What Do Wedding Photography Packages Include?
Wedding photography packages provide photographers with a straightforward method of pricing their services, and giving couples the option to select a pre-defined container makes the process simpler for them. There are a great number of photographers operating in the world, and each of them provides something unique to their clients. On the other hand, wedding photography packages can typically be altered to meet the requirements of the client.
Do you want to know what to add to the photography package you purchased for your wedding? As a photographer, you owe it to your client to provide a comprehensive service that takes into account events, timings, albums, and other elements.
Wedding Photography Package For Your Clients
Have you ever wondered where to begin when putting together a wedding photography package? You might be aware of the precise amount that you are able to charge each of your customers. However, the couple will have a much better understanding of what they are paying to you if you break down the cost for them. If you need advice on your wedding photography, check out our photography packages and services at Wild Romantic Photography.
Number of Events to be Photographed
The number of occurrences that need to be documented is the first thing that needs to be discussed between you and your client. You may also break it up into several days if you like. The client asks you to cover all of the events, despite the fact that the wedding ceremonies don't last very long. Before agreeing to the terms of the contract, it is advisable to have a comprehensive conversation about the upcoming events.
Number of Photographers Shooting the Wedding
The majority of wedding photographers work with a team of second shooters to capture all of the important details of the day. It is also considered to be a value-added service to charge the customer a reasonable price for delivering more in a shorter amount of time.
Number of Photographers
The contract for the wedding photography should include a number of additional photographers who will be working alongside you during the wedding shoot. Depending on the requirements of the customer, you have the option of including or excluding second shooters.
Number of Hours for the Shoot
It is important that you discuss the number of hours required for each event that you agreed to photograph. The vast majority of your clients will anticipate that you will be reachable at all times throughout the day. However, in order to prevent people from abusing your services for an extended period of time, you ought to charge on an hourly basis.
Number of Hours
Make sure everyone is aware of your availability for all of the events, and adjust your rates accordingly.
Number of Prints and Soft Copies to be Delivered
In the photography package, you will need to decide whether or not you want printed photos as well as digital copies of the wedding ceremony. You need to have a conversation with your customer about the total number of prints that will be delivered. You have the option of including these particulars in the contract to ensure that there are no misunderstandings and that the process is simplified for both parties.
Travelling and Accommodation for Destination Wedding
The wedding ceremonies that require travel are by far the most exciting ones to attend. Your client must pay for all your expenses. It is highly recommended to have a pre-meeting conversation with each other about the flights and accommodations. At Wild Romantic Photography, we have the best Melbourne wedding photographer to take memorable photos on your wedding day.
Destination Wedding
You should also discuss things like meals and other fundamentals. The contract for the wedding ought to include this expense in its total price.
Photography coverage on the day
The amount of time that a single photographer will be present at your wedding to take photographs. The package will typically specify "up to 6 hours" or "up to 8 hours" of coverage, or it will say "from the ceremony until the speeches." The price of the package is determined, in part, by the amount of time that the photographer spends taking pictures.
A second photographer
The option to hire a second photographer is one that is provided by some wedding photographers. The majority of photographers who specialise in weddings work under the assumption that the second photographer will be present throughout the entire event.
A pre-wedding photo session
It is possible that it will involve a pre-wedding photo session. This session will take place several months before the actual wedding. There are also those who refer to it as a "engagement photoshoot." It's more like a play session where you and the photographer can get to know each other better.
A USB stick
There is a possibility that the package will come with a USB memory stick containing the edited photographs in high resolution (this means you can use the images to make your prints or albums online, using the suppliers you choose).
A certain number of digital photographs
The package that you purchase should specify the number of photographs that you can anticipate receiving after the wedding.
A certain number of prints
In the past, photographers would typically include a number of different prints in their albums (6 "x4", or 7 "x5", or a large one for the wall, but not many photographers do that these days).
An online Gallery
The vast majority of photographers will provide you with access to a password-protected online gallery of your photos so that you can show them to your loved ones and acquaintances. Quite frequently, this gallery will give you and your relatives the opportunity to buy individual prints at prices that have been determined by the photographer.
A wedding album
It could include a photo album of the wedding. The fact that there are so many different album suppliers in the market makes this aspect of the comparison even more challenging.
A large frame or canvas
It could include a single framed wedding photo as well as a canvas print for you to hang on the wall. It ought to specify the size of the frame or the canvas (or whatever other product it is), as well as the anticipated delivery date.
A preview album
It could include a preview album, which is essentially a photo book that displays all of the edited photographs printed in a low-cost book. This is not an album of wedding photos.
