The average cost for a wedding in Ohio is $27,441, with a venue in Columbus averaging out to just under $16,000. Most couples spend at least $2000 on wedding photography, which is about 7% of the total budget. Photography is a wonderful investment and should not be taken lightly. It is one of the (if only) things from your day that will last forever.

It is recommended that you book your wedding photographer 9 months in advance.

Before choosing your photographer, it’s important to know what is included in a typical wedding photography package. The average wedding package typically contains 6-8 hours of shooting. Wedding photographers’ charge for their editing time, which is time-consuming and crucial for producing high-quality images. Typically photographers will use Photoshop to perfect the light and add vibrancy and balance into each image, but a great photographer will not rely too heavily on editing.

You will also receive proofs of each image, and of course, prints of the images you select. Your package may contain a second or even third photographer, videography, sometimes even a photobooth and a wedding album if you decide not to make it yourself.

In addition to asking your potential wedding photographer what their package includes, other important questions include:

• Are you insured?
• Will I be able to see every image from the wedding?
• Are engagement photos included?
• How would you describe your photography style?
• How far in advance do you need the timeline and shot list?
• Have you ever shot before in my venue?
• Will you be working as a team with anyone else?
• How long will it take to receive proofs? (3-4 weeks is pretty standard.)
• Do you have a backup plan if you get sick or there is an emergency on the wedding day?

Hopefully the answers to all of these questions will be an emphatic “yes” and a detailed answer. Other, more in-depth questions to consider are:

• Does your style lean more toward traditional, artistic or photojournalistic?
• What is your editing style? Is it vibrant, muted and vintage, true to reality?
• What do the different price points represent? What added services will I receive if I pay a bit more?
• How do you like to shoot ‘first looks?’

We have curated a list of wonderful wedding photographers in Columbus, Ohio.

Jessica Miller Photos

Jessica Miller describes herself as an “artful observer.” She believes in taking honest, genuine photos which tell a story. Specializing in wedding photography in Columbus, Ohio, Miller was inducted in The Knot’s Hall of Fame for wedding photographers. Her wedding packages start at $3000. You are always welcome to contact her directly at jessicamillerphotos@gmail.com for more details on her rates and wedding packages.

Christa Kimble

Christa Kimble is a fine art wedding photographer working primarily in Columbus, Ohio. She believes that fine photography is an investment that will only grow more valuable with time; it is a way to look back on your special wedding day and remember how you felt.

Her work is romantic, soft, and airy. Kimble takes great care to capture the raw emotion and happiness of the day. In addition to 7 hours of shooting, her wedding packages include a USB drive of all digital images, online image gallery, an engagement photo shoot, personal design consult, a custom guest book, and a fine art album. Sher is also willing to travel.

She says, “In looking for your photographer it is so important to find someone who has the eyes through which you want to see your wedding day. One of my favorite things about what I do is getting to know my couples. Finding out what is important to them, what they are excited about and then documenting that in the most beautiful way.”

Robb McCormick

Robb McCormick describes himself as a photography “purist.” He says, “I still use light meters and shoot in manual mode. I am obsessed with light and the human form. I believe a great photograph isn’t taken, it’s made. It is using the right light, the right posing, and the right attitude to bring out the best in you. It is about knowing and anticipating the subtle moments of your day.”

You won’t find many photographers as detail-oriented or experienced as McCormick. He has shot hundreds of weddings, and has also worked with high-profile clients including Carrie Livingston Design, GQ Magazine, Panera, Giant Eagle, The Westin, The City of Dublin and The Ohio State University.

McCormick is quite knowledgeable about the city of Columbus and is always able to suggests locations. His clients love him; his reviews are amazing. One client said, “Robb McCormick is a gem! He loves his work, and it shines through in every shot and in his demeanor. He has a superb eye for detail, lighting, backgrounds and memorable scenes. Robb has a warm, friendly, funny personality. He clicked with the wedding party immediately, and they with him. He is expert at weaving in humor with his instructions to his photo subjects that bring warmth and genuine facial expression to every shot. As mother of the bride, he was over-the-top accommodating to my requests. Robb’s staff were also relaxed and helpful. There was complete harmony among the three of them. Robb blended with our guests very well, and was courteous and kind with an eye open always for shots that would capture forever our event.”

His wedding photography packages are customized for each couple, and his most popular package is $3900.

222 Photography

Husband and wife duo, Brian and Maria, are the creative team behind 222 photography. They say, “We are moment-seekers, life-lovers, action minded, outdoor enthusiast, crafters and we create authentic images that speak volumes. We look to push visual boundaries together with couples that are open to that experience. The openness to this photographic adventure will leave you with a story that is totally unique and unlike any other. Your photos will look like no other wedding you have seen nor any other we have photographed, because they will represent YOU. But our approach isn’t for everyone. It doesn’t necessarily fit every couple’s personality. And we’re okay with that.”

