What do you offer in your wedding packages?

[GerryDavid]

Up until now ive been offering a base package that covers the photography for the day and a small print credit, then letting them buy what they want from the a la carte list, but I think its time to drop that package and create 3 posh wedding packages that will appeal to those that value good photography and are willing to pay for it.

I was just curious what products everyone tends to sell to the higher end clients. I also dont want to offer print credit since ive heard that it gives the impression that is all they need to spend, I want them thinking they can keep on spending.

I will be offering 3 packages, the first one will include a nice press printed album, the second one a nice italian leather album *gotta find more vendors, feel free to recommend some. The one I used in the past didnt have items I needed in stock and I had to wait for them* and the final package will include digital files, their choice of album type and a comprehensive collection of wall portraits. Im just not sure what else to put in each package since im not going to offer print credit.

Any suggestions?

On a side note, weddings are not my main target for business, but I do enjoy doing them and want to make it worth my while when I do photograph them.

 

[Lemmuz]

Hi Gerry,
I just joined TPF so i'm a newb. Lol but been in the wedding industry a while. Just did some research recently as I was in a similar situation looking for some luxurious wedding albums to offer our clients. I nailed it down to Jorgenson Jorgensen Albums | Suppliers of custom wedding albums to the professional photographic industry & Queensberry. Queensberry Books and Wedding Albums.
Both of them are top notch in terms of quality. I ended up going with Queensberry, mainly because of their software and flexibility in sending them files for the album. I was absolutely gob smacked at their service and couldn't have been happier I made that choice! They also do press printed albums, with a variety of paper stock to choose from.

 

[Big Mike]

I'm not totally up to speed on it, but there is a whole science to designing a package system for your clients to choose from.
I was at a seminar on the business of photography and the speaker asked around about how expensive our top packages were and how often we sold them.
He then gave us an insightful speech saying that if anyone ever buys your top package, then it wasn't expensive enough.

The basic idea is to drive your clients toward your middle/target package.
Your lowest package should be designed to perk their interest via the lower price, but it shouldn't offer too much value. It's main purpose is to make your middle package look more valuable.
The top package should be designed to get the clients excited...get them thinking of all the possibilities and to produce good feelings. But it should also be very expensive. It's main purpose (besides getting them excited) is to make your middle/target package look like a great deal.

In other words, if every client bought the target package, you should be very happy. Of course, that means that you need to design that package to generate the revenue that you want/need.

So how do you create the top end 'whale' package? Don't just think about fancier albums....think bigger. The speaker at the seminar, also owned a limo rental company, so it started by including limo service with the package. But what if you also included a spa package for the bride & her girls? You could include a golf package (or whatever) for the guys. How about including a weekend trip to Los Vegas (or wherever) for the couple, a week before the wedding...so they can relax from the stress of planning a wedding?
Basically, you can include practically anything....all you have to do is price it out, add in a margin and put it into your package.

Including albums in the packages is getting more and more common, and seems to be a good idea. One great aspect to that, is the technique of pre-design and upsale. In other words, you include an album with say 20 sides (pages). But then after the wedding, you design 30 or 40 sides and ask them to choose...or they can have the extra sides for an additional fee. On the surface, it may sound a little shady, but if you tell the clients about it, right up front, then they won't feel like you're taking advantage of them, you are just offering them options. I've heard from many wedding photographers who have greatly increased their revenue by employing this technique.

 

[GerryDavid]

Ive heard one photographer say that someone in their town was a great wedding photographer but he did that and it alienated his customers, they didnt go back to him for their baby and family portraits later and is now out of business. So im a bit weary of that. but telling them up front that you do it might be ok then, so your not shocking them.

 

[The_Traveler]

I'm not totally up to speed on it, but there is a whole science to designing a package system for your clients to choose from.
I was at a seminar on the business of photography and the speaker asked around about how expensive our top packages were and how often we sold them.
He then gave us an insightful speech saying that if anyone ever buys your top package, then it wasn't expensive enough.

The basic idea is to drive your clients toward your middle/target package.
Your lowest package should be designed to perk their interest via the lower price, but it shouldn't offer too much value. It's main purpose is to make your middle package look more valuable.
The top package should be designed to get the clients excited...get them thinking of all the possibilities and to produce good feelings. But it should also be very expensive. It's main purpose (besides getting them excited) is to make your middle/target package look like a great deal.

In other words, if every client bought the target package, you should be very happy. Of course, that means that you need to design that package to generate the revenue that you want/need.