A video with the best photos
It's possible that the photographer will put together a short video set to music that showcases the most memorable photos from the wedding.
The price/deposits
The package should provide specific information on each component that constitutes the photographer's service. It ought to display a price, indicating whether or not the VAT is included. It should also make it very clear how much of a deposit is necessary to secure the booking, as well as when the remaining balance on the package must be paid in full. The answer to this question varies from nation to nation.
What's included in wedding photography packages?
The style of photos
Will the photographer primarily focus on taking formal posed shots, or will they use a reportage style to capture candid moments during the photoshoot? Will there also be other types of photographs, such as those in sepia or black and white, in addition to coloured ones?
When choosing a wedding photography package, it is important to be aware of the types of photographs that are included in the package. A good number of the packages even include a list of the particular pictures that are included, such as a certain number of group pictures, a picture of the exchanging of rings, a picture of the cutting of the cake, and so on. Planning your dream wedding and don’t want to miss out on the special moments on your big day? Worry no more, Wild Romantic Photography has you covered.
Time spent at the wedding
Your wedding package ought to come with a predetermined amount of time that your photographer will spend at the location of your ceremony and reception. It ought to specify whether the duration will be spent in the preparations leading up to the ceremony, the ceremony itself, or the reception that follows. The number of people who will be attending the wedding should also be determined by the package; some packages include the services of two photographers or one photographer and an assistant.
The lighting and equipment
Imagine that you are in charge of organising an evening event or a reception that will take place outside. In that case, your photographer might need to provide superior lighting or shades, and the specifics of your photographer package should make note of this possibility. Your wedding package should include specific information regarding the types of cameras that were utilised on the big day.
Even if you don't know much about photography yourself, you should ask a friend who is more knowledgeable than you are if these are the most recent models, or you could do some research online. Check to see if they will be bringing backup equipment in the event that one of the cameras stops working while the event is going on.
Details of editing
The details of the photography package should include information about how the pictures will be edited and whether or not they will be digitally altered or enhanced to add more vibrant colours or a higher quality image. In addition to this, your package should provide a rough estimate of the number of images that will need editing and the amount of time this will take.
The overall costs and extras
When choosing your wedding photography package, make sure to ask for a list of possible additional costs, such as travel to the venue, as this can often tell you more than knowing what is included in the package itself. Find out how much your photographer will charge you for additional prints or albums, as well as a second photographer, if these services are not included in the package that you have purchased.
Included products
Would you be more interested in a product that is formatted like a magazine, and do you want parent or guest books to give away as gifts? Do you want your printed photographs to be displayed in a mounted album or a book designed to be placed on a coffee table? It is important to pay attention to the details; for example, what kind of covers and edges will your albums have? Because there is such a large selection of wedding photography products currently available, you need to check to see that the package you choose includes everything you need.
Your photographer may offer a variety of print styles to choose from, such as prints on canvas or prints that have been digitally altered to look like paintings. Some of the packages include a predetermined number of professionally taken photographs, which, if you so choose, can also be mounted and framed.
There are now a variety of photography packages that include all of your photographs in digital format, allowing you to have additional prints made whenever and wherever you like. Last but not least, quite a few of the packages come with a DVD that contains a slideshow of the best photos taken during your special day, set to an appropriate soundtrack.
Steps for Setting Your Wedding Photography Prices
Fears that are common among wedding photographers include being late for the kiss or falling down in the middle of the ceremony. On the other hand, a common worry shared by many wedding photographers is one that has nothing to do with photography. Asking for money and determining appropriate pricing for wedding photography are essential steps in transitioning a hobby into a profitable business.
However, wedding photography is a lucrative business, and you should determine an appropriate price for your services. If you don't have the intestinal fortitude to sell your photographs for a price, you won't be able to make a living as a professional photographer. Create lasting memories through your Yarra Valley wedding photography that will be cherished forever.
Set Your Goals
It is easier to make the best decision for your company if you have a clear understanding of your purpose and what you wish to accomplish. In addition, it enables you to evaluate how well you are doing in relation to reaching that objective.
Determine the objectives of your business before beginning to price your wedding photography services. It's possible that you have no plans to leave your current job anytime soon. However, you realise the importance of establishing a secondary source of income doing work that interests you. Maybe you want to spend all of your time photographing weddings. Or perhaps you are interested in photographing weddings in addition to portraits and other types of events.
The more specific your goals are, the simpler it will be to measure your progress towards achieving them. There is no sensation quite like the one you get when you realise you've achieved a goal, or even better, surpassed it. These objectives are subject to change as well over time.
