first real wedding how much to charge?

[OceanRider]

Hey all quick question,

I have booked my first real wedding shoot, next sept. I have done one before (years ago with film)

Question is this: Its for a friends friend who is on a somewhat of a budget. How cheap should I do it? I am an amature with 13 years under my belt. I have been reading in here to do it at cost. But I need to buy a flash bracket and another memory card (around 250.00 CAD) is that reasonalble to charge?

All the pics would be at cost. I told her about 350.00 and she was OK with that but I am thinking that might be too much over my cost.

What do you all think?

Joel

[CyberPet]

I think you can go higher than that... but that's just me. Don't under-value your work, even if it's for a friend.

[robertwgross]

The fee that a wedding photographer should charge depends on too many variables.

1. How many hours are you needed for? It makes a lot of difference whether it is one or eight. Keep in mind that it generally takes anywhere from one to four hours of computer time for every hour that you shoot at the wedding.
2. What is it that you intend to furnish as completed work? Are you furnishing on one CD-R of image files? Are you furnishing proof sheets? Are you furnishing completed 8x10 inch prints? How about a finished album?
3. How good are you? When you are done and somebody else looks at your wedding shots, will they say "Those are nice." Or, will they say "Wow!"

---Bob Gross---

[Debian Dog]

Because I was wondering myself I went to a book store and looked at the "Bride Guide" they said plan on spending about $1500 US. I would use that as a starting point.

[robertwgross]

Up until a few years ago, there were lots of film shooters who would get $2000-$4000 for a typical wedding. Then, just within the last two years or so, digital cameras have gotten a lot better. So, there is now a new breed of wedding photographer. Typically, they are shooting something like a 20D, and enough of the younger guys have jumped into this that the price got lowered to about $1500 for the same typical wedding as before. There are enough doing that now that I suspect the $1000 point will be reached soon.

On a different day, you could have a good discussion about how much of that buys the camera gear and how much buys the skill of the photographer. I've seen some outstanding wedding photography done by "Uncle Fred" and I have also seen some sickening work done by a so-called pro photographer. Some friends of mine got married one year ago, and they had three "Uncle Freds" shooting it, plus one pro. The pro screwed everything up, not only his own shots, but he was getting in the way of the others. I saw all of the shots afterwards, so I know how frustrating it was for the couple that had to pay for it all.

---Bob Gross---

[Ogrt48]

Wow only $350? You're wasting your time. I'd say nothing under $1000 for a wedding.

[Ray Marrero]

If you plan to do more, future weddings will want a low price too. Let them know you charge a good fee, say $1500.00, but you are giving them a discount and just this time $350.

[dgcorner]

Joel, don't sell yourself short. 13 years has got to account for something. Besides, like the other people have said, you are going to spend at least 4 hours at the wedding plus countless more hours on the computer processing.

I agree with Ray that you need to stress that you charge $1000 - $1500 (or even more) per wedding and you are doing this as a favour (though you needn't mention that you are trying to log more hours a a wedding photographer) Fyi, from what I've seen, wedding photographers here (in Auckland, NZ) charge anything between the equivalent of $1600 - $4000 (and then some) -- depending on the package offered.

Good luck!

[ssim]

I'm doing my niece's wedding in a few weeks and I'm charging her 900.00CAD (ok, I'm not real close to this sister). I think at 350.00 you are really selling yourself short. Now if you are doing it to build a portfolio, that adds a slightly different spin but you say you've been doing it in film before.

I wouldn't add the additional equipment that you are going to have to buy as you this is all reuseable.

In my opinion, you need to find a more reasonable price even though you say they are on a tight budget. One thing that I have learned through the years that when it comes to weddings, this is one area that they will normally not cut themselves short and go really cheap.

[robertwgross]

... you are going to spend at least 4 hours at the wedding plus countless more hours on the computer processing.


There are exceptions.

