Dinner
Starting at $550
Up to 2 hours
- Arrivals and the room
- A few portraits
- The toast, if it falls within the two hours
- Online gallery
- Personal-use license
Rehearsal & welcome dinners · Based in Florida
Rehearsal Dinner & Welcome Party Photography
The night before the wedding: the room, the people and the toasts, photographed as they happen.
Welcome dinners and rehearsal dinners are looser than the wedding day. People who don't see each other often are finally in the same room. The speeches are short, and nobody is performing yet.
I photograph the night the way I photograph any gathering: the room, the people, the toasts and the minutes in between. I won't line anyone up. If a few portraits would help, we do them early, then I get out of the way.
People book this when their wedding photographer covers only the day itself, or when the dinner is the part they most want to remember. You don't need a wedding package to hire me for the night.
Selected work
What's included
- A short planning note beforehand: the time, the place and who's speaking
- Arrival before your guests do
- The room, the people, the toasts and the moments in between
- A few portraits early in the evening, if you'd like them
- A careful edit: a set of finished images, not every frame
- A private online gallery to print, share and post from
- A personal-use license
Packages
Prices are starting points. Your final price depends on the length and details of your day.
Recommended
Dinner and toasts
Starting at $750
Up to 3 hours
- Everything in Dinner
- All the speeches and toasts
- The table afterward
- Online gallery
- Personal-use license
Welcome party
Starting at $950
Up to 4 hours
- A longer night: cocktails, dinner and the part after
- Online gallery
- Personal-use license
Add-ons
| Add-on | Price |
|---|---|
| Extra hourAgreed on the night, before I keep shooting | From $200 |
| Venue marketing license | Priced on request |
| Travel | Quoted by location |
How it works
- Tell me about the night. The time, the place and who's speaking. A short note is enough.
- Reserve the date. A retainer holds your date.
- The dinner. I arrive before your guests and stay out of the way.
- Your gallery. Edited images arrive in a private online gallery, ready to print, share and post. Cousins who couldn't fly in usually want these more than the formal portraits.
Personal use
How you can use your photos
Your photos come with a personal-use license. Print them, share them with family and friends, and post them on your own social media. If the venue wants to use the photos in its own marketing, that's a separate license and its own line on your quote.
Questions
Do I need a photographer for my rehearsal dinner?
Not always, and plenty of couples skip it. It's worth it when the night holds something you'll want to keep: a toast from someone you love, family who flew in from far away, friends who are only there for the dinner. It's often the most relaxed night of the whole weekend. If it's a small meal with no plan, your phone will do just fine.
Can I hire a photographer for the rehearsal dinner only?
Yes, and you don't need a wedding package. Many wedding photographers are booked for the day itself and not the night before, and some are still traveling in. Dinner-only coverage is a normal booking for me: two to four hours, then a private gallery.
Should it be the same photographer as the wedding?
If your wedding photographer is free the night before and you love their work, one person is simplest. If they aren't available, or the extra night costs more than you'd like, a separate photographer for the dinner is common. The photos won't match your wedding set exactly, and that's all right. They tell the story of a different night.
What's the difference between a rehearsal dinner and a welcome party?
A rehearsal dinner is usually the wedding party and close family, right after the ceremony run-through, with a toast or two. A welcome party is bigger and looser, often the night your guests arrive in town. I photograph both, and every package works for either.
How long do you stay?
Two hours covers arrivals, the room and a short toast. Three hours is the usual choice when there are speeches. Four hours suits a welcome party that keeps going after dinner. If the night is still going and you'd like me to stay, you can add an hour; we agree on it before I keep shooting.
How much does rehearsal dinner photography cost?
There are three packages, from a two-hour dinner to a four-hour welcome party, each with a clear price. See the packages. Travel outside my usual area is quoted before you book, so there are no surprises.
What do we get?
A careful edit of the night, not every frame, in a private gallery you can download, share and post from. If someone dear to you couldn't make it, I can send a few photos the next morning so they can see the night, and the full gallery follows. Your photos come with a personal-use license.
Will you photograph the rehearsal too?
Only if you'd like me to. Most rehearsals are a walk-through in a dim room, and those usually aren't the photos people treasure. If something in the rehearsal matters to you, tell me and I'll be there for it. Otherwise, I'll arrive for the dinner.
Can the venue use the photos?
Only with a separate license for its own marketing. It goes on its own line on your quote.