If you’ve ever been to a wedding, then you know that it’s full of emotions. But what if I told you there could be even more than just happy and sad? Since weddings are such a big deal, they can get very expensive. One way to cut costs is by hiring a photographer who can capture every moment without breaking the bank. However, there are so many photographers out there that it might be difficult to decide which one is right for your particular situation.
There are about 54,000.
This number is a rough estimate, based on a study conducted by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). They recently surveyed their membership and found that there were about 54,000 professional photographers in the United States.
If you’re wondering why these numbers don’t match up with our previous estimates, it’s because this number was adjusted for inflation and a few other factors. A lot of wedding photographers only work seasonally or part-time and aren’t willing to commit to full membership in PPA, so they aren’t counted as part of the statistics.
There are also about 30,000 professional videographers.
There are also about 30,000 professional videographers in the United States. The Wedding Professional Guild estimates that there are 54,000 wedding photographers alone. That’s a lot of photos!
So, you might be wondering: what else do these photographers do? Do they just take pictures at weddings? What kind of training and education do they have? How do they make money?
About 41% of weddings have a video too.
Video is a great way to capture all the moments that happen at a wedding, and many couples like to share their day with friends and family who aren’t able to attend. Videographers can also provide an additional perspective on your special day, showing what happened when you weren’t looking. You’ll be able to look back at those videos for years to come!
There are more wedding photographers than you thought there would be
If you’re wedding planning, you probably know that there are more wedding photographers than people in the United States. You might have reached this conclusion based on the fact that your friends keep posting photos of themselves at their own weddings and you’ve seen other people do it too. But even if you haven’t, there are tons of statistics out there to back up your hunch:
- There are about 150 million Americans (including children). About half a percent—or one in every 200 people make a living taking pictures at weddings.
- Wedding planners make up only .2% of the workforce; cake decorators account for .3%.
It’s clear that there are a lot of wedding photographers out there, and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon!