wedding pricing/what to include

[kariann]

Well, I'm not new to wedding photography, but I'm not officially a

professional. Let's say an advanced amateur. Just making some money on the

side for now until the kids are grown...Anyhow, I've done several weddings,

but it's always been for people I know-friends, family, poor people! I'm not

over helping out beloved ones, but I feel I'm good enough to start charging a

real price, and so do those around me. I just started charging recently for

senior pictures/portraits and no one has complained so far! Make a long story

short..I'm meeting with a couple tomorrow night who have been referred to me.

I have been trying to come up with my pricing and what to include in my

pricing. My brain has been working overtime these past few days to come up

with something reasonable. I was thinking of charging $700 (digital) and

including an album of 100 5x5 or 5x7 proofs. The wedding is an hour away...I

don't want to overcharge or undercharge. I was looking at leather albums,

which may cost me around $75. And, I was planning to say that includes up to 6

hours. Additional hours are $100. Does this sound reasonable? I almost hate to

pay for the leather albums, I'd rather go cheaper, but I want to set a

standard for others to expect, and I can always up my prices when I get more

clients here. (we moved from out of state a while back, so I'm just starting

up here recently) Any thoughts? I'm having a hard time finding a variety of

albums without having my professional license yet. Any ideas where to find

good, not so expensive, proof albums with order forms? Thanks for your help.

Kari

[gerald_donnelly]

Try a 6 hour package with 100-150 proofs in a nice Tap or Top Flight album. Offer $100-$200 in print/enlargement credit. Ask what their budget is-they probably will say "under $1000.00" & charge $995.00. It should be a good price for starting out. Do Not under price yourself too cheap-it can be a real trap. Get enough to offer quality processing & albums. Check Wooden Nickel, the Michel Company or Albums Inc for album prices.I don't have the links handy but you can google them. Use a quality lab for processing & don't try to go cheap. It's a special day & needs to be treated as such. With any money that's left buy or rent backup equipment if you don't own any. Make sure you have extra batteries, cards etc. Remember you will have only 1 shot at doing it right. Make sure you are able to do it right.

GD

[kariann]

Thanks, Gerald, for your opinions. I looked at Michel albums earlier, but you have to have a studio or your license. I will look at the others. I have a great lab. I'm very picky about my developing. I appreciate your opinion on giving a nice album. I agree. Like I said, I'm confident in my photography abilities and my developing. Honestly, I have a hard time charging people. My husband is always getting on me to charge more-he thinks I am worth it. And, others are pushing me to charge what I am worth. It's just hard to know what one's worth!!:) Anyways, thanks for the advice. Kari

[ni_gentry]

Don't under-price. If you've already done several weddings and you think you have skills,

then charge what you are worth. It's only fair to you and to all the other photographers out

there. It also makes you appear more professional to your clients and will garner more

respect than someone who charges $1000 for a wedding.

[kariann]

The couple also wants an engagement session. Should I include that in the price? What is usually included in that session as far as pictures go? Kari

[rob_s___san_francisco_bay_]

Prices will depend a lot on your location. I don't know where you are but $700 is nothing for

a wedding in most areas, even without an album, prints and engagement session.<p>

If you are serious about continuing with wedding photography you want to give off the

perception of a professional who can deliver consistent quality images and service. Don't cut

corners on album costs and set your rates too low. You may lose a few of the bargain

hunters, but chances are it will be better in the long run. Wouldn't you rather do one $2000

wedding than three $700 weddings. <p>

[kariann]

You're right, Rob. I just need some backbone! :) I just have a hard time charging people. I don't know why. I'm not a good businesswoman! :) It's good to be encouraged to do what I know I need to do! That's why I'm here. I know I'm not, but I've had so many people tell me that I am the best wedding photographer they have seen, but I still feel I have so far to go (and I do)...it's just that they know less than me! Like I said, it's not really my photography I question, it's just the money! :) So, here I go!! Thanks! Kari

[conraderb]

Kari - there is no such thing as "$1000 is underpriced". It all depends on your work and your personality and your experience and what you can offer.

