our photographer just informed me (after our meeting) that there is a $100 travel expense charge to cover transportation from the ceremony to the reception. the distance between the two places is about 16 miles.
are travel expenses typical for a NON-destination wedding?
i know that with gas prices being what they are, vendors may be tacking on this extra fee. but i thought that 16 miles is a relatively short distance. it's about 20 minutes traveling time without traffic. is this considered far?
Your travel fee seems to be for travel between the ceremony and reception... I have never heard of that one.
In my experience, many photographers don't charge an overall travel fee if the venue is within their "home" area. For example, a lot of Manhattan photographers don't charge for a wedding in Manhattan... but might charge a small surcharge to go to Queens or NJ.
I'm not surprised that someone is charging a surcharge for the travel, since it's a pain to have to travel (especially if you have assistants traveling separately). Usually though, this cost would be absorbed into the cost of the overall budget. If the budget is low, maybe I could see a travel surcharge making sense?
16 miles is ridiculous. I would question her more about this if I were you.
Charging a travel fee when there is a great distance (more than 30min drive) from the ceremony to the reception ---- or if you are getting ready somewhere really far away from the ceremony .... that's normal. But 16miles? That's weird.
Yeah, normally there's a minimum distance before they charge. If you can't get out of paying (is it in the contract?), then try to negotiate an actual mileage expense. The government currently pays 58.5 cents a mile (for gas and wear and tear) on a privately owned vehicle.
Most photographers will travel up to 40 miles to the wedding location, in California at least. If your wedding ceremony and reception are in two different locations and is 16 miles apart, this should be inclusive of his/her determined ammount of hours. You may want to really read his/her contract and make sure you are getting what you are paying for.
That is completely ridiculous. Tell her you'll give her $20. They can charge travel expenses if where they are coming from is really far, but not for between the two, and definitely not for 16 miles. ESPECIALLY $100. That is rude to even expect it.
For something so standard (aren't most wedding ceremonies and receptions in two different places?), $100 is a little much. That's what we're paying our officiant to travel from NYC to Delaware -- a few more than 16 miles!
Is that in the contract you signed? If the price of gas is the issue, offer to pay for a gallon of gas -- that should cover about 16 miles if he is driving a big truck and up to 30 miles if he has an economy car. Offer to pay for 2 gallons if he is driving a hummer!
I KNEW I wasn't trippin! We met with the photographer, and upon arriving home she had emailed me explaining that she "forgot" to mention the travel expense. She has not drawn up a contract yet, so I'm going to try and negotiate. My photographers fees are somewhat low, so maybe this is why. But, hey, I'll pick this girl up MYSELF and use that $100 to buy invitations!!!
good luck and let us know how it shakes out! even in CA where gas prices are super high, many photographers have a pretty large range before charging travel fees. $100 for 16 miles is crazy madness.
i agree $100 is totally crazy. but i once went to a wedding in sf where the reception site was like 20 miles from the ceremony site and it took us an hour to get there because of traffic and all the madness over the bridge. I think there was also construction - are you in a heavy traffic area? but even if, i don't think it justifies $100. boo.
our photographer just informed me (after our meeting) that there is a $100 travel expense charge to cover transportation from the ceremony to the reception. the distance between the two places is about 16 miles.
are travel expenses typical for a NON-destination wedding?
i know that with gas prices being what they are, vendors may be tacking on this extra fee. but i thought that 16 miles is a relatively short distance. it's about 20 minutes traveling time without traffic. is this considered far?
posted by davndee09 1 month agoThis is very unusual in my experience. I would ask them to waive the fee since it is so short of a distance.
posted by snmcdowell 1 month agoYour travel fee seems to be for travel between the ceremony and reception... I have never heard of that one.
In my experience, many photographers don't charge an overall travel fee if the venue is within their "home" area. For example, a lot of Manhattan photographers don't charge for a wedding in Manhattan... but might charge a small surcharge to go to Queens or NJ.
I'm not surprised that someone is charging a surcharge for the travel, since it's a pain to have to travel (especially if you have assistants traveling separately). Usually though, this cost would be absorbed into the cost of the overall budget. If the budget is low, maybe I could see a travel surcharge making sense?
Hope that helps!
posted by mrbee 1 month agoI haven't heard of this. but maybe it is just something new with all of the gas hikes.
posted by QueenoftheClick 1 month ago16 miles is ridiculous. I would question her more about this if I were you.
Charging a travel fee when there is a great distance (more than 30min drive) from the ceremony to the reception ---- or if you are getting ready somewhere really far away from the ceremony .... that's normal. But 16miles? That's weird.
posted by glittergrl 1 month agoYeah, normally there's a minimum distance before they charge. If you can't get out of paying (is it in the contract?), then try to negotiate an actual mileage expense. The government currently pays 58.5 cents a mile (for gas and wear and tear) on a privately owned vehicle.
posted by Angel 1 month agoMost photographers will travel up to 40 miles to the wedding location, in California at least. If your wedding ceremony and reception are in two different locations and is 16 miles apart, this should be inclusive of his/her determined ammount of hours. You may want to really read his/her contract and make sure you are getting what you are paying for.
posted by SAICreativeEvent 1 month agoThat is completely ridiculous. Tell her you'll give her $20. They can charge travel expenses if where they are coming from is really far, but not for between the two, and definitely not for 16 miles. ESPECIALLY $100. That is rude to even expect it.
posted by dreambml 1 month agoFor something so standard (aren't most wedding ceremonies and receptions in two different places?), $100 is a little much. That's what we're paying our officiant to travel from NYC to Delaware -- a few more than 16 miles!
posted by rebecca 1 month agoIs that in the contract you signed? If the price of gas is the issue, offer to pay for a gallon of gas -- that should cover about 16 miles if he is driving a big truck and up to 30 miles if he has an economy car. Offer to pay for 2 gallons if he is driving a hummer!
posted by caliocteach 1 month agoI KNEW I wasn't trippin! We met with the photographer, and upon arriving home she had emailed me explaining that she "forgot" to mention the travel expense. She has not drawn up a contract yet, so I'm going to try and negotiate. My photographers fees are somewhat low, so maybe this is why. But, hey, I'll pick this girl up MYSELF and use that $100 to buy invitations!!!
Thanks for all the input!
posted by davndee09 1 month agogood luck and let us know how it shakes out! even in CA where gas prices are super high, many photographers have a pretty large range before charging travel fees. $100 for 16 miles is crazy madness.
posted by missm 1 month agoi agree $100 is totally crazy. but i once went to a wedding in sf where the reception site was like 20 miles from the ceremony site and it took us an hour to get there because of traffic and all the madness over the bridge. I think there was also construction - are you in a heavy traffic area? but even if, i don't think it justifies $100. boo.
posted by pancy 1 month ago