# What do you think of my wedding rates?



## dawssvt (Feb 13, 2010)

I've decided to raise my prices after advice from local photographers and MANY forum photographers. I feel that not only will my client base become easier to work with, but the quality of my work will match the price.

A few things to keep in mind. I live in southern New Mexico, so the average income is lower than the US average. The prices I have set are close to the top of middle range photographers for my area. 

*Here is what I would like you to do...*

1. First... Go to my website, check out the galleries and estimate what you think my middle package is.

2. Then, go to my Investment page and take a look at my rates. Let me know what you think!

Thanks for your help!


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## FrankLamont (Feb 13, 2010)

dawssvt said:


> I've decided to raise my prices after advice from local photographers and MANY forum photographers. I feel that not only will my client base become easier to work with, but the quality of my work will match the price.
> 
> A few things to keep in mind. I live in southern New Mexico, so the average income is lower than the US average. The prices I have set are close to the top of middle range photographers for my area.
> 
> ...


What, no please? 

But anyway: the last one is heavily overpriced - you are looking for that to serve as a genuine package or a 'comparison' package? Ie; does that primarily serve to make the others look cheap, and whoever buys it buys it, or you're genuinely interested in many buying that?

The low one is... hmm. Subsidise the hours by going flush mount, or the opposite, for $1400...

Look, it really depends on what you think you're worth.

It'll work, but at the moment, to be frank, you could be going a little higher. Still, at least you'll attract those with the money and not the budget brides.


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## dawssvt (Feb 14, 2010)

FriedChicken said:


> dawssvt said:
> 
> 
> > I've decided to raise my prices after advice from local photographers and MANY forum photographers. I feel that not only will my client base become easier to work with, but the quality of my work will match the price.
> ...



Could you explain more what you are saying about the lowest package? I think I will lower my top package a couple hundred dollars, it does seem a little over priced now that I look at them all. I don't intend to sell many of those packages, but I wanted to have 4 different packages because I've been told it's best to have four...



Peacefield said:


> The other thing ties back to a point that I made in an earlier thread about package pricing; that people tend to move towards the middle.  Offer four packages, they will almost always buy #2 or #3.  Sometimes, you'll see a photographer's fourth pacakge as crazy big and expensive.  They actually have no aspiration of ever selling package #4, but what it does is elevate the buyer's perception of where the middle is.  This is something that's been proven by decades of marketing and behavioral studies and I've seen it work for myself.



I know this is only someone's opinion, but it seems to make sense. As far as my prices being on the low side, I do agree, but I think it's best for now. I'm trying to break away from the budget brides and get into the higher end couples. My rates are much higher than they were a month ago.

Thanks for your comment!


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## FrankLamont (Feb 14, 2010)

Yep, so yes, you did go for the 'gross package' you don't really expect people to choose - though that'd be good - in order to make the middle packages look good.

Well, the bottom is fine, maybe a $100 cheaper... see if you can do something that will make it more worth while. Eg; "+ free extra hour" (effectively 6 hours, thereby, etc) or "+ free x pages", etc.


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## Phranquey (Feb 14, 2010)

FriedChicken said:


> Yep, so yes, you did go for the 'gross package' you don't really expect people to choose - though that'd be good - in order to make the middle packages look good.


 
This is called "Price anchoring", and almost all manufacturers & service suppliers do it. The prime example to look at right now is flatscreen TV producers. Psychologically, we are looking for the best deal, and marketing wizards have figured out that we tend to look from the top down (price wise). If they have a TV that they have a really good profit margin on, and want to sell a lot of, they will create an overpriced line above that to guide you to the one they want. They will often lose money on the higher end one because they produce so few of them, but the profits gained on the "steered" unit far outweigh this.

So, it is a good idea to have that one overpriced package that you rarely will sell, but it makes your next package down look like a really good deal.


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## Chris Cummins (Feb 14, 2010)

Phranquey said:


> So, it is a good idea to have that one overpriced package that you rarely will sell, but it makes your next package down look like a really good deal.



Agreed, Victorias Secret sells a million dollar bra based on a similar strategy.


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## dawssvt (Feb 15, 2010)

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I really appreciate it. I've changed my pricing just a tad. I'm going back to having album/canvas credit instead of including albums in the packages. I think this is better because it will fit the clients better.


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## The_Traveler (Feb 15, 2010)

I can't speak for anyone else but the term 'investments' really hits me wrong. Everyone knows its what the pictures cost and no one believes they'll get 'paid back' for it. It seems pretentious and out of place. Call it fees or costs and be right out front about it.


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## FrankLamont (Feb 16, 2010)

Phranquey, I'm aware - I used this myself. Occasionally, some come along and do buy the package - it makes it all worth the while.


