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DPChallenge Forums >> Business of Photography >> $7000 for a wedding - is that high or not?
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08/01/2017 08:11:39 PM · #1
My wife's niece is getting married in the Salem, NH area and the quote for a photographer + videographer + photo booth came to $7000. Is that a fair price or does it seem a bit high? I know there's a broad spectrum of services, etc...

Any thoughts? Thanks.
08/01/2017 09:12:49 PM · #2
Ooh that does sound high, closer to destination wedding prices (I once turned down a sum of about $3k to shoot a wedding in Jamaica cause my passport had expired and I didn't know it) ..but sounds like it depends on the amount of built-in services. Does it include all the post work too or will the bride and groom be able to get the finished images before they leave for the honeymoon?
08/01/2017 09:33:42 PM · #3
Originally posted by snaffles:

... Does it include all the post work too or will the bride and groom be able to get the finished images before they leave for the honeymoon?

Not sure of the details on that at the moment. I'm assuming they would get a finished / post product, not sure as to when.
08/01/2017 09:35:34 PM · #4
It's not high for top-end, well-established wedding photographers who get more requests than they can book; in fact, for the best of them (or most famous) it's cheap. It's VERY high for a local partnership of shooter + videographer who are just getting into the business. Where does your gal's photographer fall on this spectrum? I have no idea...
08/01/2017 09:37:28 PM · #5
Ok. Looks like I need to get more details. :-}
08/01/2017 10:10:11 PM · #6
You can find ANYTHING on the web. :)

https://www.weddingwire.com/c/nh-new-hampshire/salem/wedding-photographers/10-vendors.html

High compared to those prices, even if those are just base.
08/01/2017 11:29:09 PM · #7
Hah! Only ONE photographer in Salem charges more than 3 grand, and he only charges 3500... Of course, the real issue is what's included, but...
08/02/2017 03:48:21 AM · #8
IMO, you are asking the wrong question. If your wife's niece (or whoever is paying for the services) agree to the price, are fully aware of what they are getting, and the photographer delivers and meets or exceeds their expectations then it is a fair price at any price. Could they get it cheaper? Of course. Could they get someone better? Probably. Can they get someone better AND cheaper? Most likely.

A "fair price" in a free market is ANY price the buyer and seller agree to as long as there is full disclosure and full delivery of expectations by both parties.

That said, you mentioned it's a quote, so they should definitely shop around, compare apples to apples, CHECK REFERENCES and reviews and make an informed decision that suits their taste and budget. It's fair to use a competitor's quote to negotiate with a photographer they might want more, but costs more.

And yeah, the details are everything. Neil's link does not include any videography services, so you could check them separately. Ideally they would want one vendor, but one that can (and HAS) successfully delivered all of the services they are asking for.
08/02/2017 05:17:53 PM · #9
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

A "fair price" in a free market is ANY price the buyer and seller agree to as long as there is full disclosure and full delivery of expectations by both parties.

Facts, logic, reason, & common sense.

WTF???

Who are you and WHAT have you done with Art???
08/02/2017 06:56:11 PM · #10
a few years ago, our HVAC was pronounced dead by our service technician. he said he could fix it, but it was at a point that we'd probably be better off getting a new one. so i had him get one of their sales people to call me.

nice guy came out, spent a little time checking things out, letting me know what our options were, etc. then he gave me a quote of $7 grand. i asked him if that was the best he could do and he told me absolutely, that i could call around and get someone to do it cheaper, but i wouldn't get anyone who could do it better. so i thanked him for his time and told him i'd get back to him.

i called another company whose name i remembered from a radio ad. over the phone, the salesman asked me a handful of questions, then asked a few more, then told me he could put in exactly what we needed for $4500. i asked him if he was sure and he said absolutely, that i could easily get someone to put in the same system for a whole lot more, but that i wouldn't be getting anything more than what he was offering in terms of quality, service, and warranty. AND IT WAS FOR THE EXACT SAME MODEL!!!

it's really hard to measure if you can't get to an apples-to-apples comparison. beyond that, as long as you feel comfortable with their ability to deliver and that you can afford it, you just go with what makes sense. YMMV ;-)

Message edited by author 2017-08-02 18:56:58.
08/02/2017 07:29:43 PM · #11
Thanks everyone. You're confirming what I thought about the scenario. Ultimately it's up to my sister-in-law and her daughter to sort it out. I've pointed them to this forum thread for advice / food-for-thought, etc...

Again - Thanks!
08/03/2017 07:56:58 AM · #12
My entire wedding was 4K and was on a boat. My wife's beautiful dress was 60$. My photographer was a friend who was a guest at the wedding and received food and drink and refused payment.
So I guess I'm a bad one to ask ;P
But I certainly agree with checking out portfolios, references, and getting comparable quotes! =)
LOL
08/03/2017 08:51:32 AM · #13
The charts on this page are interesting!

//snapknot.com/wedding-photography-prices
08/03/2017 08:22:51 PM · #14
Originally posted by Neil:

The charts on this page are interesting!

//snapknot.com/wedding-photography-prices


And the highest price I saw was below $4k...so a leetle more homework may be in order.
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