Come in and tell me what you think. P&TY

[Deleted]

Wow, okay, 1 engagement session, of a length to be determined by you the photographer. I'd expect either an album or a set of prints of a substantial quantity (we got I think 300?). And I personally really go for ones with a DVD of most images, even if I have to pay an extra $100+ (it was included in our package but it was a newer thing photogs were doing then).

[kellbell191]

I think this depends on location. Where we are, it is not the norm to get an album or prints with your package and basically nobody offers it. For $4500 we got the copyright, 8 hours of coverage, and 1500 pictures. And a photobooth.

[kellbell191]

And I agree with the others, our photobooth was an add on, I would assume albums, engagement session, slideshows, etc would all be add ons.

[bcv513]

Well, I can tell you what I'm getting and I think it's MORE than enough:

1 45 minute to one hour engagement session. He offered unlimited clothes changes but I didn't use them. If you changed your clothes, you couldn't take extra time.

5 continuous hours of coverage on the day of the wedding, to be used however you want (i.e., starting at the ceremony and going to the last dance or starting with getting ready and ending with cake cutting).

Unlimited number of pictures. I also paid an extra $100 to have the rights to each picture on a CD.

You could add on extras like extra hours of shooting, an extra photographer, etc. I didn't think they were necessary. The only thing I wanted was the CD.

[Mrs.Beagle]

Ours had:
1 Engagement session with 100 photos (photographer's choice, we got a CD with the images + copyright). We could have done 2 outfits, but it almost poured during our session, so we only wore one.

10 hours coverage (2 photographers)
Unlimited photos
We got a disc of all images with copywright
1 Album with 60 images
We had 3 locations (hotel, brewery, ceremony/location venue).

[Tacocat]

We had our photographer with us all day at our wedding and that was about 10-11 hours. Part of our agreement was that we would receive all photos, which was about 1100. We did an engagement session with one outfit and lasted about 45 min-1 hour.

I don't think a photo booth or slide show should be included. That would be an additonal cost.

[Amy]

I'm a wedding planner

rarely do we have all day packages from our photogs but the largest (most hours) packages usually include 1 engagement session (usually lasts 1hour ish) 1 bridal session (1 hour) some sort of album, a bridal portrait print (16x20) and all of the images on disk with print rights. Smaller packages obviously this list gets smaller

photo booth is always an add on

slideshow - none of our photogs do this

[Mrs.Beagle]

Umm, I would tell her that you don't do photobooths and give her the names and numbers of some places that do.

She sounds pleasant to work with.

[Tacocat]

Sounds like you'll need to be firm with her on what your package does/does not include. And that anything additional will have a fee on top of the package price. As far as the photobooth -WTF? Is that even something you offer? Usually I thought that was provided by a different vendor.

[melindafelinda]

All day package I would expect - 8-10 hours of coverage, unlimited pictures but around 100-150 per hour including formals. CD of images with full personal use release and one 1 hour engagement session at 1-2 locations. Around 200 images for E-session.

Extras would be: additional photographer, photobooth, album, additional CDs, prints

[melindafelinda]

Also, all of this should have been discussed before a deposit was accepted.

[Mrs.Beagle]

Honestly, I would hand back their deposit and run.

[Tacocat]

Jun 20, 2012 14:18:24 GMT -5 @breebirdy said:

Jun 20, 2012 14:13:52 GMT -5 Tacocat said:

As far as the photobooth -WTF? Is that even something you offer? Usually I thought that was provided by a different vendor.

They asked about it earlier this spring and we said it was not something we have done, but would be willing to look into for an additional fee. /End of conversation. We told them it would involve supplies of which we are not willing to purchase because we don't have the man power to do that.

They are SO cheap. Like, chincy beyond belief.

We did their save the dates and invites. They wanted a cut on the setup/design fee ($40/project -- design with edits/proofing). They thought that they should just have to pay $40 bc their wedding was one project.

Uh. No.

Especially when they wanted two different invites/designs.

OMG run far far away! She's going to make you do everything and not want to pay a dime for it.

[Amy]

I wouldn't just bail - if they are that crazy they will prob go all over the web blasting you - I would just send them an email wanting to go over what they have from you on their day - list what is covered by their contract and then quote what the extras they asked for will be - that way there is no question about what you will provide and what it will cost - if they are unhappy they can back out

[Cayl]

Ours had an engagement session (I think it was 1-2 hours, I remember wanting it to be over with but they kept wanting to take more shots), a CD with all of those photos and rights, 2 photographers for about 8 hours the day of the wedding, a CD with all of the wedding photos and rights, an album for us and 2 parent albums. I think we paid about $1400, but we got a ridiculous deal because these were relatively new photographers in my area and my sister booked them for her wedding. Other photographers that I was calling charged $4-5k and a lot of them didn't have rights or albums included.

It all comes down to the contract. I know you said that she wrote all of this in to the comments section - did you sign it after she did that? Is it on your copy as well? If not, then I would definitely say to her "we will only be providing what is in the contract. If you would like additional services we would be happy to discuss fees and amend the contract".

[sprky79]

Jun 20, 2012 14:10:26 GMT -5 Mrs.Beagle said:

Ours had:
1 Engagement session with 100 photos (photographer's choice, we got a CD with the images + copyright). We could have done 2 outfits, but it almost poured during our session, so we only wore one.

10 hours coverage (2 photographers)
Unlimited photos
We got a disc of all images with copywright
1 Album with 60 images
We had 3 locations (hotel, brewery, ceremony/location venue).

This is what I'm hoping to find.

[Mrs.Beagle]

sprky- if you're near Philly I can recommend my photographers They were AMAZING and I loved them.

