Some questions from Corry

Corry · Mar 4, 2005

Ok...so I have my first little wedding gig on April 16th..nothing huge..the bride wants a few formals and mostly candids, and she's not too picky (which is good, since this is my first wedding!)...my big dilemma is this..I have no clue what to charge!!! These are repeat customers..I already did the bride's 2 year old's portraits, and they want me to do more once it's warm outside. I've been told that the cheapest wedding photographer around charges $300 just to show up and take the pictures, then he charges per picture ordered. So...since he's the cheapest pro around, and I have no experience at this yet at all...would $150 plus the price of prints be too much to ask? Or should I do only $100?

Um..another question...I would like to talk to someone that can help me through everything I need to turn my business into a true legal business..., but I don't know who I should talk to? Should I call my county courthouse/county officials office and go from there? I haven't the slightest clue who to talk to. Only thing I know is my step dad has our county's states attorney do his taxes..would I call him? (told you, I'm clueless).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Alison · Mar 4, 2005

How many hours are they looking for coverage? I offered a discount for my first few weddings so I could build a portfolio. If it's a small wedding that isn't going to last all day I would say $150 + the cost of prints.

When I set up my business I went through an accountant and he help us set up everything. He didn't charge much for his services. There was a small fee to pay to the state to start the business and you'll have to choose what type of corporation (if you want to be incorporated) you want to run under. Once you get that done you'll want to make a list of the assets (equipment, etc) that you have and start tracking your sales and expenses.

Congrats, Corry! Starting a business is a bit like having a child. It will consume your time but watching it grow is amazing :mrgreen:

Corry · Mar 5, 2005

Thanks Alison! I thought $150 plus prints sounded good, but I wanted some feedback from some more experienced photographers.

And thanks for the advice about the business....it will actually probably be a little while at least before I go through the process of making it a true legit business, but I want to know what I'm gonna need to do, and be prepared.