cooler evenings and changing leaves. Weekends in both seasons are the first dates to fill, with venues and with photographers.
Specialty dates book early too. Repeater dates like 10/10 or 5/5 and holiday weekends draw a lot of couples, so if your heart is set on one, reach out as soon as you have your venue.
Planning a Spring Wedding
Spring weddings in Atlanta book furthest ahead. If you’re hoping for a spring Saturday, reach out to photographers soon after you sign with your venue, ideally a year or more before the date.
Planning a Fall Wedding
Many couples who get engaged over the holidays start booking vendors in January for a wedding the following fall, so fall Saturdays fill quickly once the new year begins. If you’re planning a fall wedding, aim to book your photographer a year or more ahead.
When a Weekday or Off-Season Wedding Makes Sense
If your date is flexible, a weekday or off-season wedding opens up more options. Monday through Thursday weddings give you more venue dates to choose from, quieter spaces for portraits, and a better chance of booking every vendor on your wish list.
Winter weddings bring cozy indoor settings, holiday decor and warm evening light inside the venue. For a summer wedding, an indoor venue keeps everyone comfortable in the Georgia heat. Weekends are the most requested days of the week and are priced to reflect that demand. Our guide to how much a wedding photographer costs explains how the day and season shape pricing.
Booking an Elopement or Courthouse Wedding
Elopements and courthouse weddings work on a shorter timeline. We love booking elopements anywhere from a few days to about three months before the date, so you can plan around the moment that feels right. If you’re hoping to get married soon, our guide to a last-minute elopement in Atlanta walks through the steps.
Where Your Photographer Fits in Your Wedding Planning Timeline
Your venue and date come first, since every other vendor books around them. Your photographer is usually one of the next calls, because like your venue, a photographer can only take one wedding per day. If a certain photographer is high on your list, check their availability before you sign with your venue. Photographers reserve a date once it’s confirmed, so a quick note with the dates you’re considering lets you choose one your photographer has open.
Decide on your guest count and the kind of day you want.
Shortlist your venues and dates, and check availability with the photographer you love.
Book your venue and confirm your date.
Book your photographer right away.
Book the rest of your vendors, such as your planner, caterer, florist, music, and hair and makeup.
Schedule your engagement session, if you’d like one.
Plan your photography timeline about 30 to 60 days before the wedding.
How to Choose and Book Your Wedding Photographer
Start by looking at full wedding galleries, so you can see how a photographer handles a whole day, from dark churches to sunset portraits. Then set up calls with the two or three studios you love most. Our list of questions to ask a wedding photographer covers what to ask and why each answer matters.
Once you find the right fit, reserve your date soon after. Photographers book dates in the order they’re reserved, and a date is held once the contract is signed and the retainer is paid.
What Happens After You Book With Us
Booking with our studio is simple. It usually starts with a quick call to check your date and hear about your plans, followed by a consultation where we walk through our wedding photography collections and what it’s like to work with us.
Reserve your date: your date is reserved once your contract is signed and your retainer is paid.
Adjust as your plans grow: your collection can be adjusted as your day comes together, and you can add coverage hours.
Plan your day with us: about 30 to 60 days before the wedding, we meet for photography timeline planning to map out portraits, family photos and the best light for your venue.
Enjoy a calm wedding day: you’ll have a creative team of two, one lead photographer and one assistant photographer, working together all day.
When to Book a Wedding Photographer FAQ
How Far in Advance Should a Wedding Photographer Be Booked?
About 9 to 12 months before the wedding for most dates, and a year or more for spring and fall weekends in Atlanta. The best time is as soon as your date and venue are confirmed.
Can You Book a Wedding Photographer Two Years in Advance?
Yes. Many photographers, including our studio, book weddings up to about two years out. Booking early gives you the widest choice of dates.
Is It Too Late to Book a Wedding Photographer a Few Months Before the Wedding?
It depends on your date. Weekday, winter and smaller weddings often have availability closer to the day. Send us your date and we’ll check our calendar for you.
Do You Pay a Wedding Photographer Upfront or After?
Most photographers ask for a retainer to reserve your date, with the remaining balance due before the wedding. With our studio, a signed contract and a non-refundable retainer reserve your date.
Should You Book Your Venue or Photographer First?
Your venue, in most cases, since your date depends on venue availability and your photographer reserves a confirmed date. If you already have a photographer you love, send them the dates you’re considering before you sign with your venue, then book them as soon as your date is set.
How Many Hours Should You Book a Wedding Photographer For?
