All you wedding photogrs - DPChallenge Forums

09/12/2008 09:37:17 AM · #1

I have a ??? for you all.

What is your best selling package? How much is it, what do you offer and what does it cost?

Message edited by author 2008-09-12 09:38:29.

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

09/12/2008 09:37:57 AM · #2

Out of all your packages and add on's what is your #1 seller or request?

Message edited by author 2008-09-12 09:38:34.

idnic

Canon EOS-60D

09/12/2008 09:43:38 AM · #3

I have 5 "levels" (not packages) - most people choose the middle one (so I put my best items there). It includes full day, album, DVD, 6 prints and costs $2450. The highest level includes all of that with a nicer album, engagement session and parents books. The lowest level does not include an album, but is still full day and has some prints included. I do NOT include paper proofs anymore (because I found brides copying them instead of ordering enlargements).

09/12/2008 09:56:59 AM · #4

In my market cresting $2000 regardless of what's in the package is difficult for me - at bridal shows. In the fall, like now, for whatever strange kharmic reason, my average booking is closer to $2300. I don't know why but this is the third year in a row that it seems to be this way.

As to what is most popular, etc it's hard to say. Brides want more pics in the album rather than a larger (physical) album, but then I don't show an 11x14 to that may be part of it - brides will buy what they see. Show them black sample albums and 70% will buy a black album. Show white and 70% will buy white. I had a navy blue sample for a few years and sold a lot of navy blue albums.

Go to bridal shows or check out other photogs work around you and their prices and price yourself accordingly. 50 miles away in Pittsburgh a bride will pay $1000 more for a photographer.

I offer a studio engagement session with every package for a number of reasons. I've tried to upsell that to a 3 hour on location type of deal and get no takers. Yet I know two photogs (one cheaper, one more coslty) that include a 3 hour E-session as part of their packages and insist upon it. 90% of their brides are local where as about 30% of my brides live out of state and have a hard time even making an e-session as they're not in town.

I've had good luck offering/including 'first edition prints' - all their images on 4x6 prints ($75 for a typical wedding, cost). Other things are the album (30 side 10x10, $250-300) and 5 to 10 'gift prints', as in whatever fits on an 8x10 sheet, the e-session, and their images on dvd. their images being just those ordered/edited, about 75-80 images.

Higher packages get hig res dvd instead of lo-res or none at all, 30 side book instead of 20, more gift prints and more hours of coverage.
Hours of coverage is a nice controlling factor. Some folks only need 6, some want 8 so you can move them up in price easily or get an extra $150 for that hour.

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

09/12/2008 10:09:29 AM · #5

The albums that you guys use, what are the sizes of the pages?

NM I see what what you have Prof... 10x10's I must have just missed that part. sorry

cindi same for you?

Message edited by author 2008-09-12 10:11:30.

idnic

Canon EOS-60D

09/12/2008 10:13:00 AM · #6

Originally posted by Dirt_Diver:

The albums that you guys use, what are the sizes of the pages?

NM I see what what you have Prof... 10x10's I must have just missed that part. sorry

cindi same for you?

Yes, I also use a 10x10. 10 pages, 20 pages, 30 pages and 50 pages.

Eyesup

Nikon D300

Sigma 70-200 /2.8 APO EX DG Macro HSM II

09/12/2008 10:15:47 AM · #7

My prices range around the $2000 mark a well... encluding most of the day and a wedding album... most of my package come with som kind of wedding album ranging from 8x8 at the low end to 11x14 at the high end. All of them at 20 sides (10 pages) which tnds to fit about 60ish photo's comfortably... more than that the couple pays for extra pages.

as a side note to that it's been nice the last few weddings I've done, the couple's have had to add about 8 extra pages each, because they liked Most of the photos enough to want them in their album... it was a nice ego boost to know they liked my photo's that much :)

Message edited by author 2008-09-12 10:18:55.

09/12/2008 10:19:18 AM · #8

LIke I said, I don't show a monster book (i want to but they cost a monster price even as a sample). Brides say they like a book that fits on a book shelf.
The physical cost of the album changes little with the size, but the prints that go in make a difference.

30 8x10s cost me $30
30 10x10s cost me $90
30 12x12s cost me $150
30 11x14s cost me $240.

The labor for design is the same, but the costs are not and neither is the perceived value.

I have had no luck selling coffee table books as wedding albums - as e-session books or guest books, baby books, seniors- yes. Wedding? No. I can do a 9x12 30 side w/ photo cover coffee table book for $60 and the labor is the same as any album - but the big, flush mount books are more impressive, more traditional in appearance, and easier to sell or sell for more. The photogs I know that sell them offer only them.

09/12/2008 10:25:20 AM · #9

Originally posted by Eyesup:

I'm working toward that model by changing album companies. I use GP for most of my books - you get 10,20 or 30 and that's it (optimus line). I used AL before that (imount deluxe line) and same thing. LC and H&H"s black tie allow you to do 22 or 26 or however many pages you want. So this year I've changed my packages to image based count - 75 images and 10x10 - I choose the number of pages that best fit the layout. Brides always pick more images, so there will be a per-image fee and i'll add pages as needed for the layout. $7 an image is my thinking at this point, but it may change. I kind of want it below the cost of a 4x6 print so it seems cheap - and they'll buy more that way. We'll see how that works next year when they start ordering their albums.

The other change I made was to include 'their images' on disk. Oh, you want ALL your images? That's an 'archival DVD' and it's only $1/image, but you must take them all. 500 images...$500. But it appears inexpensive and gives them the idea that their images are secure for ever. Also they can't get 'their images' until they get the album - cause those imaged are edited. Helps keep print sales from vanishing.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

09/12/2008 10:35:26 AM · #10

this is all great information guys thank you all very much..

Spork99

OM System OM-1

09/12/2008 10:52:07 AM · #11

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

The other change I made was to include 'their images' on disk. Oh, you want ALL your images? That's an 'archival DVD' and it's only $1/image, but you must take them all. 500 images...$500. But it appears inexpensive and gives them the idea that their images are secure for ever. Also they can't get 'their images' until they get the album - cause those imaged are edited. Helps keep print sales from vanishing.

My wedding photographer sold proofs at $1/proof if you took them all and $5/print if you picked and chose. Unfortunately for him, we were ambivalent about having them, so he kept coming down in price until eventually we got all 650 proofs for $50.

I have to add that when I worked for him, most brides bought all of their proofs at $1 per.

Of course, all of this was back in ye olde film days.