First Wedding Ever

[David_Willoughby]

Matt, I too agree with Greg, but I also respect you and your ethics immensly, I have seen some of your work and it along with your attitude of giving your clients more than they deserve, coupled with your hard work will make you very successful. Just remember, Target has a place as does the businesses on Rodeo drive, they both have the same motive, give the customer what they want, and the price they will pay and make money doing it. That is the beauty of the free market

everyone have a great weekend I am shooting a large relay race in my home town this weekend and hope to have fun, drink some beer....not during the shoot...be with friends and make a buck or two with my camera.

[MattRadlinski]

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BTW: Although I understand this is your opinion and you are not taking active measures, I'm sure you are aware that attempting to get people to raise their prices or get out of business is illegal and comes under price fixing statutes.

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Heck no! This is perfectly legal...so long as the government gets its cut. It's called "licensing." Ever notice that we're just about the only vendors at the wedding that don't have to have some kind of government license to do what we do? The band or D.J. is exempt, but the caterers have to have restaurant license, the officiate has to be state-sanctioned, the florist has to have a licensing for dealing in live plants, even the hairdresser has to be licensed to protect the public from bad haircuts, but we don't.

That's what licensing is...it's a cost of admission. It's an artificial barrier into the market to prevent those who are not serious about it from ruining the market for those who are, with a nod a wink and a bribe to the government to make it all kosher.

I was one hell of a Libertarian before I got into business for myself. Now I see what happens in a completely unregulated market...it gets flooded by unqualified shysters who give the serious professionals a bad name. How respected do you think doctors would be if for every real accredited doctor there were twenty guys running around in white lab coats with a scalpel offering surgery for $500?

It almost makes me wish everybody who wanted to charge to photograph a wedding had to pay the government, say $5,000 every year for a license. So, then nobody can charge $500 for a wedding, because they'll never make any money, but it's not price fixing, because the government gets a cut, too!

Then again...this reminds of when Reagan was governor of California. Along with a group of gay supporters, he helped defeat a bill that would have forbidden gay teachers in schools. One of his gay supporters asked him if this meant legalized gay marriage would be next. Reagan's response: “I would just warn you that if you get in bed with the government, you'll get more than a good night's sleep.”

Oh well...

[David_Willoughby]

"but the caterers have to have restaurant license, the officiate has to be state-sanctioned, the florist has to have a licensing for dealing in live plants, even the hairdresser has to be licensed to protect the public from bad haircuts, but we don't."

Well in this case it is because if some one is a crappy caterer, the food doesnt just get ruined, people can get ill and can die.....a little more serious I say.