When should we schedule our engagement session?

9–12 months before the wedding — early enough to use the photos for save-the-dates and your wedding website.

How long is an engagement session and how many photos do we get?

Most sessions run 60–90 minutes at one or two nearby spots, delivering a full edited gallery — not a handful of selects.

Can we bring our dog to the engagement session?

Please do. Bring a leash, treats, and a friend who can dog-wrangle between shots.

Is an engagement session included with wedding collections?

It can be added to any collection or booked on its own — couples who book photography and video together usually add it at a reduced rate. Exact numbers are confirmed on your first call.

What if we are awkward in front of a camera?

Everyone says that. We direct with prompts and movement, not stiff poses — by the second outfit you will forget the camera is there.

Do You Tip Your Wedding Photographer?

2,200+ couples photographed · 35+ national awards · 350+ five-star reviews — Cinematic on Film

Tipping your wedding photographer is one of the most common questions couples ask once the final invoice is paid — and there is no industry-wide rule that settles it. Unlike restaurant service, a photography tip is a personal choice, not an expectation built into the contract. Here is how to think about it, what other couples typically do, and how to show appreciation beyond a tip if that feels right for you.

Wedding photographer at work during a Los Angeles wedding — Lulan Studio

Is Tipping Your Wedding Photographer Required?

No. Tipping a wedding photographer is optional and not a universal practice the way tipping a server or a hairstylist is. Most photographers are business owners who set their own rates to reflect their time and skill, and a tip is never built into that rate or expected as part of it. That said, plenty of couples choose to tip anyway, especially when a photographer or their team went well beyond the job description.

Typical Tipping Ranges

If you do want to tip, there is no fixed rule, but a common range some couples use is roughly $50–$200 per photographer, or an equivalent based on your budget and how the day went. For a two-photographer team, some couples split a similar amount between the lead and second shooter, while others tip the lead and let them share it with their team. None of this is mandatory or standardized across the industry — treat any number here, including this one, as a loose guideline rather than a rule.

Wedding photography team covering a Los Angeles wedding day — Lulan Studio

Other Ways to Show Appreciation

A cash tip is not the only way to thank a wedding photographer. Many photographers value these gestures just as much, if not more:

A detailed review. A specific, honest review on Google or a wedding platform helps a small photography business more than almost anything else.
A handwritten note. Photographers remember the couples who take a moment to say what a shot or a moment meant to them.
A referral. Recommending your photographer to a friend who is planning a wedding is one of the highest compliments in this business.
Food and a place to sit. On a long wedding day, a seat at dinner and a real meal for your photography team goes a long way.

Candid wedding photography moment, Los Angeles — Lulan Studio

When a Tip Is Especially Thoughtful

A tip tends to feel most meaningful when a photographer did something outside the original scope — stayed later than planned, handled a difficult weather change without missing a beat, traveled further than expected, or simply gave your day their full energy for twelve-plus hours. None of this is required for a tip to be appropriate, but it is when many couples feel most moved to give one.

Wedding photography detail shot, Los Angeles — Lulan Studio

Do You Tip Your Wedding Photographer? FAQ

Do you tip a wedding photographer? Tipping a wedding photographer is optional, not required. Some couples do, many do not, and both are completely normal — there is no industry standard that says you must.

How much do you tip a wedding photographer? There is no fixed amount. Couples who choose to tip often give somewhere in the range of $50–$200 per photographer, adjusted for budget and how the day went, but this is a loose guideline, not a rule.

Do you tip the second shooter? If you tip, many couples include the second shooter as well, either with a smaller tip of their own or as part of an amount the lead photographer shares with their team. Ask your photographer how their team typically handles it if you are unsure.

Is it rude not to tip a wedding photographer? No. Because tipping photographers is not a universal practice, choosing not to tip is not considered rude. A thoughtful review, referral, or note is valued just as much by most photographers.

Keep Exploring

Whether or not you tip, the best way to make sure your wedding photography experience feels right from the start is to ask the right questions before you book.

Read our questions-to-ask guide · Read our full FAQ · Check your date — contact us

More from Lulan Studio: Los Angeles wedding photography · Wedding planning tips

Quick Reference: Who Tips What

Lead photographer - not expected, especially when they own the studio; couples who do tip typically give $100-$200 or a small percentage of the package. A detailed review is valued just as much.
Videographer - same convention as the photographer: appreciated, never assumed.
Second shooter / assistant - the most common tip on a photo team: $50-$100 each, handed over at the end of their shift, since they are usually not the business owner.
Where tipping is standard in LA - vendors with service-staff gratuity traditions: catering, bartenders, hair and makeup, valet. Check your contracts first - many Los Angeles venues already build in a service charge.
Where it is a bonus, not a fee - owner-operated creative vendors: photography, video, planning, florals.

However you thank your team, timing matters most: end of the night with a card, or a note when your gallery arrives.