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Wedding Photography Fees


jennifer_pelletier

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<p>Hello everyone! I'm hoping that some of you can help me. I've been doing photography for a few years, but have never done a wedding. I know I am capable of doing one, but just haven't booked one yet. I may possibly be booking one for August. From what I've been told so far is that it will be about 9 or 10 hours of my time. From the time the bride is getting ready up until the end of the reception. They would only want edited digital copies on a cd so that they can put together their own album. What is a rough estimate of what I should charge for my time, editing, and preparing the cd(s)? Thanks for your time!</p>
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<p>I don't know what part of the country you're in as this will greatly affect your rate. You will need to make sure the client understands they will be charged for your editing time also. Be fair but don't give away your services too cheap. That said wedding prices range between the moon and the deep blue sea. Good luck on the wedding.</p>
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Hi Jennifer. check the learning tab for weddings. check the forum for weddings. check Nadine O Hara in member directory+ others. You say you are capable ,so do you have all the backup gear you want.Primary stuff extra camera flash lens et al? Wish you well regards miken .
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<p>Shooting time is just one piece of the puzzle. Since you said you've been doing this for a few years then should have a fairly good idea of your operational costs and COGS. Break them down hourly then you have your baseline hourly rate.</p>

<p>Shooting time is one thing, but editing and consultation time is another. And must be factored in towards your final price. Assuming you're very proficient with post processing you could say for every hour shot you process them under 2 hrs. Your baseline for the photography part is 3 hrs.</p>

<p>If your baseline hourly rate is say $50 it means that you should at least charge 3hrs x $50 = $150 to break even. If you've been shooting for 10 hrs then you must charge at least $1500 just cover for your time. If you spend time consulting with them then you have to factor that in too. The point is every time you do something for a client it has to be factored in and its your choice if you are going to charge for it or not, the important thing is you're aware of how much time you're really working for them.</p>

<p>As for the image disc, if you really want to include the CD then price it accordingly. Say for example in your non-wedding experience you charge $200 for each 16x20 print (the max size you can print from a 3mb image jpeg) and you deliver 100 jpegs then your image disc has to be at least $2000. Because that's the most you stand to loose once you give them the cd, nobody orders prints once they have the image disc.</p>

<p>Crazy prices huh? you can do it the proper way or you can it the charitable way, it's your choice. But do remember real photographers don't just pick out prices out of thin air, contrary to what some people think.</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>"I've been doing photography for a few years, but have never done a wedding."</p>

<p>Then you shouldn't be charging for a wedding. You should be charging a minimal amount to cover your time (well below a retail, aka your normal shooting rate). Also, you should advise them that <em>you've never shot a wedding</em>. Full disclosure. They may think you're a fantastic photographer, and hire you anyway, but lets be realistic, you don't have the experience to <em>guarantee (to all reasonable degrees w/n your control)</em> that you can do the job, much less to guarantee that their images would even be on par w/ the rest of your portfolio (in which you presumably had control over things like posing, lighting, timing, equipment, etc.... all factors that you may or may not have control over during a wedding). </p>

<p>It's not a good idea to charge a competitive rate: if you get sued for ruining their pictures after it's all over, you can tell the judge "I told them I'd never shot a wedding, and agreed to do it at a minimal cost as a learning experience for me, and they didn't want to pay for a pro to do it, and didn't have to... ie. they knew the risk, and hired me for a minimal cost anyway."</p>

<p>I know my post sounds kind of harsh, but you should be trying to convince them to hire an experienced pro who'll let you shoot as a second, that way they get great shots (with a reasonable degree of likliehood at least) and you get some of the experience you desperately want/need. If you decide to do it (or they decide to hire you) anyway, at least come up with an ironclad contract to CYA...</p>

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<p>Nobody can tell you what you are worth, except, perhaps, the market itself. If you haven't photographed a wedding before, you are at the same starting point as any other photographer who hasn't shot a wedding before, regardless of your other photography experience.</p>

<p>Basic editing is part of the deal most of the time, even in shoot and burn packages (what you describe here), and preparing a CD does not take much. I would go by an hourly fee. Find out what other beginners to wedding photography are charging in your area and go with that. This amount varies from urban to country, region to region, etc., which is another reason we can't just name an amount for you.</p>

<p>Also take into consideration that the really cheap wedding photographers wanting to get experience are charging pretty dirt cheap prices--$300-$500--some of them, nothing. If your prospects know you through your other photography work, you may have an advantage and may be able to charge more, but if they don't, you are facing some pretty stiff competition.</p>

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<p><strong>THANK YOU to everyone who responded! All of your feedback was very helpful! I probably should have included in my original post that the couple is aware that I have never done a wedding before, and are still interested in my services. I made sure that they knew that before even beginning to discuss things with them. I would never book a wedding without the couple knowing my experience level.....for the exact reason of being sued. Thank you all again for your thoughts! I really do appreciate it!</strong></p>
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<p>This sort of question gets asked a lot and it gets several informative answers about price structure and CYA, etc. All very good to know.</p>

<p>But, having been in your shoes I suspect what you really want is for someone to just give you a number. Or for a bunch of people to give you a number so you can take the average. So here's my number:</p>

<p>$500</p>

<p>Make it clear that you have never shot a wedding. Get a contract. Prepare and work hard. If you do a good job, raise your rate to $1000 for the next one and go up from there based on the market, etc.</p>

