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How much does a wedding photographer cost? 2026 prices for South East Queensland and Northern Rivers

For customers

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7 min read

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Price guide cover: how much does a wedding photographer cost in South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers, 2026

Short answer: photographers in South East Queensland and Byron Bay who publish their prices list a full wedding day (8 to 9 hours) at $2,200 to $4,900 in October 2026, and 10 to 12 hours at $3,200 to $5,500. Two or three hours for an elopement costs $950 to $2,500. Easy Weddings, a commercial wedding directory, says couples in its latest survey spent an average of $3,190 in Queensland and $3,865 in NSW. Hours, edited images, an album, a second photographer and travel decide your price. Only a written quote for your date will tell you.

The figures below come from eight photographers’ own price pages and one survey, side by side. We’ve left out the photographers’ names: Localdex lists photographers too, and this guide is about prices, not picking one. Each is labelled by where they’re based.

What a wedding photographer costs in 2026

Photographer (where based)

Coverage

Published price

GST

Source

A (Brisbane)

2 / 4 / 8 / 10 hours

$950 / $1,850 / $3,100 / $3,700

Excluded

Own price page

B (Brisbane)

3 / 5 hours

From $1,500 / from $2,600

Excluded

Own price page

C (Brisbane)

Up to 4 / up to 8 / 10 to 12 hours

From $1,200 / $2,200 / $3,200

Not stated

Marketplace profile

D (Gold Coast)

2.5 / 5 / up to 9 hours

$1,400 / $2,400 / $3,500

Included

Own price page

E (Gold Coast)

6 / 8 / 10 hours

$3,500 / $4,300 / $5,500

Included

Own “2026/27” price page

F (Brisbane and Gold Coast)

Part day / full day (hours not stated)

From $3,400 / $4,500

Not stated

Own page

G (Byron Bay)

3 hours / 8 hours / 3 days

$2,500 / $4,900 / $8,900 plus travel

Included

Own price page

H (Byron Bay)

Four packages (hours not stated)

$3,550 to $8,750

Not stated

Own price page

Easy Weddings survey (commercial)

Average spend

QLD $3,190; NSW $3,865; Australia $3,567

Not stated

Updated 28 February 2026

We checked every photographer’s page on 12 October 2026. Two cautions. Photographers A and B quote prices excluding GST, so add 10% before comparing: A’s eight hours becomes $3,410. And Easy Weddings’ survey of more than 4,000 couples reports what they spent, not what they got for it. Its NSW figure covers the whole state, not the Northern Rivers.

What’s in a package, line by line

Coverage is sold by the hour, then extras are added. What the pages above list (letters match the price table):

Line item

What published packages say

Hours of coverage

Two to three hours suits an elopement. Full days run 8 to 10 hours. An extra hour costs $150 (C), $330 (A), $350 (E) or $450 (G).

Edited images

Tied to hours. B lists 250 for 3 hours. For 8 hours: 350+ (C), about 800 (G), 600 to 1,000 (A). Delivery runs from 72 hours (E’s 10-hour collection) to 6 to 8 weeks (B).

Second photographer

Mostly an add-on: $550 (D), $600 for at least 5 hours (E), $400 to $600 (C) or $80 to $100 an hour (A). H’s top package includes one.

Album

Included in E’s 8- and 10-hour collections. Elsewhere it’s extra: from $1,100 (D) or $1,450 with a G package ($2,200 on its own).

Engagement shoot

Included in D’s full package, E’s 8- and 10-hour collections and C’s top package. B’s 5-hour package includes a mini session.

Travel: Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Byron and the Northern Rivers

Most photographers include travel only within an area, so where they’re based matters.

  • D (Gold Coast): free from Brisbane to Byron Bay and the Scenic Rim.

  • E (Gold Coast): free within two hours of the Gold Coast.

  • G (Byron Bay): no travel fees between Noosa and Byron Bay.

  • A (Brisbane): Brisbane included; the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast regularly on weekends; elsewhere may cost a small fee.

  • C (Brisbane): outside Brisbane is quoted separately.

If your venue is in the hinterland or across the border, give each photographer the full address and ask whether travel is in the price.

Engagement and pre-wedding shoots

Usually a separate session of about an hour. Published prices on their own:

  • C: from $220 for 30 minutes to from $550 for 2 hours, with $50 to $150 off if you also book the wedding.

  • A: $450 for one hour.

  • D: $550 including GST for one hour, about 80 to 100 edited images.

