Short answer: most experienced wedding photographers in New Zealand charge somewhere between $3,500 and $5,000 for a full day in 2026. You'll find people starting around $2,500, & premium studios sitting at $5,500 to $8,000 & up. Add video from the same team & a full day usually lands between $5,000 & $8,000.
That's a big spread, so here's what's actually behind the number, & how to work out what's fair for your day.
How much do NZ wedding photographers charge in 2026?
Roughly, for a full wedding day (about 8 hours), GST included: photography only runs about $2,500 to $3,500 at the entry end, $3,500 to $5,000 for most experienced photographers, & $5,500 to $8,000+ for premium studios. Photo & video together runs about $5,000 to $8,000, & $9,000 to $12,000+ at the top end. These are the rough ranges we see across NZ studios this year.
Under $2,000 is usually someone newer, or only a few hours of coverage. Fine for a small day, just look closely at their full galleries.
For context, photo & video together tends to be around 15 to 20% of a New Zealand wedding budget.
What actually moves the price?
Mostly hours, editing, a second shooter, travel & the day of the week.
Hours
Coverage is the biggest lever. A 3 hour elopement & a 12 hour sunrise-to-dance-floor day are completely different jobs. Most couples are happiest with around 8 hours, getting ready through to the first dance.
Editing
This is the part nobody sees. Every photo in your gallery is picked & edited by our team, & every wedding video is cut by hand over days of editing. The day itself is the small bit!
A second shooter
Two photographers means both getting-ready rooms at once & two angles on the ceremony. Worth it for bigger days, not needed for small ones.
Travel
Some studios charge per kilometre, some build it in. Ours is free within 50km of any main NZ city, & a flat $350 for the genuinely far-flung days.
Season & day
Saturdays from October to April book out first. A weekday or a winter date can open up options a peak Saturday can't.
How do you tell if a quote is fair?
Compare the same things side by side: GST, full galleries, delivery times & hours.
- Check whether GST is included. Some studios quote "+ GST", which adds 15% on top. Ours includes it.
- Ask to see a full wedding, start to finish. Anyone can post their 10 best photos. A whole gallery shows you what your day will actually look like.
- Ask when you get everything back. Ours: sneak peeks within 2 weeks, your full gallery in 6 to 8 weeks, video in under 4.
- Compare what's included, hour for hour. 8 hours with an edited video & 6 hours of photos only aren't the same quote.
How much does Selah cost?
Photography collections start from $2,400 & video from $2,900. We put every price on one page, no "enquire for pricing". Collections are fixed, so you know exactly what you're getting, & you can pay it off: start with $750, then easy monthly payments over up to 9 months.
Photography collectionsFrom $2,400
See pricing →Real Super 8 film can be added to any collection.
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