This has lead to a trend where professional have had to cut prices to seem competitive with these jokers.
Obviously there is posing, backup, computers, software, prints albums etc that all make for the one time wedding event. this costs money, and people undercutting professional photographers seldom bother with investment and advertising as well as insurance.

For example, My first year in wedding photography cost me over $10,000 on the basic’s (well a little bit more than that)

Then there is posing, and basically being a choreographer for the wedding, using light, and making some great images rather than the ‘reportage’ styles that the amateurs get away with as a style and not a hash of messing about and shooting so much that they can get a few photos that are any good..

Earning/profits are defined within the services and the quality of the services that are offered and how much work the photographer puts into the work itself.

For example:
a package at $2000, would break down as:
80 hours work ( pre and post) ( $25 per hour)
$600 on album
$300 on prints
New hourly rate $13.75

Costs: $658.84 per wedding ( ins/adv/soft etc)

That leaves you with $441.16 from the package for your 80 hours work.

This is just an example, but every business needs to turn a profit. as a basic rule of thumb, you look at your costs, rent, food, gear etc add the package costs album, prints, discs etc. Then add the wedding costs and then add 50%

Use this total against the prices of the amount of weddings you want to work each year and then divide the total.

Each photographer is different as to their costs, as is the services and style. so the earnings are always different.

Ball part figures are £875 /$1600 per day.