Most full wedding days land between 6 and 8 hours of coverage, and 4 hours works well for micro weddings and smaller celebrations. Our guide to how long you need a wedding photographer walks through sample timelines.
How Far in Advance Should You Book an Engagement Session?
Once your wedding photographer is booked, plan your engagement session early enough for the photos to be ready before you send save-the-dates. Spring and fall are popular for engagement sessions too, so those weekend dates fill first. See our Atlanta engagement photography for ideas.
When Should the Photographer Arrive at the Wedding?
Your photographer arrives at the start of your coverage, which we set together during photography timeline planning. For most full wedding days, coverage begins during getting ready, so we can photograph the details and the final moments before you walk down the aisle.
Reserve Your Wedding Date
If you’re planning a spring or fall wedding, the best time to book your photographer is soon after your venue. We’d love to hear about your plans. Learn more about our Atlanta wedding photography, or reach out to check your date.
The best questions to ask a wedding photographer go beyond price and availability. Ask who will be on your team and what each person does, where they’ll stand as you walk down the aisle, how they photograph dark ceremony rooms and receptions, how they protect your photos, and how they help you plan the day. The answers show you how a photographer actually works, which is what shapes your photos and how your wedding day feels.
Many couples arrive at a consultation with a long list of questions from wedding websites. Our wedding photography FAQ page answers the most common ones in writing, so you can read them anytime. This guide goes further. For each question below, we explain why it matters and share how our studio answers it, so you know exactly what to listen for when you talk with any photographer.
Why Experience Shapes More Than Photo Quality
When couples compare quotes, many picture the difference as image quality alone: photos that are a little less sharp or a little less polished. In our experience, a photographer’s experience shapes the entire day. It decides where they stand during the processional, whether a backlit ceremony room still gives you clear and beautiful photos, how flattering the light is at your reception, how natural you look in your portraits, and whether every image makes it safely from the camera to your gallery. The questions below help you see those differences before you book.
Questions About Experience and Style
How Long Have You Been Photographing Weddings?
Why it matters: Every wedding brings surprises: a timeline that runs long, a sudden rain shower, a dark church, a family photo list that grows on the day. Years of weddings teach a photographer to plan for those moments and handle them calmly, so you can stay present.
How we answer: Our studio was established in 2008, and we’ve been photographing weddings around Atlanta for nearly two decades. That experience shows up in our planning, our calm on the day and the consistency of every gallery.
Can We See Two or Three Complete Wedding Galleries?
Why it matters: A highlight reel shows a photographer’s favorite images. A complete gallery shows how they handle the whole day: getting ready, the ceremony, family photos, a dim reception and the dance floor. It’s the clearest preview of what you’ll receive.
How we answer: We share complete weddings on our blog, from the first getting-ready photos through the reception, so you can see how we photograph an entire day.
How Would You Describe Your Style, and How Much Do You Guide Us?
Why it matters: Some photographers stay entirely in the background, and others direct every moment. Knowing where a photographer falls helps you choose someone whose approach matches how you want to feel on the day.
How we answer: Our style is cinematic, classic and candid, with true-to-life editing and a little added polish. During the ceremony and reception, we let the day unfold naturally. During portraits, we guide you with gentle direction so you always know what to do with your hands. Our guide to camera-shy wedding portraits explains how that works.
Have You Photographed at Our Venue, and How Will You Prepare?
Why it matters: How a photographer reads a space tells you how ready they’ll be on the day, wherever you’re celebrating.
How we answer: We’ve photographed at many venues across metro Atlanta, and you can browse some of them in our Atlanta wedding venues guide. A venue that’s new to us is almost always similar to spaces we know well, and after nearly two decades of weddings, reading a space is second nature: we find the best light and backdrops within moments of arriving. Before the day, we prepare with your venue’s floor plan for your event, photos you take of the spaces you love, and a look at where the sun will be at your ceremony and portrait times. If you’re at your venue and want to show us a favorite spot, you’re welcome to video call us from there.
Questions About Your Photography Team
Who Will Photograph Our Wedding, and What Does Each Team Member Do?
Why it matters: The people at your wedding shape both your photos and how the day feels. Knowing each person’s role lets you picture the day before it happens and tells you how fully each moment will be covered.
How we answer: Every one of our wedding collections includes a creative team of two: one lead photographer and one assistant photographer. Our assistant photographers work in a dual role. As an assistant, they manage lighting gear, fluff and place your train, and brush stray hairs out of the way, which you’ll notice most during family portraits at the altar, your couple portraits and wedding party portraits. As a photographer, they work alongside the lead, photographing the same moments with different lenses from different angles, so each moment is captured with more variety as it unfolds. Our team stays together all day because we work better as a team. Meet our Atlanta wedding photographers.
