Cost guides · How much does a wedding photographer cost?
How much does a wedding photographer cost in Monterey?
Monterey wedding photographers that publish a price start between $775 and $1,950. Median $1,575, from 8 vendors we index, about 5% above the national median.
The national wedding photographer cost guide · All Monterey wedding photographers
Published starting prices · Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur, California
8 priced vendors
From the "starting at" price each vendor publishes on their own website or their Lazo profile, read 2026-11-02. A starting price is the smallest package they sell, not what a wedding ends up costing: nationally most couples pay $1,500-$3,500 once hours, add-ons and the date are in.
Monterey against the rest of the country
The median published starting price for a wedding photographer in Monterey is $1,575, about 5% above the national median of $1,500. That is the local market, not a markup, and it is the number to compare a quote against rather than the national one. A photographer in their eighth season prices differently from one in their second, and both may be excellent. What you pay for with experience is consistency in bad light and bad weather, and someone who has seen your venue before.
What moves the price
- Hours of coverage
- The single biggest lever. Every extra hour is typically $250-$500, and the hours couples regret cutting are always the last ones - the dancing, the send-off, the part of the night nobody was posing for.
- A second shooter
- Usually $300-$600. Buys you the other angle: your partner getting ready while you get ready, the aisle reaction while the ceremony is shot from the front. On weddings over about 120 guests it stops being optional.
- Experience and demand
- A photographer in their eighth season prices differently from one in their second, and both may be excellent. What you pay for with experience is consistency in bad light and bad weather, and someone who has seen your venue before.
- Season and day
- Peak-season Saturdays cost the most because they sell out first. A Friday or Sunday in your area's off-season commonly saves 10-25% on the same photographer.
The full wedding photographer cost guide: what each price buys, how to spend less, what to ask →
Monterey wedding photographers with a published starting price
Lowest first. The price is the one they publish; the page tells you what it includes. Lazo lists 90 wedding photographers in Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur, California; these are the ones that say what they start at.
| Vendor | Starts at | Where we read it |
|---|---|---|
| Carmel Weddings - Affordable, Beautiful Weddings | $500 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Rebecca Stark Photography | $700 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Coby and Alexandra Photography and Films | $800 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Gus Vasquez Photography | $1,300 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Picturist Photography | $1,850 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Steven Garza Studio, Videography | $1,950 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| The Carmel Proposal Co. | $1,950 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
| Expressive Photographics | $3,350 | Their website, Oct 2026 |
Every wedding photographer in Monterey, ranked by verified reputation →
The same wedding photographer, nearby
Published starting prices in the nearest cities with enough priced vendors to compare.
| City | Middle half | Median | Priced vendors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey | $775–$1,950 | $1,575 | 8 |
| San Francisco Bay 86 mi | $950–$5,400 | $1,200 | 17 |
| Napa 119 mi | $950–$4,500 | $2,000 | 11 |
| Sacramento 139 mi | $600–$850 | $625 | 9 |
| Santa Barbara 195 mi | $1,300–$3,600 | $1,500 | 8 |
| Los Angeles 271 mi | $950–$4,200 | $1,700 | 24 |
| Orange County 304 mi | $700–$3,550 | $1,500 | 18 |