  • E: $795 for 1.5 hours.

  • G: a pre-wedding session at $1,450, or $750 with a wedding package.

Deposits, cancellations and postponements

None of the price pages we checked publishes deposit, cancellation or postponement terms. They’re in the booking contract. We also couldn’t find a Queensland or NSW regulator page on deposits for this kind of service. What the regulators do say:

  • A deposit can make a contract. NSW Fair Trading says paying a deposit or signing documents might mean you’re bound by the contract’s terms. Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading says that when you accept a quote, you have formed a contract.

  • Pulling out early. NSW Fair Trading says a party that pulls out early may pay a penalty, sometimes the full contract amount. Some contracts allow an early exit, with or without a penalty.

  • Change of mind. Both regulators say a business doesn’t have to refund you for a change of mind.

  • When the service falls short. Under the Australian Consumer Law, a service must be provided with due care and skill, be fit for any purpose you made known, and be supplied within a reasonable time if none was agreed. A “no refunds” policy can’t remove these rights. For a major problem, the ACCC says you can cancel and get a refund, less a reasonable amount for work already done as expected, or keep the contract and pay less.

  • Unfair terms. Since 9 November 2023, proposing, using or relying on unfair terms in standard form contracts has been banned, with penalties (ACCC). The ACCC’s examples include terms that penalise one party, but not the other, for ending the contract. NSW Fair Trading’s include terms that make a consumer who ends a contract early pay an excessive cancellation charge.

Who owns the photos

The Australian Copyright Council’s Photography & Copyright fact sheet (May 2025) explains the Copyright Act 1968 rule. For photos taken on or after 30 July 1998 for private or domestic purposes, such as wedding photos, the client is the first owner of copyright unless the photographer and client agree otherwise.

Even then, the photographer can restrain uses outside the purpose the photos were commissioned for, if that purpose was made known at the time. Photographers also keep moral rights, including the right to be credited. So the contract decides: read its copyright or usage clause before you sign.

How to get an accurate quote

Photographers give more comparable quotes when they all get the same details:

  1. The date and day of the week. Some packages are weekday only.

  2. Venues: where you’re getting ready, and the ceremony and reception addresses.

  3. Hours: from getting ready, the ceremony only, or through to the first dance.

  4. Guest numbers and the family group photos you want.

  5. Extras: second photographer, album, engagement shoot, prints.

Then compare quotes like for like, as in our house painting price guide:

  • How many hours, and what does an extra hour cost?

  • How many edited images, and when will you get them?

  • Are a second photographer, album, engagement shoot and travel included?

  • Does the price include GST?

  • How much is the deposit, and what happens to it if you cancel or postpone?

  • Who owns the copyright, and what can you do with the files?

Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading suggests getting at least three written quotes before buying expensive goods or services.

Getting quotes through Localdex

Localdex lets you describe the job once and send it to the businesses that can do it, up to three. Nothing is sent until you approve the request. Businesses get the job details you approve, and we don’t share your account name or email (anything you type into the job details is shared). It’s free for customers and covers South East Queensland and Northern Rivers NSW.

Describe your photography job and get quotes

For an engagement or pre-wedding shoot, A Brief Letter is a Gold Coast photographer on Localdex you can request a quote from.

FAQ

How much does a wedding photographer cost in Queensland? Easy Weddings’ survey puts the average spend at $3,190. Brisbane and Gold Coast photographers’ own pages list a full day at $2,200 to $4,500 in October 2026, some excluding GST.

How much does a wedding photographer cost in Byron Bay? One Byron Bay photographer lists $2,500 for 3 hours and $4,900 for 8 hours, including GST. Another’s four packages run from $3,550 to $8,750. Easy Weddings’ NSW average is $3,865.

How many photos do you get from a wedding? Published packages list 250 edited images for 3 hours, and 350 to 1,000 for an 8-hour day, depending on the photographer.

Who owns the copyright in wedding photos? The client who commissions photos for a private or domestic purpose, such as a wedding, is the first owner of copyright unless the photographer and client agree otherwise (Australian Copyright Council). Check the contract.

Is a wedding photography deposit refundable? It depends on the contract. Queensland and NSW regulators say a business doesn’t have to refund a change of mind. For a major problem with the service, the ACCC says you can cancel and get a refund, less a reasonable amount for work done as expected.

Sources

Prices are indicative and were current as of 12 October 2026. They’re not a quote.

Written by Localdex

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