How to price a wedding for a friend

<p>I was recently asked to photograph a friend's wedding.<br>

I want to give them a good deal but I also want to make it worth my while, financially.<br>

Is there any rule of thumb (ie: percent discounted) that folks have used when doing weddings for friends or family?<br>

Thanks for any input.</p>

<p>I don't think it's possible to do them a good deal and make it worth your while. "Friends' discounts" are always a mistake; they're paying you so they're expecting you to be grateful to them for the business, and you think you're doing them a favour so you're expecting them to be grateful to you; the disparity between these two always leads to trouble.</p>

<p>Either work for free - because they're friends, or charge full rates, because you're runnning a business. There are no half measures.</p>

<p>Do a search in the archives here for this - there are some real horror stories about exactly this subject - where the photog offered a 'special' deal to the 'friend' who then became a 'fiend' because she didnt like what resulted and it got very very very messy. Be very careful.</p>

<p>It seems to me you are best positioned to answer such a question.</p>

<p>There are friends and then there are friends; know what I mean?</p>

<p>I had this come up a few times myself; here's what I did...</p>

<p>I asked them 'What do YOU feel my services are worth?"<br>

These people were NOT close personal friends.</p>

<p>In the next scenario, my best friend got married. I shot the event for free and only charged them my costs.</p>

<p>I shot my BEST friends wedding and didn't charge him anything. I let him view the proofs online and order them at cost. That said, it was because he was my best friend. I'm about to do another wedding for a good friend that I've known since I was a kid. I've planned on giving him a 25% discount on all prints. In fact, I give all "friends and family" 25% off prints. I haven't had a problem at all yet (knock on wood) and I would personally feel rude if I didn't offer my friends and family a discount. Yes, I feel like I'm worth my full asking price, but I also feel like if I can help friends and family out I will, it's not like I'm losing money, I'm still making a profit at 25% off.</p>

<p>If this is someone who is close enough to us that we're also being invited as guests (not that you can ever be both), I give them a 20% discount off my prices and perhaps a larger discount if they purchase some very high margin products. I also give them a totally NON-PHOTOGRPHIC wedding gift that's on par with typical gifts. This is usually a check, but sometimes a gift from their registry. I want them to know that one has nothing to do with the other.<br>

When you do business with a friend, the discount can never be enough for them and it's always too much for you. The "recipient" probably always wonders what it really costs you. <br>

I'm comfortable doing things this way as I've given them a "normal" gift and a discount on my services. It's also in the initial contract so there are no assumptions on either end....-Aimee</p>

<p>Simple rule: hand them your rates and let them get a special discount since you are friends. Or you can tell that you will take your camera to the wedding but they should hire a photographer. If they go with the option of hiring another photographer they should be able to see that you are being just.</p>

<p>Definite what is worthwhile to you? worthwhile monetarily or worthwhile you gave them something special?</p>

<p>If money is what you're after then charge them at full price, giving them a discount has no value to you because they are already a friend. But if they were somebody else who had the potential to build a word-of-mouth referral then by all means give them the discount because you'll get more referrals.</p>

<p>For what its worth, you could also charge them full price on your time but then charge base price on prints rather than having the usual markup on top.</p>

 

<p>My friend shot my wedding - he charged me cost (development and assistant). His fee was waived.<br>

Second friend shot the video, he claimed he discounted $300 - we aren't friends anymore :(</p>

<p>Really think about it.</p>

<p>Adam</p>

<p>I wouldn't charge family, I'd shoot it and post online and allow family and friends to purchase prints at cost and give the B/G a DVD of all the files and a DVD slideshow. After wedding products such as albums and enlargements would depend on how generous I was feeling. Friends would get 20-25% discount from usual studio prices.</p>

<p>I referred my daughter to a vendor friend of mine who owns a limo company who had told me he'd provide her a good deal. My daughter found a stretch-SUV from an established company for less than what he'd offerred........we're no longer friends. (BTW, the limo guys are "uber-aware" of their competitors pricing).</p>

<p>Welcome to P-net. </p>

<blockquote>

<p>David, sorry about a loss of friend .....we're no longer friends</p>

</blockquote>

<p>My videographer, charged me x-amount, shot the job, promised delivery date w/in a year, then by end of the year called me said it wasn't ready. I had to travel out of a country so he called my wife said he'd deliver it (15months from wedding now) and didn't show up. When I came back (17months now) he finally delivered the RAW-edited copy. It only took 3months for it to get re-edited and now that we are watching it, unfortunately, there are things that we know were taped but they aren't present in the final version.<br>

I recently shot a wedding from friend's son. B&G called me and said what they wanted, we signed the contract with ONLY fee there is assistant, traveling and proofs. Albums will be a separate fee based on which albums they want. As for me, my fee is my gift to them and no overtime fee.<br>

I find that once you're dealing with people you know, <em>discounts</em> aren't the best way to go since there will always be a newbee who is an EXPERT in photoshop and will provide cheaper service after countless hours of editing but point again - <strong>cheaper</strong> . Thus rather then loosing a friend or having people hate my guts, I either NOT shoot or charge the cost. The best thing is that my wife agrees with me.</p>

<p>Adam</p>

 

<p>shooting a job for friends or family was always tricky (from my experience) so my policy for quite some time now has been ... free, they pay for travel, and they get a disc, that's it. no punches pulled, no surprises, and I get no complaints.</p>