What are your packages?

Candid Arts

I'm thinking about creating some wedding packages versus just charging a certain amount for so many hours and offering additional hours at a per hour rate.

I'm thinking of doing a half day price and a full day price.

My question to you guys is this. Do you offer a DVD of all the photos for an additional price on top of your half/full day price in the package? Or as an add on? Or at all?

Here is kind of my thoughts:

Half day shoot: included:
reasonable travel, consultation, private gallery, blah blah blah, $xxxx.00

Full Day shoot: All the same, but more money obviously.

Add Ons:
DVD for $xxx
OR
Digital Downloads $xx/picture
OR
Photo Packages (printed via my site/smugmug) ($whatever packages I set up)

Obviously with the digital versions (DVD, Downloads) there would have to be something in the contract stating the who's, what's, when's, where's, why's, and for how long's of the usage of the photos.

So...what do you guy's think? What do you do?

dawssvt

Here are my prices. They may seem a little low for a national average, but it's about average for my area.

Straight from my website...

Pricing:
We offer several different wedding collections. Every collection will include a DVD copy of all the pictures as well as an online gallery. On average, we will take around 1,100 photographs during an entire day. If you are wanting to mix and match from the different packages, don't hesitate to send us an email to discuss the details. We are more than happy to work with you!

Collection A: $550
5 hours of photography
Minimum of 500 pictures

Collection B: $850
Unlimited photography
Includes photography of preparation, pre-wedding, wedding ceremony, post-wedding, and reception

Collection C: $1,050
Unlimited photography
11x13 Full color printed book (200 pages)

Collection $1,650
Unlimited Photography and Video
Edited Video with 10 DVD copies
11x13 Full color printed book (200 pages)

Collection E: $500
Unlimited Video with 1 camera for entire day
Edited Video with 10 DVD copiea

Snowgirl

Ihave two basic packages.

My "Cherished Memories" package is the full meal deal from manicure to midnight (well, 'til the first dance is done) - and maybe a bit more. They get:
A CD with 2 files - one with images suitable for web distribution and one with images ready for printing at 8 x 10 - including a written license they can take to the lab of their choice. They also get the online proof gallery from which they can order prints (particularly the larger and/or canvas etc.) if they wish. I also will do up a hardcovered photobook for their day and one deluxe print on canvas. Cost is $1500 CDN And, for this I will include the engagement shoot and a package of prints.

My "Our day" package starts with the arrival of the bridal party at the ceremony and goes to the first dance (i.e. a half day). Again, they get a CD with 2 files, but the print file is sized for 5 x 7. Same on-line gallery and larger print ordering options. And, I do a soft covered photobook for them. This one is $750 CDN. I will also do the engagement shoot, but prints are purchased separately.

FedererPhoto

I go with 'starting rates' and we work a custom package from there... Minnesota Wedding Photography Website ... though we custom build packages for everyone, we use the base as a 'starting points'.

Scott_Quier

I don't do packages. It's all ala carte. This allows me and the B&G to pay for only what they want without the added extras they may not want. So, I

• "bill by the hour" with a 4 hour minimum.
• If the day goes over 8 hours, the next two hours are on me. I don't have many that use that much time so it's a no-cost way of inducing the B&G to spring for the whole day.
• DVD of all finished shots is included with every wedding.
• I choose what gets finished (post processed).
• I also host the finished photos on-line. I've gotten some small sales this way - enough to pay for my site many times over.
• Either a GraphiStudio or Flush-Mount album is optional and recommended, but not included.

jeffreaux2

I don't do packages either.

Instead, I go ala carte....like Scott. I only offer full day coverage. The add ons for me are engagment and bridal portraits in advance of the wedding. I price things out from $1250 and add products and extra services from there.

geospatial_junkie

I don't offer packages either. It's full day coverage for me as well. It makes things much simpler on my end.

JAMoore

I'm not a big fan of packages like many of you. The only problem I've encountered with this, is that most of my clients ask about my packages. Many of them just don't want to have to make such a precise decision about what products and services they want. They want simple multiple choice: A, B, or C. I do let them know that I'm flexible and can give them exactly what they want, but most of the time they just choose a "package".