Who Covers Our Wedding if You’re Sick or There’s an Emergency?
Why it matters: Your date is set, and your wedding happens once. A clear plan for the unexpected means your day is covered, whatever happens.
How we answer: Our associate photographers train in our style over years, and we oversee the editing of every wedding, so your wedding is always in skilled hands that photograph the way we do and your gallery matches the work you see in our portfolio.
How Many Weddings Do You Take Each Year?
Why it matters: A photographer’s calendar affects how much time they can give you: planning calls, prompt replies and careful editing all take time.
How we answer: We intentionally take a limited number of weddings each year. That choice gives every couple our full attention, from the first call through the day your gallery is delivered.
Questions About the Ceremony and Low Light
Where Will You Stand During the Processional and the Vows?
Why it matters: The walk down the aisle happens once. Where a photographer stands decides whether you see faces, glances between you and the person walking beside you, and your partner’s reaction, or only the backs of everyone walking toward the altar. Many churches and venues also limit where photographers can stand, so this takes planning.
How we answer: We plan our positions for the processional, vows, first kiss and recessional ahead of time, following your officiant’s and venue’s guidelines. With our team of two, the lead and assistant photographer capture the same moments from different angles with different lenses, so you see each moment more than one way.
How Do You Photograph Dark Churches, Ballrooms and Backlit Rooms?
Why it matters: Ceremony rooms are often darker than they look, and many have windows behind the altar, so everyone at the front is backlit. Getting clear, true-to-color photos in that light takes professional full-frame cameras and fast lenses, along with the skill to use them. Entry-level cameras and kit lenses struggle in these rooms.
How we answer: We photograph with full-frame cameras and lenses made for low light, and we add professional lighting wherever it’s allowed. Our guide to wedding photography at night shows what that looks like in dim and evening settings.
What Lighting Do You Use at the Reception?
Why it matters: Reception rooms are dark, and lighting decides how you look in every dance floor photo. A small flash on top of the camera, fired from across a large room, produces hard, flat light that shows skin texture and shine. Off-camera and directional lighting placed thoughtfully around the room gives soft, flattering light with depth.
How we answer: We bring on-camera flashes, off-camera flashes and video lights, and we choose the right setup for your room so your reception photos feel as warm and flattering as the moment itself.
Questions About Portraits and Posing
How Will You Pose Us So We Look and Feel Natural?
Why it matters: Small details make a big difference in portraits: a softly bent arm, relaxed hands, the right angle for your body type and the height difference between you. Many couples worry that posing will look stiff or staged, and the right approach makes portraits feel natural and look like you at your very best.
How we answer: Posing is one of our favorite parts of what we do, and something we’ve studied for years. Every couple is different: body shapes, height differences and the way you naturally stand together all change how a pose should look. We tailor each pose to you, guiding posture, angles and hand placement so the features you love most shine and you look and feel your best.
Our approach blends two styles. Classic posing gives you polished, timeless portraits. Movement-based posing feels more like gentle choreography: we give you a series of movements or a playful prompt, like handing one of you a pickup line to try on the other, and photograph the real laughter that follows. After nearly two decades of weddings, those adjustments come naturally, so portraits feel easy and look effortless, and guided, natural-feeling posing is one of the things our couples mention most in their reviews.
How Will You Make Sure Every Skin Tone Looks True to Life?
Why it matters: Families include a beautiful range of skin tones, and the light changes from the morning to the dance floor. When bright areas lose their detail or shadows fall to solid black, skin loses its natural depth and color. Keeping detail across the whole range keeps everyone looking like themselves, in the same frame.
How we answer: It takes both lighting and editing. On the day, we light each scene with every skin tone in mind. In post-production, we take a step not every studio takes: we carefully balance the highlights and shadows in every image so detail shows in both, from the brightest white gown to the deepest skin tones. It’s a choice we made years ago, and it’s a big part of why skin looks natural, dimensional and true to life in our galleries, from daylight portraits to an evening reception.
How Do You Approach Family Photos, Including Sensitive Family Situations?
Why it matters: Family photos often take longer than couples expect, and every family is different. A calm, planned approach keeps that time relaxed and centered on the people who matter most to you.
How we answer: We plan your family photo groupings together before the wedding. If there are sensitive situations, such as divorced parents or blended families, share them during planning and we’ll arrange groupings so everyone feels comfortable.
Questions About Planning and the Wedding Day
Will You Help Us Plan Our Timeline and Family Photo List?
Why it matters: Much of what makes a wedding day feel calm happens before it starts. A plan made together ahead of time protects your portrait time and golden-hour light, keeps family photos moving, and lets you stay present with your guests.
How we answer: Every wedding includes a photography timeline planning meeting about 30 to 60 days before the day. Together, we work through your schedule and fine-tune details like these:
Realistic time for each photo priority, with built-in buffers for travel, parking and a ceremony that starts a few minutes late.
Your finalized family photo list, arranged in an order that keeps everyone close by and moving quickly, with the largest groups first.
Your venue’s timing rules, such as how long you can photograph at the altar before the space is reset.
Couple portrait time spread through the day, often about an hour in total, plus a plan for golden hour or twilight photos.
A short buffer before your reception entrance, so you can freshen up and your reception space is photographed before guests arrive.
Any family dynamics we should know about, so every grouping feels comfortable.
Your rain plan.
The result is a wedding day that flows, with room for the moments you care about most. Our photography timeline planning page shows how it works.
How Many Hours of Coverage Do We Need?
Why it matters: Coverage time decides which parts of your day are photographed, from getting ready to the last dance. Choosing the right hours means the moments you care about most are covered.
How we answer: Most full wedding days land between six and eight hours of coverage. Our guide to how long you need a wedding photographer helps you estimate your own hours, and we fine-tune coverage with you during planning.
What Happens if Our Day Runs Late?
Why it matters: Timelines shift: a late start, a long toast list, a slow-moving receiving line. Knowing how extra time works lets you relax and enjoy the day as it unfolds.
How we answer: Additional coverage can be added ahead of time, and on the day itself whenever our schedule allows, so you can keep celebrating.
Questions About Your Photos After the Wedding
How Do You Protect Our Photos?
Why it matters: Your photos are the one thing from your wedding day you’ll keep forever. A strong backup process means every image makes it safely from the camera to your gallery.
How we answer: Our cameras record every image to two memory cards at once. Back at the studio, every wedding is backed up to a local server and a secure cloud server, and we keep the memory cards until your photos are delivered.
When Will We See Our Photos?
Why it matters: Knowing what to expect after the wedding lets you look forward to it, and a clear timeline shows a well-run studio.
How we answer: Most of our couples receive previews the same night as the wedding or the day after. Editing a full wedding takes about 40 hours of careful post-production. Your full gallery is presented at an ordering premiere you schedule at a time that suits you, whether that’s soon after the wedding or once you’re home from your honeymoon, and many couples see their full gallery about two weeks after the wedding. Our post on fast wedding photo delivery shares more about how it works.
What Do We Receive, and Are Albums Available?
Why it matters: Two quotes can include very different things. Knowing what you’ll receive, from digital images to an album, helps you compare collections clearly.
How we answer: Our full wedding collections include digital images and a wedding album. At your ordering premiere, you can choose album upgrades, parent albums and wall art for your home. Learn more about our custom wedding albums.
How Many Photos Will We Receive?
Why it matters: The number of photos matters less than which moments are covered and how beautifully each one is photographed. A thoughtfully curated gallery tells the story of your day.
How we answer: We deliver a carefully edited gallery that tells the full story of your day, and our FAQ page explains what to expect for your coverage.
Questions About Vendors and Peace of Mind
Do You Carry Liability Insurance?
Why it matters: Many venues ask vendors for proof of insurance, and it’s a sign you’re hiring an established business.
How we answer: We carry general liability and equipment insurance and gladly provide proof to your venue.
How Do You Work With Our Planner, Venue and Other Vendors?
Why it matters: Your photographer works alongside your planner, venue coordinator, DJ and other vendors all day. Smooth teamwork keeps your timeline on track and means everyone around you is working toward the same day.
How we answer: During planning, we confirm your venue’s rules and timing with you and plan key moments like entrances, toasts and dances around your schedule. Planners, venues and fellow vendors often praise our professionalism and teamwork, and every booked couple receives our recommended vendors list.
Wedding photographers in the US cost an average of $4,400, according to the Zola Wedding Cost Index, and most couples spend between $3,500 and $5,300. A quarter of couples spend $4,700 or more, and in Atlanta, wedding photographers listed on Zola reach $10,000 and up, so what you receive at each price varies as much as the price itself.
We’ve photographed weddings around Atlanta since 2008, and how much a wedding photographer costs is one of the first questions couples ask us. Below are the national averages, the choices that move the price up or down, where our studio fits, and the questions that help you compare quotes side by side.
Wedding Photographer Cost at a Glance
Measure
Amount
Source
National average
$4,400
Zola Wedding Cost Index (2026)
Typical range
$3,500 to $5,300
Zola Wedding Cost Index (2026)
Top quarter of couples
$4,700 and up
The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study
High end of Atlanta photographers listed on Zola
$10,000 and up
Zola
Zola’s figure comes from its 2026 Wedding Cost Index. The Knot’s 2026 Real Weddings Study, which surveyed 10,474 couples married in 2025, found that a quarter of couples spent $4,700 or more on their photographer. Read together, they show that couples hiring an established professional for a full wedding day usually spend in the mid-thousands and up.
What Is a Reasonable Amount to Spend on a Wedding Photographer?
For a full wedding day with an experienced professional, $3,500 to $5,300 is a common range, the national average sits at $4,400, and a quarter of the couples in The Knot’s study spent $4,700 or more. Shorter coverage for a courthouse ceremony or an elopement is a different kind of day, and our guide to how much it costs to elope in Atlanta covers those days.
The right amount is the one that covers the hours, team and keepsakes your day calls for. The sections below explain what each of those choices adds.
Where Our Studio Fits in the Atlanta Market
Our wedding collections sit in the upper-middle of the market: priced above the national average and below the luxury tier. At that level, couples work with a full-time studio that has nearly two decades of wedding experience, a creative team of two on every wedding collection (one lead photographer and one assistant photographer), a wedding album included in full wedding collections, and planning support from the first call through the wedding day. For current collections and pricing, visit our Atlanta wedding collections and pricing page.
What Changes the Cost of a Wedding Photographer
Two quotes can be thousands of dollars apart and both be fair. These are the factors behind the difference, and what each one means for your photos.
Hours of Coverage
Coverage time shapes the price more than anything else. About four hours is an abridged wedding timeline that usually skips getting ready and ends partway through the reception. Six to eight hours is where most full wedding days land, from getting ready through the main reception moments. Eight to ten hours is an extended day for multi-location timelines or late receptions. Our guide to how long you need a wedding photographer helps you estimate your own hours.
Day of the Week
Weekend dates, Friday through Sunday, are the most requested days for weddings, and pricing reflects that demand. Weekday weddings, Monday through Thursday, come with their own advantages, including more open venue dates and quieter public spaces for portraits.
Season
In Georgia, spring and fall are the most requested wedding seasons, and those weekend dates are the first to book. If you’re planning a spring or fall wedding, reach out as soon as you’ve chosen your date and venue so you’re ahead of the busy-season rush.
Team Size
Every one of our wedding collections includes a creative team of two: one lead photographer and one assistant photographer. Our assistant photographers work in a dual role. As an assistant, they manage lighting gear, fluff and place your train, and brush stray hairs out of the way, which you’ll notice most during family portraits at the altar, your couple portraits and wedding party portraits. As a photographer, they work alongside the lead, photographing the same moments with different lenses from different angles, so each moment is captured with more variety as it unfolds. Our team stays together all day because we work better as a team, and that teamwork gives you fuller coverage of every part of your day.
Guest Count and Locations
More guests usually means more family photo groupings, a bigger room to cover and a longer reception. Multiple locations, such as a church ceremony followed by a reception across town, add travel time to the day. Our team serves metro Atlanta and the surrounding areas, and a travel fee applies farther out.
Experience, Backup Plans and Gear
A wedding happens once, rain or shine, and it can’t be restaged. Part of what you invest in is the planning behind the scenes: a trusted replacement on call if a photographer is sick, cameras that record to two memory cards at once, photos backed up to the cloud and to local drives, and liability insurance.
Low-light skill matters too, since churches, ballrooms and evening receptions are darker than they look. Professional full-frame cameras, lenses made for low light and added lighting where it’s allowed keep reception photos clear and true to color. Our guide to wedding photography at night shows what that looks like.
Choosing a photographer shapes more than how polished your photos look. Experience decides where your photographer stands as you walk down the aisle, whether a dark or backlit ceremony room still gives you clear, beautiful photos, how flattering the light is on the dance floor, and how natural you look in your portraits. Those are moments you can’t recreate, which is why experience matters as much as the final edit.
Albums, Prints and Digital Images
Ask what comes with each quote. Some photographers deliver digital images only, while others include an album or prints. Our full wedding collections include digital images and a wedding album, and after your photos are delivered, an ordering premiere gives you time to choose album upgrades, parent albums and wall art if you’d like them. Learn more about our custom wedding albums.