 

If you can survive on $1000 per wedding, great. If $10,000, even better. Either way, you are taking business from other photographers and tightening up the market.

 

You seem to really like B/W.

[kariann]

Thanks, Conrad, for your opinions. I agree. I know I'm not in the $10,000 market, for sure!:) I think the hard thing for me has always been thinking back to my wedding. Our pictures are awful, because we couldn't afford anything! And, I have so wanted to give people beautiful pictures for whatever they can afford. However, that's not the best business plan! But, you know, I will still do that when I feel the need to do so. It's just who I am.

 

I took a look at your pictures, and they are great! Yes, I do love b/w. It's so timeless to me. I have a question for you-off this forum thread topic! Do you use a flash bracket? It's something I haven't invested in yet, but was planning to buy. I've read several threads where everyone suggests bouncing your flash off the wall as opposed to a bracket. I think your indoor lighting is nice. Most of my weddings have been outdoors, and I've never been happy with my indoor lighting shots, except when I wasn't allowed to use a flash and had to use just natural lighting. Suggestions/thoughts from someone who knows more? :) Thanks!

 

k

[dave_burkitt]

In response to your complaint about your indoor wedding pictures...I would highly recommend you look into an Expodisc color balance filter. I recently shot a wedding and set my custom balance in each new setting with this filter and the color balance was spot on. Even under mixed lighting. The reception hall had yellow walls and the pictures were perfectly balanced. Its easy to pop on and off the lens. I was carrying around a small gray card in order to set the custom balance but, this is much easier. They have adds in most of the photography magazines. I thought you might be interested.

Good Luck with your business.

 

D. Burkitt

[stephen dohring]

I looked at your stuff - way to cheap. You should be over 700 before prints? BTW what kind of leather album for $75.00 ?

[kariann]

Thanks Dave and Steve for your help. I will look into that filter, Dave. Thanks, Steve, for the "compliment" that I should charge more. My confidence waivers, but is getting better. The albums I was looking into were, like, Raika, and some of the other leather ones.

 

I actually met with the couple tonight and this is what I offered..$895 for up to 6 hours, 100 5x5 prints in a proof album (I didn't promise leather, as I'm still deciding), $95 credit towards reprints. Maybe it was too cheap for some, but it's a step up for me. I was comfortable charging that. They had a lot of questions. It was good. They'll get back with me. I think I was competitive with the other guy they have talked to. He was $750 for 4 hours, 40-4x5 proofs with album, 1-8x10 and 2-5x7s. And, my reprints are cheaper than his. But, I think I'm making a good profit on them, so I am okay with that. So, we'll see. If not, at least I stood firm on a price. I've just always done weddings for people I know, and it's been comfortable.

 

But, they asked me questions like do I have a contract? no. What happens if I am sick or in the hospital? i guess we'll just pray i'm not! Good questions. It was good for me, becuase I stood firm on my price and they were a nice couple.

 

So, I guess I need to post a thread on how to draw up a contract!

:) K

[kariann]

Sorry, i just re-read that and wanted to mention some of the other leather albums I looked into..there were so many. Art leather, Fontina?, Topflight, etc.... Do you have any suggestions? I'm still finding alot of companies need a business license from me. I'm looking into getting one. Kari

[lou_recine]

Hi Kari

I read your posting. I'm kidda going though the same thing you are " figuring

out pricing that is both fare to my self and my client. This is the method I'm

using I hope it helps.

For this example I'm going to keep the numbers simple, I used excel it allowed

me to make changes easily.

 

First I Established my cost of living for a month, imagine you have no other

sources of income .. This calculation Inc Things like Rent, heat, food, and

property taxes

Retirement fund, college fund for the kid, spending money etc.

So lets say it came to $1200.00. This is the amount you need per month to

Take care of yourself and your family. Next do the same thing for your

business expenses; this should Inc equipment, courses and advertising Etc.

So let say that came to $1200.00

 

That means I have to

earn $2400.00 per month to Cover my basic cost of living and running my

 

I can shoott 4 weddings per month. So I then take $2400.00 and divide by

four.

