How Many Weddings do you shoot per year etc..?

[my work site]

I am just about to start shooting as an assistant to a few weddings....so I am a definitely Newb to the wedding

industry. I have been reading a few books and of course the forums...but I haven't really found a solid answer

to this question. So, I put it to my fellow photogs.

 

About how many weddings do you shoot a year and what price bracket do you normally cater to?

[neilambrose]

<p>What you're asking for is entirely dependent on location, demographics, market segmentation and the product on offer.

You'll probably be better off looking at your own location, your own product, and asking a more targeted question that suits

your specific market. Otherwise you'll get a myriad of responses, few of which will be directly applicable to you, or useful to

you.</p>

[bill_ashley2]

I've averaged 25 weddings a year for the past 27 years, with a high of 38 and a low of 22. I'm price-positioned in the middle of the

pack for my area, which works for me b/c I have a full-time job and shoot weddings every other weekend and don't have the

overhead other photogs might. My most popular package is $1,000 with no album, just high-res images burned to a DVD.

Good shooting!

[wedding-photography-denver]

Depending on what is in the package (number of books etc.), up to 30 per season.

 

Price is so varied and geo. dependent; Typical national is probably around $1,500.00 I would guess.

[hassy501]

Thats like asking what hair spray you use in what city ? Wide open..........There are no "typical" price lines........i personally know shooters who shoot for 500.00 all day and others who start at 10,000.00.............it's as wide as the Grand Canyon.

[sam_ellis]

Terra, as the others have said, your local market will be the biggest determining factor. Every market has the high end clientelle, but some have more than others. I did 37 weddings this year with most going for the $2500 package. I've raised my prices for 2009 and plan on booking less. I'm also a teacher with two kids, and I stretched myself too thin this year.

There are some photographers in my area who will shoot for less than $1000 and others who charge several thousand. I think I'm slightly above my competition as far as price.

[steve_hovland]

Dennis Reggies suggest the photography should be about 10% of the total budget.

 

Ask them what their budget is and then decide what you can do for that amount.

 

At the bottom end, I would shoot and put the pix on line.

[steve_hovland]

Reggie.

 

Charge for a CD because you are giving up potential print sales.

 

Smugmug could be a good lower cost way to go.

[jacob_lichner]

This year I've shot 4 weddings so far for $500 and under. So, my goal for '09 is to do at least 5 weddings while bumping the price up a little bit to around $800-1500. To do 10 next year would be phenomenal. (I'm just barely climbing out of the portfolio-and-experience-building stage.)

[stephen_kinosh]

My goal this year is 24-26. I want a week off in between each one so I can enjoy the new sailboat last years weddings are going to buy. I average 800-1200.00 No albums, just proofs and CD's