Planning Support
Planning shapes the day as much as the photography. Before every wedding, we hold a photography timeline planning meeting with you, mapping out the schedule, locations and family photo groupings so the day flows and you can stay present. Our photography timeline planning page shows how it works. If you feel nervous in front of a camera, gentle posing guidance is part of every wedding, and our guide to camera-shy wedding portraits explains our approach.
What a Full-Time Studio Brings Beyond the Wedding Day
Much of what you invest in happens before and after the wedding itself. We intentionally take a limited number of weddings each year, which gives every couple our full attention, from the first call through the day your gallery is delivered.
Our associate photographers train in our style over years, and we oversee the editing of every wedding, so your gallery matches the work you see in our portfolio. Editing a full wedding takes about 40 hours of careful post-production.
Most couples receive previews the same night as the wedding or the day after. Your full gallery is presented at an ordering premiere you schedule at a time that’s convenient for you, whether that’s soon after the wedding or once you’re home from your honeymoon. Many couples see their full gallery about two weeks after the wedding, and the premiere is where you choose your album and any wall art for your home.
Questions to Ask When Comparing Wedding Photographers
You’ll find answers to the most common questions couples ask on our wedding photography FAQ page. The questions below go a step further, and our full guide to questions to ask a wedding photographer before booking covers even more. Each one shows you how a photographer works behind the scenes, and why it matters for your photos and your day:
Who will photograph our wedding, and what does each team member do? Why it matters: The people at your wedding shape both your photos and how the day feels. Knowing each person’s role lets you picture the day before it happens and tells you how fully each part of it will be covered.
How many weddings do you take each year? Why it matters: A studio that keeps its calendar intentionally limited has the time to plan carefully with you, reply promptly and give your gallery its full attention. We take a limited number of weddings each year for exactly that reason.
How much time goes into editing our wedding? Why it matters: Every image in a professional gallery is reviewed and edited by hand. A full wedding takes our team about 40 hours of post-production, and that time is what gives your gallery consistent color, natural skin and a polished, timeless finish.
How will you make sure every skin tone looks true to life, in daylight and at an evening reception? Why it matters: Families include a beautiful range of skin tones, and the light changes from the ceremony to the dance floor. The right camera settings, lighting and editing keep everyone looking like themselves in every photo.
Who covers our wedding if you’re sick or there’s an emergency on our date? Why it matters: Your date is set, so a plan for the unexpected matters. Our associate photographers train in our style over years, so your wedding is always in skilled hands that photograph the way we do.
How do you protect our photos? Why it matters: Your photos are the one thing from the day you’ll keep forever. We photograph on cameras that record to two memory cards at once, back up every wedding to the cloud and to local drives, and keep memory cards until your photos are delivered.
Can we see two or three complete wedding galleries, including an evening reception? Why it matters: A complete gallery shows how a photographer handles the whole day: family photos, dim rooms, the dance floor and every moment in between. It’s the clearest preview of what you’ll receive.
How will you help us plan our timeline and family photo list? Why it matters: Wedding days often take longer than couples expect, especially family photos. A plan made together ahead of time protects your portrait time and golden light, and lets you stay present on the day.
How do you approach family photos when family relationships are sensitive? Why it matters: Every family is different. A calm, planned approach, with groupings arranged ahead of time, helps everyone feel comfortable and keeps the photos centered on the people who matter most to you.
When will we see our photos? Why it matters: Knowing what to expect after the wedding lets you look forward to it. Most of our couples receive previews the same night or the day after, and see their full gallery about two weeks later at a premiere scheduled at a time that suits them.
How many hours are included, and how is extra time handled? Why it matters: Timelines sometimes shift on the day. Knowing ahead of time how extra coverage works lets you relax and enjoy every moment.
Do you carry liability insurance? Why it matters: Many venues ask vendors for proof of insurance, and it’s a sign you’re hiring an established business.
Your photos are what you’ll keep from your wedding day, and the right coverage depends on your timeline, guest list and venue. We book weddings up to about two years ahead, and spring and fall dates are the first to go. Schedule a quick call with Jaimie to talk through your date, or send us a message if you’d prefer to write. You can also meet your Atlanta wedding photographers or, if you’re planning a smaller day, read about elopements and micro weddings.
Wedding Photographer Cost FAQs
How Much Does a Wedding Photographer Cost on Average?
The national average is $4,400 according to the Zola Wedding Cost Index, with most couples spending between $3,500 and $5,300. A quarter of couples in The Knot’s 2026 Real Weddings Study spent $4,700 or more.
