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An important message for Wedding Photographers
 Like the idiot I am, I agreed with a Wedding Planner to coordinate a wedding. I know, what was I thinking, right? Anyway, the party has asked me to produce three packages to offer them to choose from. Oooookay! So I guess I will need packages that include engagement shots, pre-wedding, ceremony and reception. Do I break down the event and charge for each part? Do I just include all of the things into the packages and make it more about the quantity of images? What do I need to simply put together three packages? And oh yeah, I need to submit it to them by Tuesday. Thanks for any help (including pricing if you have it to offer). Gary Jul 12 13 07:57 am Link there are various ways to differentiate packages. you can do it based on hours of coverage, number of shooters, whether any products are included (beyond the CD, assuming you are providing one), whether a free engagement session is included. so the base package might be one shooter for 4 hours whereas another package would be two shooters, 6 hours and a book/album plus free engagement session. some people limit the number of images but for me it's always a pain to choose which ones so i'd rather just give them all of the ones that turned out. people are pretty good at sifting through images these days. these guys play up the fact that they can help plan and coordinate as well as photograph: http://continuumweddings.com (you can request a free PDF with planning tips) i don't know if it matters in this scenario but seems like everyone wants a deal. so we jack up the price and then offer a discount to satisfy them. Jul 12 13 09:06 am Link Packages usually deferent in number of photographers, hours of coverage, products as prints, albums, etc, Digitals go separate from any package. Price depends on you. You selling yourself not images. Jul 12 13 09:08 am Link i've had a lot of people ask about how many images they will get (we don't limit the number the way some do). i think the groom might be doing the math and thinking about how much they are spending per image. probably not the best way to evaluate a wedding photographer but it's something people are used to at the supermarket when they compare cost per ounce. Tulack wrote: Jul 12 13 09:10 am Link Gary Blanchette wrote: I would save yourself some time and find out the price range they are looking for. Why do a whole lot of work to find out they only want to spend $300. for all of it. Jul 12 13 09:21 am Link Gary Blanchette wrote: Pricing will commensurate with experience/talent. Nobody can tell you what your services are worth without actually seeing the work you want to charge for. Jul 12 13 09:23 am Link All my quotes for weddings are base on the following items and fairly detailed that way if there is argument later it is all clearly quoted. Time spent at the wedding per hour estimate hours (don't be an ass if it takes 1 hour longer) 2nd,3rd shooter, assistants, drivers,.... Special gear if any, props (this is for things I would not take for the usual wedding. I had a client request a 12 by 7ft special backdrop so the friends could take fun pictures in a special setting. Make sure you include somewhere the cost of post processing (don't make it a dedicated line) take your hourly shooting dates and factor in post-processing. Include a special line edits requested by the client at x$ per hour. Offer options such as albums, gifts,... Or what ever they may fancy. Keep this open for after the wedding. All my quotes specify that the client will get at least 100 professional pictures(except if there are some extreme circumstances) I usually deliver between 400 and 800 pictures but not all with full edits just good looking. Make it easy for them to exclude certain items if they want to save costs. Jul 12 13 09:33 am Link photobooths are another thing that some photographers are offering. Jul 12 13 09:38 am Link No one has mentioned bridal portraits. A big deal with most brides who also want a print to display at the wedding. Your best bet is to look at several wedding photographers in your area to get an idea of pricing. As stated, most packages vary not only by hours but by products, so knowing your product costs is important. The best advice given so far is to realize that post production is by far your greatest time investment, so don't cheat yourself. If you have never shot a wedding before, I would also suggest hiring a second with experience which can be another major expense to incorporate into a package. Jul 12 13 10:26 am Link Thanks everyone. My head is racing now. Jul 13 13 06:55 am Link |