$600.00 is my break-even point per weddings.

 

My goal is to make a profit so I add a percentage around 30%.

So that comes to $780.00.

 

$780.00 is my basic rate for a wedding. For 6 Hrs that's is $86.00/hr, 6hrs

shooting +2hrs travel and 1 hour prep.

 

Then I calculate how much time it will take me to process the images get the

prints and the album put it all together Etc, I calculate that at about $50 per

hour and another 6 Hrs of work, so $300.00 your total know is 1080.00.

Then add the cost of the prints and album marked up by 30% lets say its $200

so the total would be $1280.00 that what you need to charge.

You basically make $680.00 = $1280-$600.00 (Basic living and Business

cost needed)

 

If you Charge $700.00, you will actually be losing money

$700.00-$600.00 (Basic living and Business cost needed)=$100.00 -$75.00

price for prints (As stated in your Blog) = $25.00 - cost of album $50.00

(estimated) = - $25.00 and that's not even including running around time.

 

My way of doing allows for some room to play I can offer my client 10-20 %

discount and still make money.. Example $1280 .00 -15%=1088.00 so

1880.00 -$600.00 (Basic living and Business cost needed) =$488.00 profit

made,

 

I hope this help contact me if you have any questions.

 

Lou

[cjogo]

Charge $1000 and offer them the negs or CD & prints...make the negatives or digital image > worth much more than an album or a print.

[kariann]

Thanks, Lou, for putting all that thought and time into my post! I appreciate it. Good thinking.

 

C Lo-the only problem I have with giving a CD of my photos is that I have no control over the developing. I know this seems to be the thing to do, as I look at wedding photographers' packages. But, let's say I give them a CD and copyrights, then they take my pictures to Walgreens and develop them. They come out dark or the color is off...then they show everyone their wedding photos and tell them I took them. I want more control over the quality of my prints than that. Thoughts? Kari

[kariann]

Thanks, Lou, for putting all that thought and time into my post! I appreciate it. Good thinking.

 

C Jo-the only problem I have with giving a CD of my photos is that I have no control over the developing. I know this seems to be the thing to do, as I look at wedding photographers' packages. But, let's say I give them a CD and copyrights, then they take my pictures to Walgreens and develop them. They come out dark or the color is off...then they show everyone their wedding photos and tell them I took them. I want more control over the quality of my prints than that. Thoughts? Kari

[cjogo]

KARi--You include a quality 4X with the CD. If the B&G require your services > to have reprints < they have to pay your price ~~ for the quality you will deliver. If they wish to go elsewhere, we instruct them to always include {the original print} you provided...asking the lab to match. They have to return to you for service or suffer the cheaper quality ... you leave up to them. You have offered them the best--they have to purchase what they can afford.

[lou_recine]

I agree with you

Make a package that Includes proofs and an album. What I 'm doing is showing my clients proofs and prints from other weddings printed by

me to show them the quality. Be honest just explain that you want to give t

hem the highest quality images possible and you can't control what Walgreen's

`does.

Also that alot of work has to go into making each of the the prints look

good , retouching levels and colour correcti

on etc.

Most cleints don't really realize what's involved. Also I put a print war

ring on my DVD's " Lou Recine Photography can not Guaranty colour or den

sity of prints produced by another printer". Remember clients pay for th

e final product , great looking photos and prints.

 

Lou

[dave_shilling__sacramento_]

Karri,

 

 

If you were going to buy tires for a car that carries your family, would you buy the cheapest ones you can possibly find?

 

How about an alarm system for your home? Find the one on sale from a no-name brand?

 

Usually, people equate price with quality. Weddings are important, and people like to have peace of mind. Most people assume that things are inexpensive for a reason. Think about this when you are trying to justify to yourself why you charge what you charge.

 

That said, you can certainly be just a fantastic bargain. Just expect your referrals to be people who expect you to be a fantastic bargain as well, and breaking that cycle is a difficult but necessary task if you decide to be full time.