Wedding Photographers

[graigdavis]

I have been asked to do several weddings this fall and next summer. I need to start doing my homework.

Do you do your own printing, album making, dvd making and all that your self? Or do you send the pictures out some place to be done?

What do your package deals look like? whats included and for how much. Im looking at a lot of companys packages and prices. they all seem to be pretty close.

 

[GerryDavid]

I have been asked to do several weddings this fall and next summer. I need to start doing my homework.

Do you do your own printing, album making, dvd making and all that your self? Or do you send the pictures out some place to be done?

What do your package deals look like? whats included and for how much. Im looking at a lot of companys packages and prices. they all seem to be pretty close.

I would just say do what the rest of the ones in your area are doing and try to come up with something that would encourage people to come to you instead of someone else.

I would send them out to be printed. Walmart does a good job, but im not sure how these pictures would do long term. Or you can send them out to a pro lab but you would have to charge more for that.

I would probably send the pictures out to be made into an album as well. Someone said something about there being an online company that does it for $90 us and it looks prefessional. Im not sure if thath was on this forum or not.

If your able to make the dvd, then you could offer that. If not you could find out who can do it and see how much they would charge for it then you could offer it for a marked up price.

Would you be shooting digital or film? You can sell the negatives to them a year or two later as well. This way you wont be responsable for them 20 years down the road.

 

[Big Mike]

Maybe you could do some under cover shopping at some local wedding photogs in your area. Ask them where & how they get their stuff done. Check how much they charge etc.

This might be too underhanded for you, if so. Just call some of them up and tell them you are and new to the game and are looking for some insight. Some might help, some might not.

Best case, you could hook up with a top end local pro who could throw you some business and to whom you could refer jobs that might be too involved for you.

 

[GerryDavid]

The top level pro's are usually busy as well. I konw the guy im working for already has 14 weddings planned for, 13 of which are saturdays. So im sure he has to turn some away cuz of that. So the same is probably true for there, so he could refer the extras to you.

 

[Artemis]

I aint sure you wanna take advice from me, but thats fine.
But if you wanna...eeekkk...

Umm well, try, for a start, maybe charging by role of film, +time, +extra money, this way you can work out a formulea.

P is price
F is films
T is time

So...e.g. P = 3f + T + 20 (for extra money)

Anyways try to offer as much as you can, make the people feel involved, but take all the hard choices out.
Allow them to change anything, and ask them if they want any special shots

Thats my 10 cence[/quote]

 

[Walt]

As for pricing etc., there are several books that can help you with developing that. I have a book called "The Master Book of Portraiture and
Studio Management" that has some good information in it. I have also seen a book called "The Business of Photography" that looked quite informative.