Somebody was getting married (in a hurry), and they contacted one pro photographer about five days before the wedding in a home. He figured out real quickly that they didn't have much of a budget, so he told them that he was busy that day. So, they asked for a recommendation for somebody else. He gave them my name and gave me the name of the mother of the bride. I contacted her since I had nothing else going on for that day. She had me convinced that this was going to be such a low-key affair that I could be in and out within one hour. I figured that I could knock out 25 shots, get home and process those quickly into one CD-R. I hastily prepared a verbal offer to her for XXX dollars (much, much less than normal). She choked on that.

The bride called me up later and said "thanks but no thanks." It seems that they really did not want a wedding photographer. All they wanted was somebody to come over and take pictures!

---Bob Gross---

[Merle]

OceanRider,
A lot of variables go into making up wedding prices. Photography time, location, packaging and what few people see, the back end work.
You and I have corresponded via PM's and you seem to have a good attitude. You have a good number of years experience. So I would charge them a price that you feel good about. DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT.
;) :) :D

Good Shooting to Ya !!
Merle

[AjP]

do google, and check what the average price and packages in your area. I know in Dallas avr $1500, you can find photographer for $600... but....it is alot of stress and a lot of work during and after wedding.

[chell]

Hello there! Firstly, well done for taking the plunge! Its terrifying, your first wedding isn't it? I started about 18 months ago with a friends wedding and I just charged them for the prints as the experience was invaluable..... and I was a complete wedding virgin soI wanted to cover my back if it all went wrong! Now, Ive done about twenty and I'm still learning all the time. In my area you can expect to be charged an average of twelve hundred pounds for coverage of ceremony and reception, proofs and around thirty 10x8 prints. Im still not charging anywhere near that but when I recently priced one up for seven hundred pounds the bride and her mother said that was far too cheap and offered to pay two hundred pounds more!!! Bearing in mind all the work Ive done is by word of mouth, I was flabberghasted. So. don't undersell youself, but while you are finding your feet, be honest about your experience and enjoy being part of their day. If your happy and bubbly it all helps keep the guests laughing and it seems to come through in the photographs. O, one last tip..... get payment up front, if all the money side is taken care of first you won't lose out and all the awkwardness dissapears. Hope this is helpful! Enjoy, you'll be great!

[robertwgross]

Im still not charging anywhere near that but when I recently priced one up for seven hundred pounds the bride and her mother said that was far too cheap and offered to pay two hundred pounds more!!!

That's excellent.

I wish all of my clients were that way.

---Bob Gross---

[Ronald S. Jr.]

Personally...I charge 1200. flat fee. no cost for pictures. I usually end up making about 900 bucks. Seems fair for 2-3 weeks of post-processing.

[desheeke]

I'm sure many will disagree with what I did, but here's what I did with my first wedding (I had been second photographer for 10 other weddings). It was for a friend of a friend also and they didn't want to spend a lot on a photographer. I charged them $200 over my cost. I decided on this price because of my lack of experience. So the total was $300. The bride was very happy with the pics and paid me twice as much. We had a contract saying they understood I was an amateur and that if the pictures weren't what they wanted they couldn't sue me over the ordeal. This made me more comfortable with everything.

[OceanRider]

great idea desheeke, i will do that!

J

[forgottocockmyshutter]

Weddings are different than any other kind of shoot. Above and beyond any other thing you've ever shot, is the stress. The don't miss this, it's once in a lifetime shots. I don't think $350 is too much to charge her, but since it is your first, you might just wait and charge her for the actual photos that she wants copies of. You may actually come out ahead of the $350. But, if something goes horribly wrong, well, your friend knows it was your first, and hopefully won't hate you forever, maybe just 10 years or so.

I don't mean to sound pessimestic, but lets just say I've been there, done that :(

I don't do weddings anymore, because I can't stand that if I do something wrong, I could "ruin the most important day of someone's life," ... again.

By the way, it wasn't even something I had any control over. My camera malfunctioned. Everyshot up untill the ceremony was perfect... but every shot once the ceremony began was only half a shot. My shutter was stuck and wasn't opening all the way.

Anyway... just a word of caution... GOOD LUCK

[OceanRider]

Yes I hear ya! This will probably be my one and only!

Joel