Is $4,000 a Lot for a Wedding Photographer?
No. $4,000 sits inside Zola’s typical range of $3,500 to $5,300, just below the national average of $4,400. For a full wedding day with an established studio, it’s a common amount, and what it includes, such as hours, the team and an album, matters more than the number itself.
Is $5,000 Too Much for a Wedding Photographer?
For a full wedding day with an experienced team, $5,000 falls within Zola’s typical range, and a quarter of the couples in The Knot’s study spent $4,700 or more. Compare what each quote includes before comparing totals.
How Much Is a Wedding Photographer for 2 Hours?
Two-hour coverage is most common for courthouse weddings, elopements and small ceremonies. The Knot’s elopement cost guide puts elopement photography as high as $10,000, depending on hours, albums and prints. With our team, any coverage that includes a ceremony starts at two hours. Our elopement cost guide and micro wedding photography page cover shorter days in more detail.
Why Is Wedding Photography So Expensive?
Your wedding happens once and can’t be repeated, so a professional builds in safeguards: backup cameras, duplicate memory cards, a replacement photographer on call and insurance. The wedding day is only part of the work. Planning calls, travel, editing each image and designing albums all happen before and after it.
How Far in Advance Should We Book a Wedding Photographer?
For spring and fall weekend weddings in Atlanta, reach out as soon as your date and venue are set, since those dates are the first to fill. Weekday and winter dates often have more availability closer to the day. Our guide to when to book a wedding photographer covers the timeline for each season.
Magnolia Hall brings together the best of a city wedding and a garden wedding. You get a cozy historic hall with its original fireplace and lantern chandeliers, a lawn and courtyard for your ceremony and cocktail hour, and all of Piedmont Park right outside the door for portraits.
If you are planning a wedding at Magnolia Hall at Piedmont Park, here is what to know about the venue, our favorite photo spots and how to plan your day around the park’s light.
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About Magnolia Hall
Magnolia Hall sits inside Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta, near the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and is managed by the Piedmont Park Conservancy. Built in 1945, it was originally a blacksmith’s forge, and its original fireplace is still in place today.
The 3,200-square-foot hall has Mission-style lantern chandeliers, exposed rafters, oak paneling and polished concrete floors. According to the Conservancy, it holds up to 150 guests for buffet and station-style dinners with dancing, or up to 200 for a cocktail-style reception. Outside, a stone courtyard and a manicured lawn give you room for the ceremony and cocktail hour, and two pre-ceremony rooms give the couple a private place to get ready.
Getting Ready at the Hall
Getting ready on site keeps your day simple. We photograph details like rings, flowers and jewelry, then the moments of getting dressed, before heading out into the park for portraits. Having everyone in one place means less travel and more time for photos.
Portraits Around Piedmont Park
One of the best parts of a Magnolia Hall wedding is having the whole park as your backdrop. Lake Clara Meer, shaded paths, open lawns and greenery are all close by, and a first look before the ceremony lets us take you around the park for relaxed couple portraits and wedding party photos before guests arrive.
The lawn next to the hall makes a beautiful outdoor ceremony site, with trees and greenery framing the two of you. Right after the ceremony, we photograph family portraits on the lawn while everyone is together, then join cocktail hour on the courtyard.
We never use flash during a ceremony, and we keep out of your guests’ view so the focus stays on the two of you.
The Reception Inside the Hall
Before guests come in, we photograph the room and your decor. The exposed rafters, oak paneling and lantern chandeliers give the hall a warm, rustic-elegant feel, and the fireplace makes a lovely backdrop for your sweetheart table or cake.
Indoor evening receptions need good lighting, so we set up and test our own lighting before your grand entrance. That way your first dance, toasts, cake cutting and dance floor photos look as polished as your portraits. Learn more in our guide to wedding photography at night.
Timeline Tips for a Magnolia Hall Wedding
Piedmont Park sits right next to Midtown’s skyline, and that affects the light. The official sunset time assumes a flat, open horizon. In a city park near tall buildings, the sun slips behind the tree line or the skyline earlier, often 20 to 45 minutes before the listed time, so we plan to finish outdoor portraits about 30 minutes before the official sunset.
Plan a little extra time for portraits around the park too. Walking between spots and gathering family in a public park always takes longer than couples expect. Our timeline planning guide has sample schedules to help.
FAQ: Magnolia Hall at Piedmont Park
Where Is Magnolia Hall in Piedmont Park?
Magnolia Hall is inside Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta, near the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The Piedmont Park Conservancy, which manages the hall, is at 1320 Monroe Drive NE.
