Personally, I think so. Many of the items connected to the wedding event are over-priced. (I also think my dental needs are over-priced).
After the wedding and reception are in the past two tangibles remain: the wedding dress (which one may never use or see again) and the photographs. A photographer often uses this to justify his price. They do become memories and relics that brides and families will cherish for years to come (unless there is a divorce). This fact adds value to the price one pays.
The price one pays may include a second or third photographer and/or a videographer in order for one to be able to see the many elements of an event that one misses while being the center of attention. The price also includes matters related to the photographer's gear, insurance, studio, transportation, life style, and, in some cases, child-support. The photographer is probably worth it.
Being cost conscious I look at things from a skewed viewpoint. If I pay $10,000 and only view the photos on my anniversary for the next ten years, the rate is $1000 a year. If I continue in the same fashion over the years, the rate goes down as long as the marriage lasts. If I view the images 1000 times, each viewing costs me $1. Less viewings than that raise my viewer's fee. If I divorce within 3 years, I may wish I had some of that money in my pocket for current expenses. (In my case, it was an annulment.)
Well, I am just ruminating, being rational in my cash-strapped stage of life. A bride can use whatever criteria she wishes for justifying the price she pays or the photographer she chooses. Price alone may not guarantee memorable images. I doubt that many brides realize that view these pictures in 20 or 30 years will change. Some may cringe when they look back and see how much they paid for photos that are now "dated" and somewhat embarrassing, especially if the images follow the current style instead of being "classic".
Since I will never be the bride, I do not have a real answer to the question.
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What you're overlooking here is the cost of doing business. How much does it take a photographer to make a decent living at it. There are some $10,000 wedding photographers but the majority start at about half that, or even less.
Consider that most photographers will only be doing one wedding per week and you only have 52 opportunities during the year to generate income. Post processing and album design take another chunk of your week and there has to be some time left for marketing and it's easy to see that wedding photography is priced in such a way as to allow the photographer to make a living.
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