Wedding Packages

Yeah, I don't do exits, either.

I don't charge for a specific number of hours. My deal is I show up at the bride's place two hours before leaving for the ceremony and I stay until "the reception winds down." After the cake and bouquet, I ask the couple if there's any last group or other shots they would like. Usually by this time in the evening, I've taken all the dance shots and people talking/visiting shots I possibly can. So I assess the room; if it's just going to be more of the same I leave. If people are getting ready to dance on tables, I'll hang around a little longer.

We work similar to Peacefield - My wife goes to the bride for preparations while I go to the groom for preparations. We stay through what we term the "formal reception activities" - intro of bridal party, first dance, father-daughter dance, cake cutting, bouquet toss, garter toss, toasts, etc. Once thoise have been completed, we check with the bride to ensure that there are no other special shots that she wants and then leave. We have never stayed to the bitter end just to watch uncle Joe get loaded and pass out under the table...

I've never stayed until the end either, but I did book a client for 2011 who specifically requested that we stay until the exit. She was a guest at a wedding that we shot in 2010 and saw that we left before the end of the night. 8 hours are included in our base package so she had to pay for an additional 2 hours to make sure that we had enough time to cover the prep and make it through to the exit.

I don't get it personally, On the rare occasion that you have a really lively group of people then maybe things will stay interesting...but 98% of the time all of the dancing reception shots start to look the same after the first 100 or so frames.

Back to the OP, for all of 2010 we offered a strictly Ala Carte pricing structure which seemed to work well. For 2011 we are going to try adding 3 structured packages along with the ala carte option to see how that goes.

We have two packages... a basic package that includes a reasonable number of hours and a DVD basically. Then we have an album package that includes more hours. Everything else is al a carte.

You have to see what's reasonable for you and think what you're worth. You can do that by looking at other local photographers around you and see what the average is and compare your work to theirs.

To me, I like to show my prices. I see what is reasonable for me. Whether that includes prints or without. I also put that everything is customizable so they are not fixed to what price they see. They can always upgrade. You don't really want to downgrade.

Then put additional cost of bells and whistles. Such as nicer albums, larger prints, framed or not framed, etc and also put a per hour extra charge if they want you to stay longer than your packages. So if your 6 hour package starts from 5 pm till 11pm, maybe they'll hire you from 5-12 and pay you extra for the 7th hour?

PhotoByED wrote in post #11554438
John, just noticed looking at you packages you list "full day of coverage from prep to FIRST dance" should that be last dance?

As already mentioned by a few people, from prep through to first dance is the normal period of the day to cover which is what our packages cover. We do offer additional coverage on top of that and probably about half of our weddings we end up staying beyond the first dance to shoot something, whether its our Photo Booth, fireworks, bride and groom exit or something else.

It can make for a very long day (I think about 16 or 17 hours is our record amount of coverage for a paid client wedding, 22 hours for a paid friends wedding, French weddings are long days!) but it can also make for some great shots.

This is one of my fave pics from a long wedding day, taken as the bride and groom left surrounded by fireworks around midnight.

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My packages are mostly a la carte as well.

Package 1 = 1 Photography
Package 2 = 2 Photographer (and I throw in some 4x6 and 8x10s as well as an iPod)

Then I have some "specialty" packages such as my Destination Wedding Package and my Hometown Package (so I can get home to visit my parents more often).

I'm debating adding a "super package", a $5,000 package that will include an album and an iPad but I want to complete my move and establish myself in the new market first.

My 2011 base package is this:

• Pre-wedding meeting
  
• No time limits coverage
  
• Copyrights inclusive
  
• All the photographs supplied on disc (approx 800-1500, 14"x 9.3" @ 300DPI)
  
• All the creatively edited photographs used in the wedding book supplied on disc (approx 150-250, 14" x 10" @300DPI)
  
• A 72 page A3 landscape wedding book
  
• Fine art mounted canvas print
  
• Two USB credit card sized wedding photo flash drives (His and Hers)
  
