suggestions needed on wedding photo pricing

[sahalsaver]

How I usually work weddings is, my time is paid for in advance, then after the customers see the proofs they place their order.... I am paid for the order when the order is placed. I had a customer ask me for a price on the digital files, without ordering prints, basically they want the disc so they can make their own prints.... I have never done it this way before... Please give me suggestions on how I should handle this and what kind of price would be appropriate... Thanks for your help...

[dougj]

You could estimate what you would normally earn from the print sales and add it to the total, give them the photos on CD and the rights to copy/print. You get all of your money up front. You could also give them an album option as they're not likely to do a professional album themselves, they probably want the files so they can send prints to family & friends.

[sahalsaver]

See that's the problem, Each wedding has been different.... So I am still not sure how much is too much... I still want to make something, especially if I am relinquishing my copyright...

[dougj]

I'm not a wedding photog, but I've read the business model is changing - more couples are looking for digital images & rights, and don't want to buy prints from the photog. However you calculate it, you should make a reasonable profit from the shoot. Do you have any idea how some of the other wedding shooters in your area price their packages? This might be a reasonable starting point.

[tree]

Perhpas I can answer this as a recent bride? we paid about £300 for our photographer to take ceremony and champagne mingling shots afterwards and then we paid about £50 for the high res (jpeg) cd with 200 photos in colour and also in black and white. We also got a publically viewable webpage on the photographers site included with about 30 shots so we could share immediately with friends and family. This was about the cheapest available actaully, those with double the fee or more charged up to about £200 for the cd. I hope this is helpful...(this was in sweden, but I guess it's still helpful)

[laprade]

i get 1500.00 to do a wedding. I give them 2 unedited disc (all the good shots) so they can have prints made up. Most good places would rather the unedited version. Then I make 2 slideshow to music discs. this is the wedding album. they can play just about anywhere. The brides love it, and they can print what they want when they want. This way once i give them the disc, they are done. Unless they order extra video dics to hand out to their mother, mother in law, girls in wedding party etc...If they do I get 20.00 for every other disc made. - Scott

[sahalsaver]

Thanks so much... I really appreciate the help... They do need a release as well right? So they can print the images themselves.