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Shooting first wedding.


tarahj

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I am going to be shooting my first wedding and I am trying to figure out an

appropiate price. I live in a small town and I doubt that she will have alot

of people. I plan on going to the church and taking pics to see if I can get

enought light. She asked me to get a package and a price...Im not sure where

to start with my packages.. ANY help???

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Tara it really depends on what they are wanting...do they want prints, also you have to think of your time, how much time are you spending taking photos? Most photographers start around $100 an hour and then on up. I start some one of my packages around $595.00 which is cheap probably by most photographers on this website.
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Depends on your ability, your experience, your portfolio, your confidence to deliver "the goods", and what "the goods" are. If you're a beginner, you might want to do it for cost since it is your first wedding. <p> To me there's not really difference between charging $500 or doing it completely for free - for digital, what are your "costs"... a CD, some gas money, maybe an assistant (who might also be willing to do it for free). Charge them for prints of course.<p>

On the other hand, if you're good and have some professional experience under your belt in other areas you might want to start charging in the $1500 or so range just while you get started at this.

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We photographed our first weddings 2nd shooting for free. No pressure, but it was the best investment of time we could have done. I would probably agree with coming up with a package based on cost only. But then again, that depends on your experience level, which you haven't quite mentioned.
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Tarah,

 

If you have previous photoshop experience, then post-processing shouldn't take you much time. If you're still learning photoshop, then plan to spend countless hours on post-processing your images to get them to a state where you can show them to your client.

 

I did my first wedding for free and gave the couple all the image files. It was a great learning experience, but chewed up a couple of months of my own, personal time. Just something to think about.

 

Best of luck to you!

D

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Thank you so much for all the responses. I have a lil experience but just taking pics of my sis and cousins. I have set up a price package... I know once I say how much I am charging some people are going to have a cow...because its not much at all. I didn't want to charge that much being that it is my first wedding. One of my packages would only cost me around 90.00 to get it all developed...and I'm only charging $200.00. Thanks for my time and all. She has seen some of my pics of my sis and my cousin so she knows what I can do. I love working on pics...I dont think I have photoshop. But I have something called Photo Explorer. I love it.. .I also have about 3 other systems.. just like the PhotoExplorer...but different in little things. Thanks again everyone.. Any tips would be appreciated
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Many here have taken the path of assisting, and/or then second shooting, and then doing freebies/at cost weddings and such. Alot of options to gain experience.

 

It wont take you long to tire of doing weddings when making little money (or losing money for that matter).

 

I've calculated my annual overhead for 2008 at $500 per wedding (based on 12 wedding goal). That's working from home, with little advertising other than two bridal fairs. That's before taking a single image. That's before providing an album and prints.

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I'm doing my first wedding solo soon and am offering a package at cost. I've done one for free and gave the couple a CD of the digital files. Regardless what I charge, I always have the client sign a photography agreement. These legal contracts are really important, especially if you're doing weddings, which can carry liability for you since it is a one time significant and expensive event for the couple, and you have one opportunity to capture the event.

 

Photography agreements can have clauses on publishing permissions, copyright, and indemnification.

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