So how do you create the top end 'whale' package? Don't just think about fancier albums....think bigger. The speaker at the seminar, also owned a limo rental company, so it started by including limo service with the package. But what if you also included a spa package for the bride & her girls? You could include a golf package (or whatever) for the guys. How about including a weekend trip to Los Vegas (or wherever) for the couple, a week before the wedding...so they can relax from the stress of planning a wedding?
Basically, you can include practically anything....all you have to do is price it out, add in a margin and put it into your package.

Including albums in the packages is getting more and more common, and seems to be a good idea. One great aspect to that, is the technique of pre-design and upsale. In other words, you include an album with say 20 sides (pages). But then after the wedding, you design 30 or 40 sides and ask them to choose...or they can have the extra sides for an additional fee. On the surface, it may sound a little shady, but if you tell the clients about it, right up front, then they won't feel like you're taking advantage of them, you are just offering them options. I've heard from many wedding photographers who have greatly increased their revenue by employing this technique.

I hate to say this but this was a terrifically intereting post with lots of good ideas.

 

[GerryDavid]

Ive also heard of a huge package scaring some people away after making you be perceived as to expensive. Perhaps design the top package so people want to buy it, and if lots of people are perhaps design one more package beyond that.

 

[Big Mike]

Yes, I personally tend to think that the 'whale' package isn't necessarily the best idea and it can come off the wrong way. Maybe as a fun/joke package and not just your top package.

But I think that the point is that you want to use other other packages to push the clients toward your target package.

 

[samithphotography]

Its not the package that makes the sale, its you! Create value in your product and the price tag is just a number. Nowadays, with new digital technology, its hard to make money on prints. Everyone know what it cost for an 8x10 at costco. The package you should promote should be what the bottom line you are willing to charge for your time and increase it to customize and taylor to each individual client. ie my bottom line wedding session is 2k which includes the engagement session, bridal session, groom session, ceremony, post ceremony portraits, macros and landscapes, reception events, exit to the honeymoon etc. comes with wedding DVD (approx 500 photos)and custom wedding album. You can always adjust up or down depending on time, location, and additional request from the bride and groom etc.

 

[GerryDavid]

I dont think its that hard to sell prints, I think the word is getting out that they are paying for your time, not a $2 piece of paper, that or the customers that ask that are not the target market.

 

[Big Mike]

I've been finding that I still sell a moderate amount of prints, even when the clients have the digital files (and the permission to make prints).
But I sell them on the fact that I can custom tailor the image for the print size they want, and that I use a professional lab.

 

[CCericola]

I offer things that I would want as a bride. That way I usually only do business with people I click with. However, that doesn't mean I won't whore myself out for the right amount of cash. I don't do framed prints but if a bride was willing to fork over some major cash then I will smile at her and say "Yes, of course I can get that framed for you"

I like money.

 

[GerryDavid]

what about printed proofs? whcc offers 8.5x11 and 11x14 proof books with 4/9/16/25 pictures per page. I was thinking of offering a 11x14 with 9 per page so that way they are large enough but not to large. if it was just a 4x6 proof book they could give the proofs out to people and it may cut into sales.

then there is the "thank you" prints, say 100 prints of the same pose that they can include in their thank you cards. its easy work but good value. but may cut into gift print sales.

another option is to actually offer thank you postcards at near cost, that way everyone gets a quality card from your studio with your studio name on it.

how many 8x10 and smaller prints do your brides tend to order?

 

[CCericola]

Basically, if you are thinking you will make a fortune in prints you will be eating ramen noodles the rest of your life. All the prints, albums, and canvases are included in your price. And that price should reflect your CODB. Any extra prints ordered should be treated as icing not your bread and butter.

(There I go with food analogies, I need to eat, I'm starving )

 

[GerryDavid]

I plan to make what I need off of the packages im offering with being happy if they buy the lowest package. Im just not sure how many prints to toss into each package. Especially if they have the proof books with 200-400 pictures *the bigger the package, the more pictures*.

 

[Big Mike]

I used to include proof prints, but I've switched to the proof books with multiple images per page. I usually end up selling the image files, so the idea is that by giving them something real/printed, they can see the quality of the images. As I explain to them, if I give them good files and they have them printed at say, Wal-mart, they will likely end up with bad looking prints. If they don't have a proof book to see what prints should look like, they may blame you for the bad prints, rather than blaming Wal-mart etc.

Again, this just goes to reinforce that I can provide them with quality prints, which brings in additional orders.