(Closed) To Post Prices, Or Not To Post…

• Aqualov
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: August 2013 - backyard in the woods

@Fanciful:  +1 but I nix them just cause it annoys me. I spent $1200 on photos for my $10K wedding.

• JenGirl
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: August 2013

Warning – I haven’t read all the posts (looks like you’re getting lots of advice!)

I would absolutely, 100%, completely recommend that you give at least some estimate of your prices on your website.

When I was looking at photographers, I didn’t bother to email photographers who didn’t give some sort of price estimate, as I assumed they were super expensive.

You don’t have to give prices for every pacjage combination that you have, but either a minimum or a general package price or something. Because if you’re way outside my price range, emailing or meeting is just a waste of everyone’s time. We went through this with a DJ who wanted to meet before giving a price and we sit through a 45 minute spiel to find out he is double our budget. He was great and probably would have done an excellent job, but it was just way too far away from our budget. If I had known that I wouldn’t have wasted both our times. After that, I wouldn’t meet with anyone with a price estimate. 

If you’re willing to work with couples to make a package that fits their budget, I would absolutely mention that on the website. Our photog was technically out of our price range, but once I said that I didn’t need e-pictures or an album, we were able to put together a plan that worked for both of us and I really really appreciated that!

Also, I know this wasn’t the question, but please don’t call your prices “investments”. I get that many people view photography as “the one thing you get to keep after yoru wedding day”. But I think that calling pricing information “investments” comes off as being really pretentious. My investments are in my retirement account. Not pictures. No matter how wonderful they are.

• Jw1724
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: May 2014

I passed on any without listed prices. LOVED the ones who listed price and package options.

• Jbbee
• 7 years ago

@kellyk1214:  that’s called business 

• Jbbee
• 7 years ago

Starting point only. 

• dressedinlovexo
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: November 1999

I would at least put a starting point.

When I was doing my search I tend to skip over those without.
When I did contact photographers to hear about there work we would go back and forth just to find out they were above my price range. No offense but in the end it was a waste of not only my time but the photographers as well. 
Your price is your price. Unless you are willing to change your price dramatically I would put something up.

Another tidbit is I would say that packages are customizable – because let’s say your pricing includes engagement and assistant photogrpaher perhaps I do not want either of these things will there be a price reduction.

• Treejewel19
• 7 years ago

@Fanciful:  This!

In the competitive world of wedding vendors those moments when a bride is considering you can be squandered if you don’t offer information to her quickly. There were a few wedding planners (since they recommended all other vendors) that didn’t have pricing available and I simply did not have the time to contact each one to get pricing. For those that did offer it to me via their webpage they were immediately in the “running” so to speak.

• Miss Leopard
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: March 2014

If I have to go to the trouble to email you to find out prices, I won’t even consider you. I’m too busy for that. I want to see prices posted. My photog budget was $4K

• BlondeMissMolly
• 7 years ago

I think you need at least starting price listed, otherwise I think you’re shooting yourself in the foot. 

Also, I don’t understand why you’re really hesitant anyway, because you said you’re currently underpriced in your area. If that’s the case and you’re good, I think it would be smart to post that. 

• shaka
• 7 years ago

As a customer, it comes off as a severe lack of business savvy to cloak prices if you’re a small business in the service industry. If you can’t identify and reach your target market (which is what a lack of readily-disclosed prices suggests), you’re just some schmuck with a fancy camera.

Note: I don’t mean you personally, sillygoat, but the industry as a whole.

• StephieBee
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: September 2012

Personally, I think photographers who don’t list their prices are arrogant and not worth my time. I realize that’s crazy talk, because it’s probably not true (for all of them, anyway), but that’s how it reads to me. You’re too good to post your prices? Well I’m too good to use you, then.

(Not YOU, OP, just in general 😉 )

• Eradicatereality
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: March 2014

@sillygoat:  I was a little frustrated too when looking and there was no pricing information on the website.  While generally quality corresponds to pricing, that’s not always the case and a lot is subjective.  So it’s nice to know if they are WAY out of your league or not.  On the other hand, I was really choosy about photographers, so most I didn’t like their work enough to bother talking to them, regardless of their pricing.  And the ones I did I got the numbers after, and went way over budget because I was in love with the work and that’s what matters.

Another point, especially if you are really above average for your area (which is doesn’t seem like you are), but if you post them any friends, or guests of your clients can go on line and see the pricing.  I don’t know if anyone else cares about this but me (I should start a thread…) but I was raised to not discuss money. No one needs to know how much I’m spending on my photographer, my dress, my flowers, my wedding, my honeymoon, my house, etc.  It’s all private to me.  My venue actually lists the prices to rent the space right on the site and I got a ton of bitchy presuptive attitude from FI’s father’s wife about what I was paying and what that pricing included which isn’t any of anyone’s business.  

Again, I don’t know if that’s a concern at all, but it didn’t occur to me until later that that is the downside of having the info posted.  I would just *die* if my photographer posted that info on his site.  I love photography and it was a huge splurge and *no one* needs to know how much it is but me and my FI! 😛

• barbie86
• 7 years ago

@starfish0116:  I understand what you’re saying, but I find it a tiny bit patronising to suggest brides don’t know what they need/want. I’m sure that is sometimes the case, but in my case, I knew exactly what I needed; our wedding ceremony is at 1pm, and our reception ends at around 3am. I wanted photos of the bridal preparations, so knew I needed coverage to start at around 9am when my hair stylist and make-up artist arrive, and I knew I wanted coverage of the first dance (at 8pm), plus also ideally coverage of the first hour at least (as in the UK weddings are typically split into day and evening, with some guests attending the ceremony, meal, and evening reception, and some being invited only to the evening reception which is almost a separate event with its own start-time, food, etc; so, I wanted photos of my evening guests). So, I knew that ideally I needed 12 hours plus coverage, though I would have compromised if necessary and skipped the preparation shots.

It was actually quite frustrating when some photographers, after finding out the timings, decided they knew what I wanted/needed, and told me I ‘only needed up to the first dance’. We were also told we didn’t ‘need’ a second shooter due to the size of our wedding; and yes, fair enough, our wedding is small, but we had reasons for wanting a second shooter (so we could get getting ready shots of both the bride and groom; so we could get the same shots at different angles; so we would have wider coverage in the evening; etc. It was really quite irritating and they went straight into the ‘no’ pile as a result.

Couples are not stupid: they will know that by reducing the number of hours coverage they can reduce the price, so I think that using that as a reason not to publish prices is a bit flimsy, and also kind of condescending.

While I am happy to take advice, at the same time, I know what I want; and I would object to being told ‘Well, you can afford me if we provide fewer hours coverage; because you don’t really NEED all that coverage’, which is kind of what you’re doing in a roundabout way.

I also think that suggesting someone would go with a photographer because they offer 30 minutes more coverage is a bit ridiculous; most will go with quality over quantity, within reason. Equally, if they do choose quantity over quality, that is their choice; we all have our priorities. For them, they might prefer good but not AS good photos that capture all the key moments, than better photos which don’t. It’s all about individual priorities.

• Styles
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: February 2014

@barbie86:  You are an exception to the norm as most couples are not exactly sure what coverage they will need. many think they need 10 when really they only need 7-8. I personally dont sell couples stuff they dont need or what I think they need. I sell them what they Do need and whats best for Them.

 

• thegreeneyedkri
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: April 2014

If I can’t find even a hint of what prices START AT then I don’t bother looking at the photographer anymore.  By The Way, I’m spending $3,500 on our photographer (I noticed you asked a previous poster).