What do you provide with a wedding?

[Diddy2theJJ]

To all of the wedding photographers out there. I'm curious what you guys and gals provide in your wedding packages. More and more couples are just looking for the disc with image rights and nothing else. I'm definitely ok with this as they get what they want, and it isn't much extra work for me to prepare a disc. I will go through all of the photos and touch them all up as needed in Lightroom and burn them to disc for the client in a professionally printed case with their images on it as well as their image burned on the actual disc with lightscribe.

Sometimes clients ask if I do a wedding album afterwards. I don't do them now, because doing this part time, it is such a large task laying an album out for each client. My prices are low enough however, that they can take the images somewhere and get one done for themselves.

Just curious on everyone's way of doing things.

Thanks,
- Diddy

 

[Adrain]

Tell us what you believe the monster is. I want to know what you think........

 

[ghache]

I only did a couple weddings so far and a gave them the dvd with the files.

However, my next weddings will be differents.

If they want the dvd they will have to pay a premium.
The dvd will come with low rez watermarked images for webuse and a solid contract about online image usage. You dont want anyone to mess up your work with ****ty post processing and post it online.

 

[Big Mike]

I give the the option of files on disc or a print credit. They always choose the files....but because I explain to them the quality of the prints I can provide them, they often order prints as well.

I do try to sell custom albums, but they are a pricy product so I haven't sold many. I do include one in my top package, but I may try to work them into the other packages as well. They would require a fair amount of time to design them, but that is worked into the price. I plan to utilize the pre-design strategy for up-selling the album. I sell them an album with say, 20 pages. But then I design 30 pages or so, and ask them to choose which ones they want. If it's designed well, they are likely to add some or all of those extra pages (at an additional cost, of course).

As for what I give the clients...it's usually the files on disc. I put the disc into a leather bound case and use Lightscribe to label the disc. I used to surprise them with a set of 4x6 prints in a standard photo album, but now I give them a coil bound proof book. This is partly as a 'thank you' gift to really leave them with a good impression, but it's also to show them the quality of the photos when printed properly. This way, if they do decide to go to Wal-mart for prints, they can blame the lab, not me, for crappy looking prints.

I also include a slideshow. I don't remember if it's on all my packages or not. I do take some time to make a good slideshow. I burn the slideshow onto a DVD and present it like the disc of files.

My last wedding, they loved the slideshow so much, they ordered 6 more copies of it.

 

[tirediron]

I'm happy to provide the client what they want; prints, disc(s) or both, and it does seem that weddings, portraits, or whatever, customers want electronic files rather than physical prints. I'm fine with that - there's no siginificant saving for the client or loss for me.

 

[tirediron]

...I give them a coil bound proof book. This is partly as a 'thank you' gift to really leave them with a good impression, but it's also to show them the quality of the photos when printed properly.

Brilliant! Consider that idea officially stolen!

I used to offer screen-savers as a little 'freebie' but it seems that no one is interested in them any more.

 

[IgsEMT]

Different clients = different needs. We don't offer packages, unless monthly specials, just have prices for different products. W/e client wants, we put together, see what can knock down $ and sign

 

[sandraadamson]

I have two packages one is strictly DVD of images and a second DVD slideshow of wedding.

Then I have my huge package DVD of all images, DVD slideshow, engagement shoot with bound custom designed guestbook using those images, flushmount bound album design for wedding images an 3 prints.

I am thinking about changing them up a bit to have three packages in the future when I come off the road-I travel way too much.

www.sandraadamson.com www.sandraadamson.blogspot.com

 

[Big Mike]

I am thinking about changing them up a bit to have three packages in the future when I come off the road-I travel way too much.

Consider putting in a 'whale' package. In other words, put in a package that includes anything and everything, but put a really high price on it. The idea is to make your other packages look more affordable by comparison.

At a photography business seminar, the speaker said that if anyone actually buys your largest package, then it wasn't expensive enough.

 

[blackfin]

on thing that i include is about 100-200 wallet photos, they are most of the time a pic of the bridal shoot or engagement shoot. I put them on the tables at the reception, people live them plus put your business website on the back...free marketing and their cheap to get made

 

[bennielou]

I offer pretty much everything: Backed Prints,Stretch Mounted Canvas, Coffee Table Books, Slip in old style books, Mounted Albums, Flushmounts, Guest Books, Brag Books, Mom's pick book, Giant Posters, Metal Prints, Save the date, Magnets, favor prints...........everything.
Why? Because I make bigger sales. Bigger Sales=More Money for me. Yes, they are sometimes a pain to do, but I do this full time, and selling a 3x at the time of booking or for that matter, later, is what has kept us going all these years.