First Wedding, What To Charge?

[SteveBurtless]

Hi Shooters. I am an experienced photographer, mainly event, some fashion, etc. I use Canon 10D and fast lenses, etc. A friend called me and said her daughter wants to have me shoot her wedding and reception. Although I know what shots need to be taken at the ceremony and reception, this would be a first wedding event for me. I did shoot a friend's reception several weeks ago and everyone was very pleased with the shots. The dilemma I am facing is to figure out how and what to charge for the event. It will be in Los Angeles. I want to charge what is fair for a friend but I don't believe in lowballing and giving my experience away free either. I would want to offer some 5x7 and several of the best 8x10 prints that I would retouch or enhance as needed and a CD of the remaining best images. Next week is the meeting and I have to come up with something. I have a wedding book with some sample contract agreements to use as a model. The wedding budget is in the slim catagory. Any advice is appreciated. steveb

[Charles_Matter]

First check around a bit...see what other good photographers are charging.
Use that as a starting point; then apply any 'friends' discount you want to offer

[william_carter]

I'd be interested in concrete (with a dollar amount) responses to this too, as I'm in a similar situation. I have done some searching for prices in my market (Cleveland), but I haven't found any specific prices on local photographers' websites. Makes sense, since they probably customize pricing based on the job, but it would be helpful if people here could post specific dollar amount suggestions.

[Bill_Jurasz]

My gut feeling is $1,500, seeing as how they are a friend, you are handing over a small number of actual prints, and the rest on CD-ROM. But I could be really wrong.

I also have a question on entering the wedding market. Its not so much price-related, but if you wanted to be a $1000 to $1500 photographer, how do you ensure you don't get the people who can afford and expect the quality of a guy two the three times the price? I'm under no illusion I can deliver the quality of a $4,000 photographer. I know several, I've seen their work, and I can't do it. But I also know I can out-deliver the typical $1000 guy (because I've been told so by those same people).

Partly, I don't want to take biz away from the really good guys. Secondly, I don't want a client expecting the quality of the really good guys, even though they are paying far less. I guess I'm interested in the people who might have to resort to Uncle Bob due to financial constraints in their life.

I base my price on $100 per hour and I'm comfortable with this.
This would include post processing and scooting around trying to get the package together.
For instance... I have to travel from one side of Sydney to the other to get a sexy leather bound album for the 5x7's; one and a half hours round trip and then pick up the snaps from the printer who will color correct photos that I've probably already spent hours manipulated in photoshop.

The album costs three hundred bucks alone so if I put sixty photos that cost me a buck each to print, into the album and then include the cost of running around... that album would cost the client around a thousand bucks, give or take.
I've already charged them fifteen hundred dollars to shoot the wedding from the bride and matrons at the hairdressers at 9:00am to the limo taking the drunk couple away around midnight.

Then a framed 20"x30" will cost me about fifty bucks but they can have it for four/five hundred dollards. I have to interpolate it to make a bigger file and this has to be done slowly. I have to sharpen it and manipulate colour etc, etc...

By the time I'm finished with the package, I'm getting four to five K from the client and there's money in it for me. I take the best shots I know how to. Everything I do is of the finest quality I can get. If I find better quality printers and they charge more... using them will reflect in my price regime.

It's easy to raise prices but once you've established a price it's hard to drop the price if work is slow. Charge them what you're comfortable with and stick to your guns.

Bill.

[SteveBurtless]

To all who responded to this thread, thank you for your info. Wedding would be in Los Angeles. It looks like a good starting point is $1000-1500 range for a newbie according to the responses.I certainly can't compete with a seasoned pro and of course if the couple could afford a shooter like that, I'm sure they would hire someone of that caliber. I see so much lowballing in LA with the numerous amount of photographers scrambling for a dollar and all that does is cheapen the trade and allow clients to not appreciate the talent thay are hiring. Weddings/receptions are alot of work and a huge responsability to the photographer with many risks involved, especially making sure the equipment doesn't fail and the images come out ok.

Newbie, friend rate, LA, 10D, some prints, most on CD...

I'd bid $1250. Any more and you'll lose the job to some $1000 rookie lowballer. If you're SURE they won't book someone else, bid $1500 max. Go ridiculously overboard with service and turnaround, and the referral will be worth this concession. (I shot a job yesterday and the shots were edited, online and ready to order by 5am this morning.)

then for your real clients, double that rate and you're off to a good start. BTW, I suggest not discounting for friends/relatives--they should be happy to pay your full rate EXACTLY BECAUSE YOU'RE A FRIEND/RELATIVE. I pay all of my own family friend plumbers, painters, realtors, etc... 100% full price because if there's anyone who you SHOULD do that with, it's them, isn't it?

I save my negotiation skills for total strangers.

Yes, this is counter to conventional thinking, but think about it for a bit. Why are we so used to asking our friends to cheapen themselves? Isn't this the most unsupportive thing we could be doing?

That aside, lowballers are killing this industry. Kudos to you for being above that early on. Even if the entire wedding business goes in the toilet you'll always be able to say that you kept your integrity intact.

good luck and best light to you,

-m