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Here is an excert from CBS marketwatch article called Ten most overpaid jobs in the U.S.
Guess it could go for the UK as well.
Not necessarily my opinion.
Paul
10) Wedding photographers
Photographers earn a national average of $1,900 for a wedding, though many charge $2,500 to $5,000 for a one-day shoot, client meeting and processing time that runs up to 20 hours or more, and the cost of materials.
The overpaid ones are the many who admit they only do weddings for the income, while quietly complaining about the hassle of dealing with hysterical brides and drunken reception guests. They mope through the job with the attitude: "I'm just doing this for the money until Time or National Geographic calls."
Much of their work is mediocre as a result. How often have you really been wowed flipping the pages of a wedding album handed you by recent newlyweds? Photographers who long for the day they can say "I don't do weddings" should leave the work to the dedicated ones who do.
Sounds like someone without the talent and ability to do the job being bitter. I believe elsewhere in the report it goes on to mention that Doctirs and Airline Pilots are also overpaid!
I would be very VERY suprised if many wedding photographers earn anything approaching the top end figure for a wedding. One of the other issues people fail to take into account is the amount of time that can be spent on a wedding.
It is gernerally thought that a photographer turns up on the day and that is that. The photos appear like magic a few days later.
Ignoring the time spent before a wedding in preparation (site survey, meeting couples on more than one occasion), I spend on average 8 hours at a wedding. The proofs take me 40+ hours to produce (sounds a lot but you calculate how long it will take you to process and edit 200+ photographs), I then spend about another 8 hours or so producing final prints and mounting them in an album.
Think about how much the average wage is in the UK and the cost of materials and I think you will find that most UK Wedding photographers offer very good value for money!
Barrie 
Totally agree with Barrie - a hell of a lot of work goes into a wedding.
Apart from being paid for time & materials, there is the matter for being compensated for the stress and the hassle that you go through hearding the sheep - sorry the client and their respective families!
all to end up at the top of the wadrobe, never to be seen again!
Barrie,
Very well put.
Your post should be printed out and handed to every prospective B&G! - maybe then they'd understand the "reason" for the price of a wedding photographer...
well, barrie. i don't know how much you charge, or how much we paid, but our photographer turned up, took 36 photos and left. he had been to the locations before so knew the area. the mother-in-law was paying so she chose. the photos were alright, but very much standard. no candid shots. mostly just set-up and posed shots of bride and groom with so and so.
actually, just looked at your site. i think we paid a bit less but it didn't include an album, so probably works out the same. plus you have to give the preview album back. none on cd. the problem is when shopping around for photographers, unless you've been married several times or been involved in several weddings, you don't know what to look for. so i do think a lot of people get ripped off.
next time i get married, i'll be sure to do it in wales 
Well,
All I know is that I'm confused, I'm getting married in October and most of the prices that I have been quoted is around 600.00 - 1300. 600 being a basic service. It's hard to decide who to go for. What should you look for in a good wedding photographer and do most of them give you their proofs afterwards? Any experiences or suggestions?
pauline
Hmmm... makes the 375 (or 750 for premium service) charged for wedding videography by a friend of mine look quite reasonable.
He would spend anything from 3-6 hours shooting at the ceremony and the reception, followed by countless hours/days in the editing suite (latterly a digital one).
He recently retired but his business was a successful one for nearly 20 years.
I went to a wedding a few months ago and I think the photographer had read the universal book of 80's wedding photography and he followed it page by page. He didnt stay for that long about two hours then he went. All the pics he was taking looked so staged and fake.
Interesting snippet from that Top Ten thing, and the important bit is where it says The overpaid ones are the many who admit they only do weddings for the income, while quietly complaining about the hassle of dealing with hysterical brides and drunken reception guests etc. etc.
I reckon a good wedding photographer earns every single penny (or cent) they command. It's the ones who have no experience or skill in people management who really don't warrant the money they charge. All they're doing is exploiting a couple's big day.
If you love what you're doing, and you put everything you've got into it, would you ever tire of making the best job you can of it? So people get tired and emotional at weddings. So the bride is hysterical. That's sometimes what happens at weddings. Fact. And if a photographer can't stand the heat ....
soapbox BACK under the desk ...
Pauline,
I'd consider 600 to be a basic package of XX prints mounted in an album. The XX will vary but would probably be at least 20 8x6 prints.
Proofs are often available as an extra - your contracting the photographer to supply you with an album normally, but check the contract.
What are you like? - are you outgoing, centre of attention type ? - if so, you may want to look at working with the photographer to produce something more avant garde. If you don't enjoy "acting up" for the camera, then a "journalistic" photographer may suit you better. Either way, look at what's available around you at what price and decide from there based on what you see.
I'd also look at the interaction you have with the photographer - his manner, humour and way with people are as important as any work he may show you.
Be guided by others - ask around and see who says what about the Pro's in your area.
Best of luck...
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