First wedding...$?

[N'Kolor]

Another wedding down...

Let me know what you think.

Mike

 

[SS3]

Very nice

I love your website

 

[N'Kolor]

Thanks!

 

[elsaspet]

$500, includes album, pics and engagement photos?

(Just saw this!)

Are you aware that an el cheepo album will run you about 150, the pix about another 100? Not including your long wedding day...seperate engagement session, and at least 12 hours of processing? (Assume you do nothing more than shoot and burn).
And you are talking about renting another body and flash.

Better yet, just hand them a hundred bucks and consider it square.

 

[N'Kolor]

Yeah, that $500 was before I even got into this really. Now I charge $1300 for 6 hrs, an engagement session, an assistant (for both) and both burned to DVD.

I also went back to Canon and I have a back-up body, flashes, so on.

***what do you think of my photography***

Mike

 

[elsaspet]

I think it's lovely!

 

[RKW3]

Excellent stuff! It must be hard work being a wedding photographer, sheesh.

 

[Rhys]

I did my 1st wedding free and gave them a DVD of full-sized JPEG images.

I learned a lot from that wedding.

I now have a couple griping that $300 per hour (minimum 2 hours) is too much! Hmm I even have a $100 off coupon for weddings costing over $1200 and $50 off weddings costing over $900 and $25 off weddings costing over $600!

 

[N'Kolor]

Yeah its hard to prove to a bride your worth but remember, one day brides will pay and you will need to raise your prices to lower the amount of bookings per year. I am hoping for that day.

 

[elsaspet]

I did my 1st wedding free and gave them a DVD of full-sized JPEG images.

I learned a lot from that wedding.

I now have a couple griping that $300 per hour (minimum 2 hours) is too much! Hmm I even have a $100 off coupon for weddings costing over $1200 and $50 off weddings costing over $900 and $25 off weddings costing over $600!

Hi Rhys,
I haven't looked at your website (I'm just assuming it's nice stuff), but here is something I learned EARLY on.
If you are cheap, you get cheapo brides. Cheapo brides are the zillas of the industry, because in their mind, $500 is the world. You will never work harder in your life, and you will never have a satisfied bride.
I could take my same exact shooting style, shoot a $500 wedding, and I can promise you that all I would here from the couple is bitching.

One of the first things I did within three months of starting out was to DOUBLE my pricing. Same photo samples. Nothing changed but the price. The phone rang off the hook, and the brides I started getting were crazy sweet and appreciative.

I know it's a scary thing. Believe me. But here is what you do. Keep raising the pricing until the phone stops ringing. Then back it off by $200. Wait two weeks, and if the phone isn't ringing, do it again until it does start ringing. Once the offers start coming in again, raise it by $200 every 3-6 months, until the phone stops ringing again.

I started out 4 years ago at $900 w/ proof prints and album included. Now, I'm a bit higher than that.:lmao: The phone is still ringing, and I'm still following my own advice.

Try it and you will see what I mean.

 

[Rhys]

I'm going to have to adjust my packages. I'm at $300 per hour with a minimum of 2 hours at the moment.

 

[elsaspet]

Yeah, that is crazy cheap. All you will get is nightmare brides with lousy locations at that price. You can't build a portfolio with that kind of stuff.

Charge a minimum of $1500 bucks. That is well in line with the industry. You can choose to do shoot and burn, or shoot with an album at that price to stay competitive. I don't need to tell you that your photos will be the final word on that.
Happy shooting!

 

[Rhys]

I just spoke today with an advertising agent. My God she didn't half have oral diarrhea! She was trying to convince me that advertising in a bi-annual magazine was better than advertising in a monthly. What a load of nonsense. Nobody's going to look twice at a magazine that's more than 6 weeks old! Not only that but it was horrendously expensive too. I would pay maybe (if I was feeling very generous $20 for a full page advert in a magazine like that) but certainly not $2,000 for 1/6th of a page!

Meanwhile, back on planet Earth I'm looking into guerrilla marketing - guys in turbans with kalazhnikovs brandishing signs saying "buy or die" Seriously, I'm more in favour of sandwich boards now. They're a one-off cost that can be used when required.

 

[N'Kolor]

I just raised my price to $1800 for a shoot and burn for all day. I think I will throw in a 24 side willowbook for $2000 but I am waiting on my willowbook to get here to make sure I like them.

 

[AprilRamone]

Cindy's advice about pricing is right on.
I swear, my biggest complainers are the ones who pay the least! My cheapest package is $1200 right now and I already think it includes too much and am going to totally revamp them for next year. (I'll feel more justified experience-wise as I'll have done about 10 more weddings before they go up).