Sorry to ask this again but...

Betty, how much would you charge if it wasnt a mate? then try taking a percentage discount off so they can see the deal your doing them, and stop them wondering if you are ripping them off. if they cant afford one, i would assume they have looked. that way, when they recomend you, they know it isnt your usual cost and you wont look like a "cheapie".

your friend does know your charging don't they? like inaneredstripe pointed out, youll be surprised how much people expect for nothing.
 
I said that from the start. Even when I try to do things for free, people wont let me! They say you'll never make any money if you keep doing us favours. Fair point ;)
 
good bunch of friends then:thumbs: £ 250 is good for your time and a cd of images
 
Even though I am a novice? I am worried enough that £250 is too much, its not actually the bride paying, its my friend thats paying as a wedding present, makes it harder to charge :D

Hey, if I never charge, Ill never get anywhere is this god forsaken business eh? :lol:
 
well,bear in mind for a decent tog, your looking at over £500 at least, so a 50% discount for a mate rate isnt that bad really is it?
 
If I was a pro ;)

Nah its ok, I am taking it all on board, thanks everyone :) If I did charge £250, then I would do the "engagement" photos as well, just some more to add to the portfolio eh? :)
 
very true, and anything is better than nothing(which is what ill be earning of my first one). might be worth putting together a few different costs, as they might be hoping not to pay that much?
 
As in:

£200 for the day and images on CD
£250 for the day " " " and engagement shots

Something to that effect? Maybe with more options? ;)
 
stick a price in with a couple of printed pics as well, at least you can do the pics justice, and you know other peoplewill see them and gets you some free publicity. when all your pics are on a cd/dvd, they might not come out often when people come round, whereas the pic hanging on the wall, sitting on the window sill will be there for them to see.

amazing the difference from a professional printers and your standard home printer(which a lot of people might not think about)
 
Have you thought of pricing this way...

- a price for taking the pictures e.g. £150 to £200 plus...

- sell the CVD's invidually to guests taking orders on night e.g. £10 to £25 each...or

- sell a master DVD + 10 copies at a higher price to your friend e.g. £100 to £150

That way your friend has a choice...can keep costs down and charge the guests (which always used to be the practice for wedding pics)...or have the master and make as many copies as they want for friends, but have a few copies made to start with.
 
Betty if you need a backup camera I have a 350D sitting around here that you are more than welcome to borrow. When is the wedding? guessing postage might be a big pricey...but I have promised to visit a mate down in Derby in a couple of weeks...if the wedding isnt before that I could bring it with me :)
 
As most people have said £250 for the CD and your time is fairly reasonable if you have no prior experience. Aiming for 500 photos is too high though (a figure I seem to remember seeing on page 1). Tell them to expect 100, edit well and give them the best 100. If nothing else it'll save you a whole lot of time in post processing and usually you'll have a load of similar shots.

Sticking in the other 400 will almost certainly drag the overall standard down because you'll include a load of shots that are average. If you think you are being generous by offering them a bucket load then I think you are basically asking them to choose the best photos and at the same time saying to them 'I don't know which ones are best' and make you come across as a worse photographer. Just give them the good ones, they'll think you're a much better photographer.

I also agree about taking a 2nd camera. I don't use a back up as such but I always carry two cameras, one with a 24-70 and one with a 70-200 so I have all reasonable focal lengths covered without having to switch lenses. If one did break I could still continue.
 
If you're conciouse of the cost to your friend just charge them what you feel comfortable with, if that is £200 go for it.
Get a list of the 'must have' images, enlist the ushers to drag required people into the group shots and stick a big lens on and enjoy getting some candids. Believe it or not, once you get over the responsibility and nerves, it's great fun!
Good luck on the day.:thumbs:
 
very generous jimmy!
 
Do it cheap but make sure you've got a good supply of business cards to hand out on the day ... from little acorns ...
 
I just want to add my 2p to the heaps of great advice already given here. From past experience with a couple of events I covered, I have to say, the minimalist route when providing pictures is the best method. If you give the couple a CD with 500 pictures on, they will probably be overwhelmed, I would aim for around 100-150 of your best shots, whilst mentioning that you have taken more if they would like to see them...

I once gave a client pretty much my whole evening's shoot, and they were not too happy as one mediocre shot has a longer lasting impression than a good one (they saw a couple they did not like, out of many, and there were complaints!).

Most of all, make sure you have a backup body (or even a decent point and shoot if things are tight) and HAVE FUN!
 
I keep saying it, but thanks all!

JL, the wedding isnt until July, so got time to think about stuff, Ill PM you (or FB wall post) you soon ;)
 
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