what if more than one couple wants the same date?

how do you all decide who gets the booking if more than one couple

ask for the same date?

 

right now we have one couple who have been extremely interested over

the phone, and another couple who are also very intersted 24 hours

later by e-mail.. who get's priority? (both just e-mailed us, the

first we talked to over the phone) we've already set a meeting with

the first couple, but the meeting is a week from now. both seem very

interested in the full price package for a july date next summer.

thanks! jen

Money talks, and e-mails walk.

check with both of them. Do you have a second group of photographers that you work with or can work with that you can trade extra dates for. you might still make a few hundred and they can make some extra money. I do this alot, me and my co-hort will double book with the other and give one to the other. it works for both of us. we do have a few extra back-up photographers we can use as well.

I agree with Mark -- it's eminently reasonable to say up front that you will hold the date for the first couple who ponies up the ($300 or whatever) nonrefundable deposit (or some people call it something else).

 

Otoh, if one couple wants a bigger package, you might want to encourage thme to send in the deopsit sooner. And if they don't, what does that tell you?

I would caution against double booking. Our wedding photographer did that to us. Showed up briefly, and then left to go to another wedding with his assistant left in charge of ours.

 

I was not happy. We didn't order much beyond that which we had already contracted to do, and anytime the subject of wedding photographers came up in my circle of friends, I reiterated my experience to any who wanted to listen.

This is like business fundamental.<br>

I don't give a dang about "interested" people.<br>

That means they are shopping.<br>

First one with the (non-refundable) deposit gets my attention.<br>

A deposit in your hand reserves the wedding date. (One 4th of July I was booked for a pair of weddings -- you do not want to try that routine. I had to 'hire' a local photographer to cover the last half of the first wedding as I drove to the second wedding. It ain't worth it!)

Well, since the very first response provided the only serious reply necessary to this question, might I suggest you have them 'rassle for it? ;-)

The first to place a deposit gets it.

 

Oh, if you ever do subcontract out a wedding to another photographer, just make sure the couple is aware first. I work as an associate photographer to a couple of others in the area, and it works out very well. I meet with them over at the other photographer's studio, and show them my work and join in on the discussion. No problems. So he does his own wedding, then makes another $300-$400 off my wedding, which I am only too happy to do becasue he offers me an excellent rate and keeps me busy on my free days.

First one with a deposit--the other> we just pass on to another photographer..

The way we handle this is to be open and honest with both and let the couple that contacted us first, by any method, have the first choice. This is a common problem for us in popular months, June for instance. We let the couple that contacted us second know that another couple has contacted us BUT THAT NO CONTRACT IS SIGNED SO THE DATE IS STILL OPEN. From my experience potential customers appreciate the honesty and understand that you run a business and this is going to happen.

 

In one instance we had a client that had said she wanted to sign with us but had not signed a contract yet. Another couple contacted us and after a consultation wanted to sign with us on the spot but we declined and said we wanted to contact the first bride. After I contacted her she backed out and the other couple signed with us. We did take a chance on losing a job for that date completely but I would not have felt right about signing with the couple until I knew the first bride did not want to sign with us.

 

We feel this is the best way to run our business and it has worked for us so far. I think in the long run being honest will help us establish a better reputation and increase our referrals to make up for any contracts we may miss.

Has anyone ever offered the date to the highest bidder? When my brother got married last year, one photographer told him he would have to bid with another client for the date. He looked elsewhere. Anyone heard of this (or willing to admit they have done it)?