I'm thinking about hiding my packages completely and forcing them to choose what they want.

jeffreaux2

JAMoore wrote:

I'm not a big fan of packages like many of you. The only problem I've encountered with this, is that most of my clients ask about my packages. Many of them just don't want to have to make such a precise decision about what products and services they want. They want simple multiple choice: A, B, or C. I do let them know that I'm flexible and can give them exactly what they want, but most of the time they just choose a "package".

I'm thinking about hiding my packages completely and forcing them to choose what they want.

I just pose the simple question of "what would you like from me when all is said and done? What do you want in your hands?"

Of course I can make suggestions to help them, but regardless...No packages for me.

I do have a senior portrait package. Only one.

FedererPhoto

JAMoore wrote:

I'm not a big fan of packages like many of you. The only problem I've encountered with this, is that most of my clients ask about my packages. Many of them just don't want to have to make such a precise decision about what products and services they want. They want simple multiple choice: A, B, or C. I do let them know that I'm flexible and can give them exactly what they want, but most of the time they just choose a "package".

I'm thinking about hiding my packages completely and forcing them to choose what they want.

This is exactly why I offer packages.

I started simply offering 'full day' service - but found I was missing a lot of clients that simply did not want, or could not afford, morning-to-morning service. (I don't consider a 'full day' done at the end of the first dance - in fact, I think much of the 'soul' of a wedding is the dance and interactions that happen afterwards) ... and almost every single person that approached me (even though my site said something to the effect of "one price, no packages, easy-peasy") asked about my 'packages'.

So I made some based on common needs and desires of my clients. But they aren't really 'packages' - they are simply 'starting points' for discussions. In fact, I don't think anyone in the past 2 years has simply selected a package as-built. We always add and/or remove things from the starting points.

So they aren't 'packages' per se, simply starting points to building custom packages. I find clients really like it much more than being asked "what do you want?" and having to pull it out of the blue.

Candid Arts

Thank you everyone for sharing your offering for packages (or not). It is greatly appreciated and helpful.

I guess I just need to figure out how I want to do it. I think I like the idea of "starting point" packages. Just as a base to get the ball rolling and I can add or remove anything and adjust accordingly for each specific customer. As I'm sure there are a lot of options that the B&G might not even know they want or don't w/o some sort of base line. Unless they've gotten married before and they are giving it another go, which is more often these days.

Keep 'em comin!

zoomer

Here are mine, just click on pricing on the top bar.
Mine are very detailed.

www.alloutdoor.smugmug.com

mercphoto

I'll give some advice from the somewhat-recently-married perspective, rather than from the wedding photographer perspective. I found it difficult to invision which package I would want from our photographer. Did we want a cheaper package with fewer prints? Just how many 8x10's did we really want to get? How many of this? How many of that? Made it hard to figure out which "package" to buy. I'd have rather paid for coverge, post-processing, and digital files, with an add-on of a nice wedding album.

hoyinsiu

how long would you consider as a full day? i have a client asking me to take photos from 11am to something around midnight, which means it will be almost 13 hours. Is it consider as a full day or 1.5 day?

Blurmore

I do a 4 hour deal, a whole day deal, and an hourly deal.

The whole day deal includes full day coverage, 250-300 4x6 proofs in a slip in album, engagement sitting, hosting and sales for friends/guests, all images proofs (I consider proofs to be the ones I select to tell their story and I PP) and extras on DVD with Limited License to Reprint, and 3 digitally enhanced images.

4 hour deal includes all that the day deal does except it only includes 100-150 proofs, 2 digital enhancements, and no engagement sitting.

Hourly I shoot for 150 dollars an hour with color corrected images on DVD.

I'm not giving my prices...because that is a very regional discussion, lets just say people only 50 miles away from me are offering a LOT more for the same price.

fredjclaus

Dawson,

Mind if I ask how your DVD's are created? Do you create them as a slideshow or are they just files on the DVD?

What do people normally charge for the digital download and once they are downloaded do they then have the ability to send them to a lab and have them printed themselves?

dawssvt

fredjclaus wrote:

Dawson,

Mind if I ask how your DVD's are created? Do you create them as a slideshow or are they just files on the DVD?

What do people normally charge for the digital download and once they are downloaded do they then have the ability to send them to a lab and have them printed themselves?

I just put the files on a DVD. I give the bride/groom the copyright to the pictures so they can get them printed where they want to. I also keep copyright for myself to use the pictures for promotional purposes.