[lust2hart]

I'm afraid you might be stuck, here. As Amy in Ar said, if you back out, they're gonna badmouth you to every single person they know. And, honestly? She wrote it on the contract and you signed it, right? 2 years ago? I kind of feel like the onus is on you.

[Deleted]

These people are craycray. The package includes what the photographer says it includes. And imo, the more outlandish shit it does include for the price, the more likely you're getting a shit photographer.

Also, not to be disparaging, but aren't you guys a small, personal operation? I wouldn't expect a photo booth and other obnoxious requests to be granted by such a personal service. I'd expect more one on one time, focus on the quality of the pictures than bright shiny shit.

[mrsjuleshs]

Holy crap. They are crazy. An all day wedding for me is JUST my time and the time of my 2nd shooter. Photo booth, disk of photo, albums, or prints are totally separate. I usually throw in a free engagement session (session fee only with 20-30 images available for purchase) if they purchase 8+ hours of wedding coverage. As far as rights, I don't give copyright release, but if the digital file is purchased, I give print release up to 8x10 prints.

How was this not all 100% spelled out in the contract they signed when they gave you the deposit? And if SHE wrote it all out in the comments, did you initial your ok? I would never be cool with all of this.

[mrsjuleshs]

You didn't sign the main part of the contract? I think accepting the deposit is basically accepting the terms.

[lust2hart]

Ahh, okay. Then at this meeting I would simply lay out what the package includes and when she jumps in with "well what about this, I put it in the contract!" you can reply with, "Yes, but we did not agree to that" and just keep reiterating what the contract includes.

When she throws out the photobooth, remind her of your previous conversation which was, what, that you'd consider doing it but she needs to take care of certain equipment/props? And then you didn't hear any more from her so you hadn't gone forward with any plans since she hadn't confirmed that's what she wanted to do.

Ack. Good luck!

[grover]

Our package included one engagement session in the studio (no clothing changes, and if we wanted to do it outside it would have been more money) with a free 8x11 engagement print brought to the reception. photographer showed up at our house around noon and stayed at the reception until shortly after 10 pm. Included a cd with all pictures plus a print release, as well as a photo album filled with the prints we chose. Package prices depended on which album type we wanted. That all cost $3000.

The week prior to the wedding, they called (it was a large studio with multiple photographers) and offered to send an additional photographer to the reception to simply take guest formals/extra candids for an extra $200.

[kellbell191]

I would try to clarify this in writing since it sounds like she keeps suckering you into things. Let her know that you guys went above and beyond what is included in the package for her engagement sessions because of your personal relationship, but due to the busy wedding season you can only provide what is included in the package for the contract she signed. Send her a rate schedule with the cost of any add ons.

We asked every single photographer what was included and had them lay it out in writing so we could be sure we were getting what we wanted. If there is anything you can't provide, like a photobooth, give her the info for someone who can.

You need to very politely start saying no. And if she throws anything back in your face politely remind her that you have already gone above and beyond what you would normally because she is a friend, but because business is busy you can't continue to do so because it would detract from some other bride who has paid you the same amount for the same service she's getting in her contract.

[mrsjuleshs]

Jun 20, 2012 15:10:23 GMT -5 @breebirdy said:

Jun 20, 2012 14:50:11 GMT -5 mrsjuleshs said:

You didn't sign the main part of the contract? I think accepting the deposit is basically accepting the terms.

We have pacified them and went along with some of their requests thus far due to the fact we know them outside of the wedding.



Here is a piece of the contract that was signed. They took the two session lines to be two engagement sessions, which turned into four. Yes, four separate sessions with over 8 hours of shooting and over 120 pictures. And they still weren't happy because we missed a shot they wanted, but were unable to shoot. (A dusk shot in a cornfield... they had three other dusk shots they wanted.. we can't be everywhere.) These sessions included two cities and seven locations. She insisted all of the pictures because of the "unlimited photos" phrase and said it superseded the time limit and location limit. We weren't pleased, but went along with the shots. Who the heck knows why.. the customer is always right? Idk. Don't flame that.. we were doing what we though would make them happy and now know nothing ever will.

This is a snippit of our contract -- so Jules, I don't believe that her simply writing in on there makes it valid according to his. Would you read it that way?



I know it isn't professional to write all of this, but jeez, I am so sick of them.

And that MAY be the case except that it was written ON this agreement that you signed. But so long as you didn't initial this part of the contract you MAY be ok. And why did you let them turn 2 sessions into 4? Who needs 4 freaking engagement sessions? You should have put your foot down right there.

I had a difficult bride last year. I was friends with the groom's sister and my brother was friends with the groom. I gave them a bit of a discount to begin with. Did their engagement session and all was fine. The wedding started super late because ofher hair, thus we couldn't get the outside formals we had planned. We ended up doing them at the "altar" while the DJ was trying to set up his equipment and then we couldn't get everyone's cooperation. It was a LONG night. So I did the edits and mailed off the disc., she uploads to facebook. 2 months later she emails me that the disc didn't work. I asked her which one she said it was at her mom's & she would get it. Next day, her mom calls asking about getting an 11x14 print but she didn't have the discs, they were at bride's. Bride calls again & told me disc 2 (which contained the photos she uploaded to facebook). So I called her out on it. I told her that since she was able to upload, the disc did in fact work when I gave it to her. If she wanted another disc I would be more than willing to sell her the disc for $25 just to cover my time & expenses. That was the last I heard of her. I have had a few doosies and I am glad I am not doing weddings these days.

[Deleted]

Wait? Did you sign a contract with language written in about the photo booth? I think you have to do whatever she wrote in. There may be ways to get out of it but if the terms were actually written into the contract that you signed, and you took a deposit for, yeah, I think you pretty much have to follow those terms. Or risk her getting a photographer that will do those things and then suing you for the cost difference.*

*Not legal advice, common sense. Do what you contract to do.