Wedding Photography Packages & Pricing in Illinois & Wisconsin
You deserve all the answers up front — real wedding photography packages, real pricing, and flexible payment plans, built around real timelines, real budgets, and real life. I don't believe in gatekeeping any of it.
I'm a documentary wedding photographer based in McHenry County, Illinois — serving couples getting married across Northern Illinois, Chicago, Lake Geneva, and Southern Wisconsin. Everything you need to make a confident decision about your wedding photography investment is right here.
I'm an open book. Always.
Your wedding day is a big f⌁ckin deal
So What Does That Actually Mean for Your Wedding Photography Experience?
You're getting married. Like — actually married. To your favorite human. On a day you'll talk about forever.
Your only job that day is to be in it. The timeline, the details, the moments you don't even know are happening yet — I've got all of it. Every wedding photography package is built around that.
Second photographers, rehearsal coverage, à la carte options, payment plans, a free instant estimate — whatever you need to shape this around your day, it's here.
All you have to do — marry your best friend.
Finding the Best Wedding Photographer — I'm Not For Everyone. And I'm Genuinely Okay With That.
I always say — you can't ask a Picasso to paint a Michelangelo.
Of all the vendors present on your wedding day, your photographer spends the most time with you. That's why fit matters more here than anywhere else.
If you love the work and trust the person behind it — we're probably it.
Beyond the Camera — What I'm Actually There For as Your Wedding Photographer
Here's the thing about wedding days — they're beautiful and chaotic. Stuff runs late. Bustles pop. People cry. Plans change. That's not a problem. That's just a wedding. I've got you.
When dinner ends and the dance floor opens — the weight of the day lifts, the smile gets permanently plastered on your face, and everyone goes absolutely feral in the best way possible. I'm laughing so hard I'm crying while I document every second of it. That's my favorite part. Every single time.
But before we get there — I'm the one fixing broken straps and popped buttons mid-getting-ready (shoutout to my friends at Grace & Lace Bridal for the crash courses). I'm your go-to when the timeline goes sideways — because it always does, and honestly we love a good plot twist. I'm the family wrangler when emotions and logistics collide, the floral installer when zip ties snap (thank you, husband, for the emergency truck stash), and your backup transportation with a complimentary jam session when we're running late.
A professional corset buttoner — perfected over ten years (pro-tip: a fork genuinely helps). A professional crier — leveled up after becoming a parent myself. And your grandparents' new best friend. I miss my grandpa — thank you for sharing yours.
I have ugly tears to cry and dance floors to ruin. Let's go.
I Don't Gate Keep Wedding Photography Packages & Pricing Here
Most couples invest around $4,795 — and if you want to see exactly what that looks like broken into payments, my estimator calculator is waiting for you further down this page.
What's Included in Every Wedding Photography Package
A custom wedding day timeline — built with you starting 6 months out, finalized at 3, and buttoned up at 1 month with your full vendor team's needs accounted for so we're ready to rock
Wedding sneak peeks delivered within 7 days of your wedding
Full print release included with every gallery — print anywhere, forever
Every package includes a complimentary engagement session or an extra hour of coverage — your choice
Full wedding gallery delivered within 4–16 weeks (average around 6 — life happens and I'll always be transparent with you)
90-mile travel radius from Hebron, IL included
Holy SH⌁T you're getting married
Most Booked!The Whole Freaking Day — Full Day Wedding Photography Coverage (8 Hours)
From the quiet moment before everything begins — seeing yourself for the first time the way your partner will when you walk down the aisle — all the way to shaking your ass on the dance floor with that smile permanently plastered on your face. Every emotional beat in between, documented.
$4,795
The Half Day — 4-Hour Wedding Photography Coverage
For the non-traditional, the intimate, the intentionally unconventional. You know exactly what moments matter most — this is coverage built around those.
$4,195Non-refundable retainer & Signed Contract Required to book Your Wedding.
Make your wedding photography experience your own
What Can You Add to Your Wedding Photography Package?
Additional coverage — $150 / hour
More time means nothing gets rushed and nothing gets missed.
Second photographer — $825
Best for when you want simultaneous coverage in two locations.
Engagement session — $1,250
For non-booked couples who want professional photos before the big day.
Rehearsal dinner or welcome coverage — $1,795
Because the celebration starts before the ceremony — and those moments deserve to be documented too.
Additional travel
Destination wedding, farther venue, somewhere unexpected — let's talk. I'm so there.
So You're Ready to Book a Wedding Photographer —
Here's What Happens Next
Let's ugly cry & ruin dance floors together. You likely have a few questions & I've got answers — drop the important details in the form below and I'll get back to you within 24–72 hours. (If it's a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday — I'm likely out documenting another couple's big day.)