For instance, during my first year as a wedding photographer, one of my primary objectives was to amass sufficient funds to purchase an entire gear kit. I still had a 9-5 job paying my bills. When setting your prices, it is helpful to have concrete goals to keep in mind so that you can keep the bigger picture in mind.
Know Your Value
Let's say you're in the market for a new smartphone. One choice costs $500, while the other one costs $800. Which mobile device is the most impressive? The majority of people will respond that the more expensive option is superior. When you determine the prices for your wedding photography services, you are simultaneously determining your value.
In most cases, the bride and groom will operate under the assumption that the more expensive the photographer is, the better they are. There are definitely some married couples who are operating on a limited budget and are looking for good value. However, charging prices that are too low will give your brand an identity that is comparable to that of budget smartphone manufacturers.
However, this does not imply that you should set your prices at an absurdly high level and consider the matter closed. You need to strike a balance between the quality of the work in your portfolio, your geographic location, and your brand in order to maximise your value. Before you even attempt to put a price on your work, you have to have a firm grasp on what it is that makes it valuable.
Your brand will be reflected in the price list that you decide to set. If you charge low prices, people will associate your brand with being inexpensive. Expensive prices and a prestigious brand.
Estimate the Time Involved
It can be difficult to determine the value of a wedding photographer. The wedding pictures will remain on display on the walls of the family home for many years to come. Their emotional value cannot be measured in monetary terms. However, you will need to find a way to charge your customers.
Estimate the amount of time you'll spend on each wedding so that you can make more informed choices. You will, in fact, devote a good portion of your day to photographing the wedding. However, many new photographers aren't aware that there is a great deal more time involved than simply photographing the wedding itself.
When estimating the amount of work, in addition to the hours spent shooting, don't forget to include:
- Meeting with the bride and groom before the wedding;
- Creating and filing contracts and other paperwork;
- Shooting engagement photos, if included in the price;
- Travelling to the location;
- Uploading and sorting images;
- Editing images;
- Creating any deliverables such as prints or digital copies along with album design.
When everything is considered, photographing a wedding does not end up being a task that can be completed in a single day. The response shifts somewhat from one photographer to the next in this regard. The ten hours spent on the wedding day itself are only a fraction of the total 30–40 hours of labour that go into producing a full wedding package for a client.
Understand the Area
Photographers who are based in New York City do not charge their clients the same rates as photographers who are based in smaller towns. To get an idea of how much money couples in your area spend on weddings, you can use a wedding cost calculator to get an estimate.
My place of employment is in a more rural area, and the typical cost of a wedding there is between $15,000 and $20,000 dollars. In my region, the going rate for a wedding photographer is approximately ten percent of that amount. Because the typical cost of a wedding in a large city like New York is roughly twice as much as that, the price lists of photographers will differ depending on the locations in which they work.
Keeping this in mind, the cost of the photographer is typically the fourth highest of all the items at the wedding. According to Value Penguin, the most significant portion of the budget is consumed by the reception, which is then followed by the rings, the reception band, and the photographer.
We are not suggesting that you should base your price on the average cost of the goods or services you provide. After all, being in the middle means that some people pay more and some pay less than others. However, you ought to be aware of the regional average. When determining the price, you should take into account all of the relevant factors, including the amount of time and effort put in, your level of expertise, and the reputation of your company.
Budget for Equipment and Marketing
Not only do wedding photographers invest their time, but they also invest other resources. Make sure that your pricing leaves enough room for photo gear and any other expenses that may arise. Even if you already have a great camera and lenses for weddings, camera bodies degrade over time. In a few years, the body of that camera won't be quite as cutting-edge as it is right now.
You might decide that you want a better lens, you might accidentally break a lens, or you might need to get your gear serviced simply for maintenance.
Along with budgeting for gear updates and repairs, consider the other costs of running a business, such as:
- Photo editing software, or hiring a photo editor;
- Other software, like for budgeting and client management;
- A computer and printer;
- Website hosting costs for an online portfolio;
- Marketing costs such as online ads and bridal shows;
- Saving for retirements and vacations;
- Paying an assistant or second shooter, if you use one;
- Covering taxes;
- Paying for an office space or studio if you opt not to work out of your home.
Choose Your Services
Photographers at weddings need to figure out not only how to charge, but also how they'll get paid. In most cases, you can pick between two options. Both comprehensive bundles and a la carte options are available to customers.
Package agreements are convenient for the groom and bride in addition to the photographer. When making a choice, couples typically consider only a single viable alternative before settling on a course of action.