The couple has a deep understanding of the importance of your wedding day. Being a couple allows the pair to have honest, direct communication so you can rest assured that every shot you want will get taken. Their photos read as authentic, grand and authentic, and their gorgeous work has been featured on The Knot and June Bug. Rates start at $2700 for a wedding photography package, and 222 also has an open-air photobooth available for rental, which perfectly captures your guests having fun.

Curtis Wallis

Curtis Wallis is a Columbus, Ohio, based wedding photographer. His photos are elegant and sweet without being cloying. Wallis was in the unique position of planning his own wedding, largely without the help of his wife-to-be, who was a nurse in the military at the time. He knows how hectic and stressful planning a wedding, and he does everything in his power to make your day as smooth and stress-free as possible.

He shoots in color, but also loves the feel and romance of black and white photographs. Wallis says,

“I believe photography is still an art from an artisan who has spent years developing the craft. I believe in letting a wedding day develop to create your own unique story and not rewriting the script to mold to a photographer’s vision. I believe in family and love as the foundation of a lifetime of happiness.

I believe wedding photography is creating timeless art and not about just pushing a shutter. I believe it is a honor to tell a once in a lifetime story. I believe in laughter being a way to seeing the real soul of a person.”

His rates start at $2300 which includes alll day coverage by Curtis Wallis, 1 or 2 photographer packages a 4-stage editing process, online gallery and print ordering, magazine quality retouching, keepsake thumbdrive of images, pre-wedding photoshoot and Italian-made albums.

Jessica Abbey

Jessica Abbey runs a boutique fine art photography business in Columbus, Ohio. With a background in both event planning and photography, wedding photography seemed like a natural fit. She wants you to absolutely love your wedding photographs, but also have fun while being photographed. And her clients do have fun; as one said, “My husband hates having his photo taken, and while we were leaving our engagement session he said ‘that was actually really fun.’”

Her photos are stunning; they are colorful, crisp, energized, and fun. Her wedding photography packages start at $2600, and she is currently booking for 2019.

Style & Story

The Style & Story team knows that you won’t remember the nitty-gritty of your wedding day, what people said to you, what songs were played, but you will acutely remember how you felt. Their 5 person team wants you to feel like you have found the perfect photographers for your needs. They do not book every wedding with which they are approached, and this is because they want to be certain that their time is the right fit for your needs.

One of the things that sets Style & Story apart is that they have extensive experience photographing Indian weddings. The company has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan and The New York Times. They were named in the top 10 photographers in the United States for 2017.

They also offer videography services, and their website explains,

“One of the best things about working with Style & Story to preserve your memories is that we are a full creative team. While we film a select number of weddings each year, we are also one of the best Wedding Photography teams in the Midwest. When you have both your photography and video being lead by one creative team, the results are incredible!

All of our photography lighting only makes our videos better, and all of our video setups only serve our photography. The production value that we bring to each art form elevates one another.”

Their rates are not currently public, but they are interviewing couples for the 2019 season and you can learn more on their website.

Exact Moments Photography

Nursah Wood is the talented women behind Columbus, Ohio wedding photography company, Exact Moments. Her first photography love was photojournalism, and she says, “I became obsessed with capturing those exact moments, non-posed and true emotions of people. While I certainly respect a traditional “stand and smile” photo and see the purpose of a picture like that can serve, it’s honestly the ‘in between’ shots and the connection between my subjects that make my heart happy.”

Wood has a gift for capturing people as they truly appear to the world. Her wedding photos do not look stiff or posed, instead, they capture the energy, nerves, love and joy of the day. Her website is stacked with glowing reviews, and one of our favorites read, “Nursah is absolutely wonderful! She provided great ideas, made the process easy, stress0free, and most importantly — fun! We love our pictures and will definitely use Nursah in the future!”

Her wedding packages begin at $2400 and include complimentary engagement shoot, a flash disc of high-resolution edited images with a print release and an online gallery to share, a high quality custom album, prints, and second photographer is also available. She is happy to provide custom rates for elopements or smaller weddings.

Vision Style Photography

Husband and wife duo, Rashad and Arica are the team behind Vision Style Photography. Their journey into photography began just 7 years ago, but the team is already widely recognized as one of the most wedding photographers in Columbus, Ohio. They describe their style as “creative and adventurous,” which leads to breathtaking photos.

They only have 9 dates available for 2019, which speaks volumes about how highly-recommend Vision Style is. Google, Facebook, and The Knot are filed with testimonials praising Rasha and Arica, with one pleased couple writing, “Rashad and Arica are just flat out amazing at what they do. You can see their passion for photography through their work and while watching them throughout the day. Very satisfied with the entire experience from engagement session to our wedding album.”