To recap what I need from you to move forward: details about your day, a little about your love, and anything you need from me. This helps us zero in on your best fit — and gives me the ability to confirm I'm available for your date.
If it's a "hell yes, it's you we want Nicole" — a signed contract and non-refundable retainer lock your date on my calendar.
I'm ready when you are. Drop the details in my contact form.
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My own wedding photographer offered payment plans — and it made a huge difference in how we budgeted. I offer two options because every couple's financial situation is different, and with everything else you're paying out to vendors, manageable matters.
Option One — Split Payment Plan
⅓ non-refundable retainer due at booking
⅓ due at the midpoint between booking and your wedding date
Final ⅓ due one week prior to your wedding
→ Sneak peeks delivered within 7 days of your wedding.
Option Two — Extended Monthly Payments
⅓ non-refundable retainer due at booking
Remaining balance divided into monthly payments based on how far out your wedding date is
Final payment due one week prior to your wedding
→ Sneak peeks delivered within 7 days of final payment.
Use the wedding photography investment estimator calculator below to see exactly what both options look like for your package.
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Most of the time, I work solo — and I prefer it that way.
Working alone allows me to stay fully present, move quickly, and document your day without it feeling scripted. Fewer people, fewer distractions, more real moments. That's where I do my best work.
That said, second photographers are available when they make sense for your day.
If you're deciding between extra hours vs. a second, here's how to think about it:
If your day spans multiple locations or needs more breathing room, adding continuous coverage is usually the smartest (and most budget-friendly) option. More time means I don't have to rush — and nothing important gets missed. This is my go-to recommendation for most weddings.
A second photographer is a preference, not a requirement. They're helpful if:
You need simultaneous coverage in different locations
You're working within a tighter timeline
You want additional perspectives and a larger final gallery
My seconds work quietly in the background and focus on alternate angles and guest interactions — not duplicating what I'm already capturing. Every second photographer I bring is hand selected by me — friends in the industry who own their own photography businesses and shoot as lead photographers, just like me, or people I've personally trained who carry the same values I do. You're not getting a stranger. You're getting someone I trust — and someone I'd also call if I ever needed backup.
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I've been doing this since 2016. In that time I've navigated COVID shutdowns, 20+ reschedules, a 42-wedding season, pregnancy during peak season, gear failure mid-ceremony, injured second photographers en route to destinations, and a second shooter coming down with the stomach flu mid-event.
I have never missed a wedding. Not once.
Not because I'm invincible — but because I assume something will go wrong at some point and I build for that reality. I'm fully insured, deeply networked, and my hand-selected second photographers are my backup. If something happens to me, you have someone I trust completely already in my corner.
You won't be left hanging.
→ Want the full story? Check out my blog post: ‘How to Choose a Reliable Wedding Photographer’
How Much Should You Budget for Wedding Photography? Use My Estimator.
Real numbers in real time for your wedding photography package.
Wedding Investment Calculator
No gatekeeping. Pick your coverage, add what you need, and you'll see what it takes to lock it in + how payment plans break down.
This decides whether you're looking at my local wedding collections or my destination & travel collections.
Used only to estimate monthly payments (final payment is due one week prior).
Local wedding collections (within 90 miles). Hebron, IL radius
If you're like "Nicole… we're gonna need more time." Cool. Same.
Included with full & half day collections. Optional for The Courthouse.
Outside 90 miles = destination & travel collections. Travel included
Need more time? Add hours here.
Total Estimated Investment
$—
Choose radius + collection to see totals.
Retainer Due at Booking (⅓)
$—
Non-refundable. This is what officially locks your date.
Payment Plan Options
- Option One — Split Payment Plan: ⅓ at booking, ⅓ midway, final ⅓ one week prior. Sneak peeks within 7 days of your wedding.
- Option Two — Extended Monthly Payments: ⅓ at booking, remaining balance split monthly, final payment one week prior. Sneak peeks within 7 days of final payment.
Split Plan Breakdown
$—
⅓ / ⅓ / ⅓
Monthly Plan Estimate
$—
Add your wedding date to estimate monthly payments.
Friendly heads up: this calculator is an estimate for planning. Your exact payment schedule is confirmed in your contract once we book.
Did we just become best friends?!
Illinois & Wisconsin Wedding Photography Packages
Nicole Kilday Photography provides documentary wedding photography for couples getting married across Northern Illinois, Chicago, Lake Geneva, and Southern Wisconsin. Based in Hebron, IL in McHenry County, Nicole's wedding photography packages are designed around real timelines and real budgets — allowing couples to stay present while the day unfolds naturally. She photographs weddings for couples who care about how their wedding day felt just as much as how it looked, offering full-day and half-day wedding photography packages with transparent pricing, flexible payment plans, and a 90-mile travel radius from Hebron, IL.