Where Do Guests Park for Magnolia Hall?
The Conservancy notes that the hall is close to the parking garage at the intersection of Monroe Drive and Worchester Drive.
How Many Guests Does Magnolia Hall Hold?
According to the Conservancy, the hall holds up to 150 guests for buffet and station-style dinners with dancing, or up to 200 for a cocktail-style reception.
What Is the History of Magnolia Hall?
The building dates to 1945 and was originally a blacksmith’s forge. Its original fireplace is still part of the hall.
Roswell Historic Hall is a charming, character-filled venue in the heart of historic Roswell. High ceilings, exposed beams, original brick walls and a grand open loft give every photo warmth and texture, and the space feels intimate and elegant at the same time.
If you are planning a wedding at Roswell Historic Hall, here is what to know about the venue, our favorite photo spots and how to plan your day.
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About Roswell Historic Hall
Roswell Historic Hall is at 972 Alpharetta Street in Roswell’s historic district. The building was once known as The Old Library, and it has been carefully preserved as an event space for weddings and celebrations.
Inside, dramatic high ceilings, exposed beams and original brick walls set a warm, vintage tone, and the open loft adds height and a beautiful vantage point over the room. The owner is closely involved in planning each event, which gives the day a personal, welcoming feel.
Pairing a Church Ceremony With a Reception at the Hall
Many couples hold their ceremony at a church and then celebrate at Roswell Historic Hall. If that is your plan, build in time for travel and for us to break down and set up our gear between locations, usually about 30 minutes. Couple portraits right after the church ceremony, while you are still dressed and fresh, are a great use of that window.
Staircase Portraits and a Private Look at the Room
The staircase at the hall is one of our favorite portrait spots, and it is especially stunning for showing off a long train or veil. We like to set aside about 15 minutes for staircase portraits as soon as you arrive.
We also love giving you a few quiet minutes to see the finished reception space before your guests come in. It is a lovely moment to take in all the planning, and it gives us beautiful photos of the room with the two of you in it before the celebration begins.
The Reception
While you take a breather, we photograph the reception room, tables and decor untouched. Then come the grand entrance, first dance, welcome, dinner, cake cutting and toasts, parent dances and the open dance floor.
The exposed beams and brick look beautiful with warm evening light, and we bring our own lighting so everyone looks their best once the sun goes down. You can see more of our approach in our guide to wedding photography at night.
Sunset Portraits and Your Send-Off
Partway through the reception, we like to step away with you for about 30 minutes of sunset portraits. The official sunset time assumes a flat, open horizon. Around trees and buildings, the sun slips out of view earlier, often 20 to 45 minutes before the listed time, so we plan to finish outdoor portraits about 30 minutes before the official sunset.
Historic Roswell has beautiful spots close by, including Old Mill Park with its covered bridge. A staged send-off before the dance floor gets going is another great option, since it lets us photograph your exit while all of your guests are still there.
Timeline Tips for a Roswell Historic Hall Wedding
A traditional timeline with no first look works well here: getting ready, the ceremony, family and wedding party portraits right after, then couple portraits on the way to the reception. If you want more relaxed portraits, a first look frees up time later in the day. Our timeline planning guide has sample schedules, and our post on how long you need a wedding photographer can help you choose your coverage.
FAQ: Roswell Historic Hall Weddings
Where Is Roswell Historic Hall?
Roswell Historic Hall is at 972 Alpharetta Street in Roswell, Georgia, in the city’s historic district.
What Is the History of Roswell Historic Hall?
The building was once known as The Old Library. It has been preserved with its high ceilings, exposed beams and original brick walls and now hosts weddings and events.
Where Are the Best Photo Spots at Roswell Historic Hall?
Our favorites are the staircase, the open loft looking over the room, the brick walls inside the hall and nearby historic Roswell for sunset portraits.
Hi! We're Jaimie & Kyle (+Associates) with Jaimie Dee Photography. We're Atlanta photographers based in the metro area and service clients all over the globe. Jaimie Dee Photography was established in 2008. We're primarily a wedding and portrait studio. Our images are crisp, clean & colorful and strike a balance between classic and candid styled portraits. Aside from the photography, we help you craft the perfect photo experience - from the beginning planning stages to the finished artwork hanging on your walls. When you're in front of our camera, we'll also offer you gentle guidance through a combo of stationary and movement based poses. We'll help bring out your inner diva too - even if you're shy! If you're looking for a photographer in the metro Atlanta area or beyond, we'd love to meet you!