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## Derrel (Feb 16, 2010)

Here's a young wedding shooter I know. His prices start much higher than yours. Five years ago, he began with weddings priced at roughly half of where he starts today, which is $2,800. Today's market has a lot of lower-end customers and lower-end shooters; as soon as he was able to build a good enough portfolio from having shot enough good-looking wedding couples, he raised his prices every year. Fewer weddings but a much higher ROI by being so far above the pack that'll shoot for very little money.

Mr. Stacey Gallery


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## JeffieLove (Feb 16, 2010)

I know this doesn't answer your question, but I think you do absolutely WONDERFUL wedding shoots! It looks like you have a lot of fun and you get some GREAT! pictures


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## Big Mike (Feb 16, 2010)

> I used this myself. Occasionally, some come along and do buy the package - it makes it all worth the while.


I was at a photography/business seminar and the advice was that if anyone every buys your top package, it wasn't expensive enough 

Many photographers do use some form of price anchoring by having an over inflated top package, but how many of us really have a 'whale package'?  

At the seminar, we went around the room and asked what their top wedding package was.  If anyone even got to $10,000, they were few and far between.  
The whole point was...that is way too low for a 'whale package'.  
Think of anything you could possibly include in a package....
For example, what if you included a day at the spa for the bride and her bride's maids, while the groom got a round of golf at a prestigious course?  What if you included a 7 night stay at an all-inclusive resort?  
All you have to do is price it out, add a profit margin and add it to your package.  Now you have a $40,000 package...and boy, that sure makes your $4,000 package look cheap.  
Of course, you can go overboard and it might look a little silly...but that doesn't mean it doesn't work.


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## Ariane (Feb 16, 2010)

I can't really speak to the rates in your area, but I do really like how you've incorporated Facebook into marketing your business. Your fan page should be the envy of most photographers. 

I noticed that you have video services listed on your pricing page, but not really anyplace else. No samples, or even a description of services other than hours. Why is that? Your video prices are way lower than the photography. This may seem a bit confusing to the potential couple.


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## FrankLamont (Feb 16, 2010)

Mike, that's true; but it works as-is, and personally, if someone does pick the big package... even for that money, I'm not willing to go to the extent to hire all those non-photographic extras.


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## dawssvt (Feb 19, 2010)

The_Traveler said:


> I can't speak for anyone else but the term 'investments' really hits me wrong. Everyone knows its what the pictures cost and no one believes they'll get 'paid back' for it. It seems pretentious and out of place. Call it fees or costs and be right out front about it.



Thanks for the comment - I just changed the section to be called "Rates" instead.



JeffieLove said:


> I know this doesn't answer your question, but I think you do absolutely WONDERFUL wedding shoots! It looks like you have a lot of fun and you get some GREAT! pictures



Thanks so much! I really appreciate it 



Ariane said:


> I can't really speak to the rates in your area, but I do really like how you've incorporated Facebook into marketing your business. Your fan page should be the envy of most photographers.
> 
> I noticed that you have video services listed on your pricing page, but not really anyplace else. No samples, or even a description of services other than hours. Why is that? Your video prices are way lower than the photography. This may seem a bit confusing to the potential couple.




Yea, I'm in grad school, so I know a lot of people who are getting married. It's just something for people to know me by. By seeing my pictures over and over when I post new ones, I'm hoping they will fall in love. Then, when they get proposed to me, they will say, let's hire DAWSON! ha

As for the video, it's just something extra that I offer. It's not as extravagant as my photography. It's actually pretty basic, which I tell the clients when I meet with them. My fiance and I did a ton of video work in high school, so we have experience, but I don't have the gear to be charging as much as my photography stuff yet. That's in my 5 year plan though.


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## astrostu (Feb 19, 2010)

dawssvt said:


> The_Traveler said:
> 
> 
> > I can't speak for anyone else but the term 'investments' really hits me wrong. Everyone knows its what the pictures cost and no one believes they'll get 'paid back' for it. It seems pretentious and out of place. Call it fees or costs and be right out front about it.
> ...



Ah - got in just a bit too late.  I was going to say the same thing - "Investments" just made me roll my eyes and think some first-year marketing person made up the term.


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## Ariane (Feb 19, 2010)

Dawson, this post on setting your package pricing was written last year (not by me), but I thought it may help as it goes through a lot of detail on the cost of doing business...

Photographer&#8217;s Pricing Guide  Dallas Wedding Photographer Stacy Reeves | Vintage Modern Wedding Photography


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## RyanLilly (Feb 20, 2010)

I would consider how much you make in print, and album sales given the print credit includes and High res images on CD. Does the album credit help bring additional sales? Does the CD hurt print sales?

Well I can't speak for what the economy will support in your area, but I think the quality of your work can bring in high end clients. If you do keep your current prices, in a year(or 6 months?) Keeping your packages the same drop your lowest price and move all of your prices down the package list, adding a new top package price.


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