Photographers can streamline the wedding photography contracts and any other necessary documentation by just indicating a single bundle. Avoiding the hassle of digging out a price list makes it much easier to remember package rates and potential add-ons. The convenience of using containers can't be denied, but there are benefits to buying individual meals instead.
A couple may feel duped into thinking they are paying with something they do not desire if they receive a shipment containing an item they do not plan to use. A la carte wedding photography pricing gives the couple more freedom to customise their package. We have an exclusive range of wedding photography Mornington Peninsula services. Check them out here.
Explain in detail what is included
Do they know exactly what they're getting and how much it will cost them? A photographer's reputation was recently ruined by a couple who claimed their photos were being "held hostage" until we paid a $150 album charge. Because the fee was written into the photographer's initial agreement, her legal challenge was upheld.
What should we learn from this? Be sure to specify all of the fees that will be assessed in the contract. In any case, it's imperative that you take the time to analyse each expense separately. It is crucial to highlight the fact that there could be multiple package fees in case the couple just skimmed the legalese inside the wedding contract. Don't leave anything out, no matter how seemingly small, if it falls under the scope of the agreement. Specify whether or not digital files and reprint rights are included in the asking price.
Decide on a Deposit Amount
You should decide on a down payment amount and a payment due date when you set the rates for your goods and services. Couples that don't make a deposit run the risk of cancelling the wedding at the very minute, leaving you with an empty date that could have been used for another ceremony. A warranty may be stated as a fixed financial sum or as a proportion of the total amount due.
Calculate a sum that will reimburse you again for time that you spent talking with the customer and putting together the required papers. Strive towards a middle ground. Choose a deposit amount that is large enough to discourage cancellations but low enough that you won't be out a lot of money if the couple doesn't turn up for the wedding.
Set Multiple Prices
All weddings are special in their own ways. Thus, there is no justification for the uniformity of wedding packages. If couples are presented with a number of options, they have a better chance of selecting one that works for them. Further, it keeps the playing field level for the wedding photographer.
If you provide multiple options, the couple who wants a little ceremony in the backyard can choose something different from the pair who wants a major ceremony as well as a large afterwards. Think about how much time and money each option will take and how much you value each outcome while you do so.
Maintain Simplicity
An engaged couple has somewhere around a billion or a half options to consider while planning a wedding. Among all the other decisions you'll have to make for your wedding, choosing a photographer shouldn't be one of them. Attempt to maintain things as simple as possible with regards to cost. The key is to find a middle ground so that you can provide different choices to different couples. It's crucial to keep teams from having to make too many decisions at once.
Consider Incorporating Engagements
Engagement photos, albeit not shot on the wedding day itself, can prove useful in many ways. Shooting their engagement will allow you to really get to know the happy couple before the big day. Knowing the optimal poses for each and how they interact each other is greatly facilitated by this knowledge.
The engagement session is a great opportunity for the couple to get comfortable in front of camera and to get to know you and your style of shooting couples.
Some photographers will add engagement sessions as part of a bundle because of how useful they are. If engagement shots are part of the package, more couples may make use of the chance to shoot with you in advance of the wedding day.
Most photographers will benefit from prior experience assisting the same couple. Also, the extra shooting is incredibly helpful for rookie wedding photographers who might require more experience with posing or lighting.
Choose Your Words Wisely
A free engagement is the same as an included one. In spite of this, the words elicit a wide range of reactions from prospective buyers.
What associations do you make with the term "free"? Sure, it's a steal, but it's also shockingly cheap. When potential clients hear you characterise your job using words like "free," they immediately discount its value.
You must avoid using "free" and any similar phrases on your price sheet. Keep your tone low at all times. Customers had probably already developed impressions of the products or services you offer based on their perusal of your photo galleries before even looking at your price list. An overabundance of adjectives on the price list detracts from the value perception rather than contributing to it.
Continue to Examine Pricing
There is no final answer to the pricing puzzle. As your firm grows, you will need to reevaluate its price structure. Where are the wins, and where are the losses? We was wondering, which of your offerings do most of your wedding couples choose? How often do couples want for an option that they cannot now take advantage of?
As your business grows, your wedding photography rates should reflect that. As you develop expertise, you should refine your approach, add additional value, and reevaluate your pricing.
You shouldn't charge amateur pricing if you've made a name for yourself as a professional photographer. It's a good idea to take stock of your spending thrice a year during slow season. After receiving a particular amount of wedding bookings, you have the option of raising your prices.
Conclusion
Calculating a fair price for wedding photos is difficult. Photographers must find a middle ground between charging too little and having their work undervalued and charging too much and not getting any work. If you’d like to work with professional photographers for your wedding, book with us at Wild Romantic Photography.