Overseas wedding question...

[ChrystalClear]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to figure out how to charge for an out of country wedding (or in some cases the other side of the country). Do you incorporate the flight and lodging expenses into the total cost or do couples expect that the cost of the flight and lodging will guarantee them your services at no additional cost?

I've mainly done weddings close to where I live, the furthest required overnight stay and in that case the client was happy to pay the lodging and travel expenses in addition to the photography costs. But that was just driving and a hotel... not the major expense a flight can be.

So those who have experience with destination weddings, how do you handle it?

 

[tirediron]

Transportation, meals, lodging and incidentals are ONLY to ensure your presence. They do NOT cover any work. In other words, if your fee for the wedding is $5000 and air-fare, meals and rental-car add up to $2500, they get billed $7500.

 

[ChrystalClear]

Transportation, meals, lodging and incidentals are ONLY to ensure your presence. They do NOT cover any work. In other words, if your fee for the wedding is $5000 and air-fare, meals and rental-car add up to $2500, they get billed $7500.

Thank you! That's what I thought, but I wasn't 100% sure I was doing it right.
Would you quote them all of those costs at the beginning or would some such as meals and incidentals be after the fact?

 

[dennybeall]

Cost of the work plus "expenses, estimated to be $XXXX.XX, will be billed at actual cost."

 

[tirediron]

Transportation, meals, lodging and incidentals are ONLY to ensure your presence. They do NOT cover any work. In other words, if your fee for the wedding is $5000 and air-fare, meals and rental-car add up to $2500, they get billed $7500.

Thank you! That's what I thought, but I wasn't 100% sure I was doing it right.
Would you quote them all of those costs at the beginning or would some such as meals and incidentals be after the fact?

It depends; I have a standard day-rate for meals & incidentals, so I can quote that in advance. You might want to bill actual cost, which of course you could at best, estimate only. Accommodations - I would ask them if they want to provide them, since they may have a bulk booking and adding one more room might cost them less than you doing it and billing them.

 

[ChrystalClear]

Cost of the work plus "expenses, estimated to be $XXXX.XX, will be billed at actual cost."

So with that scenario would you be billing for non photography costs after the wedding or billing first and providing "change" if the estimated costs were less than quoted?

 

[ChrystalClear]

Transportation, meals, lodging and incidentals are ONLY to ensure your presence. They do NOT cover any work. In other words, if your fee for the wedding is $5000 and air-fare, meals and rental-car add up to $2500, they get billed $7500.

Thank you! That's what I thought, but I wasn't 100% sure I was doing it right.
Would you quote them all of those costs at the beginning or would some such as meals and incidentals be after the fact?

It depends; I have a standard day-rate for meals & incidentals, so I can quote that in advance. You might want to bill actual cost, which of course you could at best, estimate only. Accommodations - I would ask them if they want to provide them, since they may have a bulk booking and adding one more room might cost them less than you doing it and billing them.

Having a standard day-rate that includes meals and incidentals is a good idea, is that for any wedding or just the ones you have to travel out of your local area for?
If you bill actual cost as an estimate, do you worry about if the estimate is over or under the end price?
That's a great tip for accommodations! I think that was probably what one of my brides did for me as I think they had booked the entire hotel.
(Wish I could give you guys cookies as a thanks for the help)

 

[Nevermore1]

You could also consider using the govt Per Diem rate for meals and "other expenses". Currently that is $46 per day in the US ($83 for hotel expenses but I would go with the recommendation of having the couple book and pay for your room and possibly even flight in advance). It's not exactly fair to bill for actual expenses since there really wouldn't be anything from stopping you going out and having a $400 dinner every night then charging the couple for it as part of your expenses. However you decide to do it be sure to save all receipts in case the couple requests them to verify your charges.