• Password protected online wedding book
  
• PDF of your wedding book
  
• Windows media video (WMV) of your wedding book
  

• Engagement Shoot
  
• Pre-wedding meeting
  
• No time limits coverage
  
• Copyrights inclusive
  
• All the photographs supplied on disc (approx 800-1500, 14"x 9.3" @ 300DPI)
  
• All the creatively edited photographs used in the wedding book supplied on disc (approx 150-250, 14" x 10" @300DPI)
  
• A 72 page A3 portrait lay flat wedding book
  
• Two 72 page A4 portrait lay flat parent wedding books
  
• Four fine art mounted canvas prints
  
• Two USB credit card sized wedding photo flash drives (His and Hers)
  
• Password protected online wedding book
  
• PDF of your wedding book
  
• Windows media video (WMV) of your wedding book
  

memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #11590341
I also have the in-between packages which vary slightly. I don't do "traditional albums" and I don't do "a la carte".

I had a quick look at your website, and I have a dozen things I can immediately think of that would help you, your website, your albums designs, etc. If you'd like to know what they are start a "critique my website" thread in the business forum and PM me the link.

tim wrote in post #11594675
I had a quick look at your website, and I have a dozen things I can immediately think of that would help you, your website, your albums designs, etc. If you'd like to know what they are start a "critique my website" thread in the business forum and PM me the link.

I already had a "critique my website" thread when I built the new site (on which you have already passed comment). I'm very happy with my new site as are my new and old clients and general feedback from the public. I still have a few tweaks to make, a non flash alternative gallery for mobile devices being one of them.

My album designs are evolving over time along with my photography style. My clients love them and I am hired specifically for what I produce. I seem to have found a bit of a niche area in the market in how I approach things compared to most of my competition.

I am not doing too badly. This is year 3 of doing this full time and I should hit around 30 bookings this year (it would be more but for an unplanned major relocation of my business). This year I already have 2 in the UK and 1 in Kenya and had enquiries for Bali. Given that I didn't know what an SLR was until 2004 I think I'm fairing pretty well considering I'm 100% self taught.

If you don't another view on how to improve that's fine

Personally I don't offer engagement pictures as part of my wedding packages anymore. I had so many problems with people trying to negotiate the session out in order to get a reduced price and it was just too much of a PITA so I took them out and now they are either stand-alone portrait sessions or I have that you can add it to a wedding package for half of the normal price. Oddly enough, I've shot MORE engagements since then!

PeaceFire wrote in post #11595419
Personally I don't offer engagement pictures as part of my wedding packages anymore. I had so many problems with people trying to negotiate the session out in order to get a reduced price and it was just too much of a PITA so I took them out and now they are either stand-alone portrait sessions or I have that you can add it to a wedding package for half of the normal price. Oddly enough, I've shot MORE engagements since then!

Interesting. I am offering it in all of my packages, but we will see how 2011 works for me.

PeaceFire wrote in post #11595419
Personally I don't offer engagement pictures as part of my wedding packages anymore. I had so many problems with people trying to negotiate the session out in order to get a reduced price and it was just too much of a PITA so I took them out and now they are either stand-alone portrait sessions or I have that you can add it to a wedding package for half of the normal price. Oddly enough, I've shot MORE engagements since then!

Me, too; with everything you said. So now they can just buy them a la carte which I find them accepting more frequently now then when they were included in a package.

I am still working the kinks out of my packages but the newest revisement is 200 4x6s in a mediocre album, 4 8x10s and anything else they like that fits on 3 8.5x11 sheets. This print package values around 350-500 depending on their budget and willingness to appreciate quality over quantity( if they are being cheap or legitimately can't afford it.) This package is added to my $1000 for showing up and hitting the shutter button.

I also let clients know that I archive every image for 2 years and have the capability to print 13x19 upon request and larger prints within a week of purchase.

I tend to provide them with a free gift upon delivery without telling them and again depending on how they treat me through the entire interaction determines if they get his and hers coffee mugs with their photo or a full on framing display with 8x8 prints organized in hand made frame.

I keep packages negotiable and vague simply because if bridezilla wants me to point fingers and talk about me being expendable after doing the gig I can cut bait and walk away. $1000 to show up ensures that they are aware that I'm not going to be thrown around a venue and then have them try to not pay me for my time equipment and effort.