Destination Weddings? What do or what would you charge for Mexico? Help

With the rare exception of celebrity weddings and their negotiated editorial rights destination weddings are usually fairly small affairs and as such they aren't looking for expensive wedding photography coverage.

There are exceptions obviously. The wedding that I covered in Paris was a $50,000 commission to my studio.

Rick

Ronald S. Jr. wrote in post #4162063
$25k. That's what it'd take to get me to do a wedding in Mexico.

Many guys DO get that much. *coughdavidjaycough*

How about 25 bricks

stathunter wrote in post #4161983
Thank you for the input guys........but heck I am from Detroit (The Murder City) and not that afraid "bad areas"............
Actually I think everyone has some great thoughts here........this one might be better off pricing the client out of the job. Too much hair on this one to deal with.
Thanks for the input. Everyone group hug..........come on!

Well, if you go to Mexico, your CWP won't be honoured. Thus a bodyguard is the best solution.

calicokat wrote in post #4162517
How about 25 bricks

That'd work. I can see it now. The "Brick Wall".

Someone asked about where in Mexico. The location is Riviera Maya Mexico. I am really not afraid of such travel and the stuff that goes with the local. I think everyone has brought up some great points. The key is asking enough up front---I think I did that. Now let's see if they bite.

It would be neat to have this type of experience but I think I might be a bit passed that now. I booked an AK wedding and really can't wait to go back there---one of my fav places!

I think I might have to hang with Rick a little for a few 50K deals! One thing I can do is negotiate!

stathunter wrote in post #4166156
I think I might have to hang with Rick a little for a few 50K deals! One thing I can do is negotiate!

Hey Scott,

The $50K deal was actually a wedding that I covered for $1000 plus travel. I knew though from discussions with the client that there would be substantial album orders from the wedding. We delivered something like 15 albums to the family. The core was a wedding story that I designed called "A Wedding in Paris" which started out with street scenes of Paris (no couple) and ended with the sun setting over the Eiffel Tower and night scenes. The story was 140 pages and divided into three volumes. They loved the presentation so much that not a single one of my images was changed. They ordered four sets and some extra smaller albums.

The art of how to negotiate these destination weddings (or any weddings for that matter) is understanding your clients wants and needs and then customizing a service to satisfy them. If I would have quoted a high fee up front with travel days and all the other expenses figured in I would never have received the booking.

I notice that you are in Michigan. I grew up there and come back frequently to Rochester to visit my mother. Perhaps on one of my trips home we will connect for lunch?

Good luck on your Mexico wedding. I hope that you book it.

Rick