 

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<p>Don't charge. It's easier for the couple to find a good affordable photographer with experience than for you to re-do the wedding if something happens.<br>

I saw my cousin cry her eyes out when she saw the photos from her wedding and don't wish that on any bride, nor any photographer.<br>

And have you ever hauled your cameras for 9 hours at eye level? Try in on a weekend around town before you accept the assignment.<br>

Good luck!</p>

 

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<blockquote>

<p><em>"I've been <strong>doing photography for a few years</strong>, but have <strong>never done a wedding</strong>. I know I am capable of doing one, but<strong> just haven't booked one yet.</strong> What is a rough estimate of what I should charge for my time, editing, and preparing the cd(s)?"</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Maybe I am missing a beat here, but the implication of the questoion as I read it is, that <br>

"<em><strong>doing photography</strong></em> for a few years, but have never <em><strong>done a wedding</strong></em>" means the "doing" has been for money.</p>

<p>If this is the case then I ask is: "What do you charge now?"<br>

Apply that answer to the number of hours work (including Post Production).<br>

IMO, this would be a far better guide than fitting into the local market, etc.</p>

<p>WW</p>

 

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<blockquote>

<p>"Don't charge. It's easier for the couple to find a good affordable photographer with experience than for you to re-do the wedding if something happens."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I am confused by these two statements, please explain:<br />Why / How would charging, or not charging a fee, have any impact on the choice by the Photographer to re-do work if "something happened"?</p>

<p>WW</p>

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I had a similar circumstance recently. I had not done a commercial job in six years when a rather well known person asked me to do a series of PR photographs and a series of family portraits. I was reluctant to do it but could not resist the pull joining the fray again and I accepted. The customer insisted that they pay me going commercial rates. They knew I had not worked for quite a while and they knew that this was my first digital job as I converted to digital about the time I quit the business. I have done a lot of Pro bono sports work on digital however along with showing my work. They also wanted the rights to the pictures which I granted. I took a set of four studio lights to their house and did the job shooting about 250 pictures over a period of three hours. I did separate sittings for the kids. I must say that some 10 years earlier I did my first wedding and I charged for it although not a lot. Those pictures were very good as I had very good professional gear and knew what I was doing. I immediately used my first wedding pictures on a brochure which sold more weddings. So IMO if you have the skill, backup equipment, and personality I think it ok to charge for a first wedding as long as you are straight with your customer as you said. I do object to those who do not have the skill, judgment, and equipment doing that. The OP has been around for a while.

Back to my recent job. The pictures came out fine. I know how to play with kids (teenagers in this case) and get them to relax in front of the lights and camera. I let them chimp each picture and take a couple of each other and they sent me back to do more until they were laughing at each other making nice unposed pictures. The parents left the room as they told me later they thought we were playing well together. I did not really know what going rates had become since I left the business. I asked on PN. I got a couple of "you have no right to be in the business if you don't know what to charge" replies from those who think they make the rules and then a couple of real pros gave me some numbers that I could go by based upon my capability. I determined an hourly rate. At the behest of the customer, I did a lot of nit picky, careful, retouching for the PR pictures. I wound up billing for for seven hours. I received that payment and also got a 25 per cent bonus for the work. I billed a bit on the low side of what I thought were going commercial rates. The help I have gotten on PN is inestimable. The only thing I am expert at, according to Dale Carnegie, is my own experience so that is what I relate on PN. To the OP. Go for it and reasonably charge for it. There is risk in life and doing my first wedding was certainly no where near other risks I have taken in another profession. However having done weddings on MF and 35 mm film and waiting to see how they came back from processing provided some anxiousness.

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<p>I think the idea of working for a "nice tip" is probably the best way to go......If your product is good,<br>

they should acknowledge that......just keep in mind you are creating images for them....if the product<br>

is good, then negotiate using those images in your portfolio....</p>

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<p><strong>if you have the skill, backup equipment, and personality I think it ok to charge for a first wedding ... I do object to those who do not have the skill, judgment, and equipment doing that. The OP has been around for a while.</strong></p>

<p>The OP only said "I've been doing photography for a few years".</p>

<p>That doesn't mean much by itself. The same description covers almost every modern parent with a point and shoot who thinks over-exposure means too much sun tan.</p>

 

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<p>The Parent and the overexposed suntan is not necessarily a representative analogy.<br>

Careful reading of Dick's post will reveal, in fact the portion quoted reveals, there is a caveat on his opinion for the OP charging: "<strong>if you have the skill". </strong></p>

<p>In light of the fact that Dick's comment was set in the background of his experience of being a Commercial Photographer and being presented with a job after several years off, it is quite apparent to me, and I expect to the OP, that Dick is saying –<br>

“it's OK to charge if you have the flying hours up and you have the basic skills to do the job – albeit those skills and experience might be in another area of Professional Photography."<br>

That point is much the same as the point I was making also.</p>

<p>I agree that we DO NOT know what the OP means by "I've been <strong><em>doing</em></strong> photography for a few years" . . .<br>

and I was fleshing that out in my question I posed to her:</p>

<p><strong>it would be good if Jennifer shed light on what her experience and Professional skills actually are, as we are really just playing tennis against - the wall at the moment.</strong></p>

<p>WW</p>

<p> </p>

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