ENV Photography

The goal of ENV Photography is to creative photographs that reflect who their clients truly are as people. These photographs will be handed down through generations and will serve as a story.

In 2010, Rebecca Cook, owner and founder of ENV photographer, was asked to take engagement photos for friends. What started as amateur shots turned into a passion for Cook, and she decided to learn everything possible about “the art of photography, light, and genuine human interaction.”

Rebecca’s husband Jonathan joined the ENV team in 2013, and in response to overwhelming requests, Jonathan trained to become the second photographer for ENV in 2014.  They were so excited to open their own 400 square foot photography studio in 2017 which serves year round as a space for shooting and client meetings.

Rebecca spent time in ROTC and has adopted the motto of the United States Air Force for her business: “Integrity First, Service before self, excellence in all we do.”

The work of ENV has been featured in The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Midwest Living Magazine and more. The duo specializes in family, maternity, portrait, senior and boudoir photography in addition to wedding photography in Columbus, Ohio.

Andrew and Chrissy

Husband and wife photography teams seem especially common in Columbus, Ohio and Andrew and Chrissy are another example of a talented duo. They say on their website,

“We believe that photography is so much more than a perfectly posed bride and groom or person. We know that every life has its own story and we never want to make someone’s life look like something it is not. Instead, we like to tell their story right back to them with the beauty we see through our lens. We believe that every person that comes into our life is for a purpose. Every person is valuable, honorable, and worth having their story told. We believe that what we do matters because we know what it means to us to look at our parents’ and even grandparents’ wedding photos. Our hope is that we can provide a heirloom, a story to share, a story that is yours to give to the generations after you. We’re honored to serve the Columbus, OH, area as wedding and portrait photographers and look forward to all the stories we get to tell through our lens.”

Andrew and Chrissy are happy to tailor their wedding photography packages for your unique needs. Their average client spends $2990.

BLY Photography

One of the most amazing things about BLY is that founder, Brad Young, believe every couple deserves to have gorgeous wedding photos. This is why his packages start at less than half the cost of what a couple pays on average for a wedding photography in Columbus, Ohio. His packages start at just $1595.

Young is known for being detail-oriented and easy to work with. He has a journalistic approach to photography and acts as a fly on the wall so he can capture your organic moments as they unfold. Young is very familiar with Columbus and says,

“Whether I have been to the same location a dozen times or if I am working there for the first time, I truly enjoy wandering around the space looking for the best spots for photos and finding good light in the obvious places as well as the not so obvious. I will even scout the areas before the wedding day just to be sure I have a game plan for your wedding and can work as efficiently as possible. I have photographed weddings in churches, homes, barns, parks, museums, urban settings, as well as many others, and they all have their charm.”

Derk’s Works

Derk’s Works is a 2-person team (3 if you count dog, Juno). Benjamin Derkin is lead creative and his partner Jennifer is creative manager. The two specialize in wedding photography in Columbus, Ohio, and have rave reviews online. Derkin is known for helping in all ways, including tying groomsmen’s bow ties in a pinch.

One client wrote,

“Other than saying ‘YES’ to my wife the day of our wedding, the best decision I/we made was having Benjamin Derkin photograph our big, big day. When perusing the collection of the final photo selections, I was absolutely blown away at all of the little (and big) details captured by Benjamin. No stone went unturned, and every photo was a reflection of my wife’s hard work, our guest’s enjoyment, our friends, our family, the little nuances special to us…the candid moments that can’t be captured again. Not to mention, we paid to have our small ceremony/reception at Jeffrey Mansion in Bexley…a beautiful, stunning setting on a nice day. He did a magical job at bringing the setting to life in the photos…something we greatly, greatly appreciated.”

Derk’s Works wedding packages start at $3350, and engagement shoots start at $510.

Wandering Woo

Paul is the photographer behind Wandering Woo, and he embraces fun in all of his images. Never one to turn down an adventure or a challenge to get the right shot, his photos are whimsical and full of spirit.

Paul says, “When I step into a wedding, I see so many opportunities to capture the moment, to create art with my surroundings, and to take photos that make people happy. I constantly challenge myself to become a better photographer every day by bringing my camera with me wherever I go and experimenting with new techniques.”

His wedding photography packages start at $4800 and he also has a photo booth and a slow motion video booth available for rent.

Lauren Lee Photography

Lauren Lee, a Columbus, Ohio wedding photographer wants her clients to relax and enjoy each moment of their day. Lee advises that you “Plan your wedding to be exactly what you and your partner want it to be — try not to stress, and don’t let the pressure from others sway how you plan your wedding. This day is yours; it’s a celebration of you and your partner coming together as a married couple. Be in the moment and take in all of the love and beauty that this day holds. Everyone who matters will respect and enjoy your wedding day exactly as you have it envisioned.”

Her wedding photography packages start at $3800.