What do you charge for weddings?

04/21/2020 10:21:55 AM · #1

I've never done a wedding for money (only as a gift to the couple/their family, and they knew I wasn't a wedding photographer). Friend getting married, small town, wants to know how much is reasonable to pay. She's not trying to cut corners but doesn't want a full-on Vogue-level deal either. What can I tell her?

2 hours travel, 7 hours of shooting, fully edited digital package with about 1200 shots, handmade album, and a series of prints.

Thanks!

Message edited by author 2020-04-21 10:33:17.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70 f2.8 L IS

04/21/2020 12:55:56 PM · #2

I guess the answer depends on what your expectation for margin is on this. Are you looking to cover costs and not much more, or wanting to make an average margin, say 35% on it? the general approach I'd take is by pricing it a la carte. Price the basic shoot to include:
- Your total hours (travel, shooting and editing) at your chosen hourly rate (I'd use $50/hr, with a discounted rate on the travel hours)
- Mileage costs (you can use the federal rate, or discount as you see fit)
- Your other travel expenses if any (e.g. hotel)
- Any equipment rental you may incur
That should get you an idea of what to charge for the basic shoot. The album is a bit of an open question. Does she want a true custom album that you would personally build, or would you be going to an on-line resource for the album? If the latter, just margin the album for your time. If the former, you need to determine how much time this will take, it's potentially a big time sink. For prints, I'd say again just margin whatever actual printing costs you actually have, plus plan for delivery costs.
Keep in mind that the average cost is running around $2800 today if you believe Google, which seems on the economical end but reasonable.
One huge question I left out is whether you want a second shooter.

04/21/2020 01:21:09 PM · #3

Thanks! The offer she has is excellent, as far as I'm concerned, but she's trying to convince her mom and hubby that it is NOT too expensive. It is NOT. It's a bargain, if you as me. I just am trying to get her some data points for her argument.

pgirish007

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 24-70 2.8L II

04/21/2020 02:17:47 PM · #4

I do that all and it varies in this case "2 hours travel, 7 hours of shooting, fully edited digital package with about 1200 shots, handmade album, and a series of prints." --> I would start with $2000 and that doesn't cover any preshoot. the reason I say starts with is because of the design of album costs much more and it boils down to that. I usually leave those on the bride and groom, I share the design and then when they come back, I quote separate price for that. Pre-shoot is separate because of the location that they would like to choose and do the needful.

04/21/2020 03:14:06 PM · #5

Thank you!

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

04/21/2020 04:46:50 PM · #6

RE: What do you charge for weddings?

Depends on who I am marrying.

Neat

Canon Canon 1d x Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

04/21/2020 08:36:13 PM · #7

I charge $100 an hour, it sounds like a lot but you will spend hours editing these photos. I�m not joking when you start you will wonder why on earth are you doing it for.

You need to consider how much the album will cost and the prints, I add around 20 to 30% extra to the existing cost.

I think between fifteen hundred and two thousand dollars is a good estimate.

Have fun. It�s hard work but very rewarding, I love shooting weddings.

What cameras are you using? And lenses?

Message edited by author 2020-04-21 20:37:11.

kiwinick

Sony DSLR-A550

04/21/2020 09:22:56 PM · #8

Life has really changed in the wedding photography now. Back in the 60/70s I
charged 400$NZ.shot around 5 rolls B/W film.did a proof sheet and the happy couple went threw them and made up their own album...

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

04/21/2020 09:42:11 PM · #9

In 1970 the US minimum wage was $1.35/hour ... in much of the country it's now pushing $12-15 -- at that rate of inflation I think you'd be charging about 4,300 NZD (about $3000 USD) for equivalent services today ...

roz

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm 1:2.8 Macro

04/21/2020 10:17:05 PM · #10

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

RE: What do you charge for weddings?

Depends on who I am marrying.

that was SOOOOO funny .. i'm still laughing out loud ..
a minute later .. not laughing out loud .. but big smile .. and i think i'm laughing internally .!!. ;)
thanks Ken .. that was brilliant ... :)

Neat

Canon Canon 1d x Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

04/21/2020 10:44:46 PM · #11

Originally posted by roz:

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:
RE: What do you charge for weddings?

Depends on who I am marrying.

that was SOOOOO funny .. i'm still laughing out loud ..
a minute later .. not laughing out loud .. but big smile .. and i think i'm laughing internally .!!. ;)
thanks Ken .. that was brilliant ... :)

I know it was pretty good wasn�t it!

But don�t tell him that ;)