need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

bonitachyc Posted: Apr 02, 2007 05:21 PM

need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

hi ladies -

I'm about to meet my 4th photographer and i have a question...

the packages that i've been quoted, seem a lot more $ than what i've seen posted here on the boards. my question is - does guest count have an impact on pricing? FH and i were planning on having up to 300 guests at our wedding but we haven't decided on anything yet...150 is our minimum. i feel like when i tell the photographer that the wedding will have up to 300ppl they think i can spend an arm and a leg on photography and quote me alot higher. what do they need a count for? if i tell them 150 and it ends up being 250 how is that going to affect them??

help!! thanks!!

AeroJenn Posted: Apr 02, 2007 05:23 PM

Re: need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

Umm...it shouldnt. I dont think we were even asked how many guests we're expecting at our meetings.

The number of proofs, the number of photographers, and the albums all will have an effect on the prices tho.

Tatum&Steve Posted: Apr 02, 2007 05:24 PM

Re: need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

The only thing that I could think of is the # of photographers - they want to be sure they can cover the whole room for 300 people...so would possibly mean more photographers?

donegal419 Posted: Apr 02, 2007 05:24 PM

Re: need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

i've never heard of guest count affecting the price. sometimes they ask because they want to get idea of what they're job will be like that day:

ie. large bridal party shots, large family shots, videographer going around to a lot of people, etc. etc.

However, it shouldnt' affect your price. Your price = the amount of time they're with you and your package (i.e. albums, no. of proofs, no. of prints like an 8 x 10, etc.)

pullmandi Posted: Apr 02, 2007 05:25 PM

Re: need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

It shouldnt really affect it in any way except that for 300 people, they might want to bring a second photographer. That's a lot of people to cover with only one person. Also, that might also mean htere are more proofs and film being used up so more expenses on their side. Some of the fancy photographers I looked at had prices different for up to 200 people and then higher if you had more than 200 people. But that was the celebrity/society guys I looked at, not the more 'normal' ones.

chatxleau24 Posted: Apr 02, 2007 05:25 PM

Re: need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

guest list should have no impact - i would think!!

Try Golden Moments - Dan Saviano - he's a great guy and pricing was reasonable!!

BlushingBride714 Posted: Apr 02, 2007 05:26 PM

Re: need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

Why are they asking you how many people are going to be there? You aren't having potraits done for your guests or anything like that right? I don't ever remember being asked that question. I would tell them that you haven't finalized the guest list and ask them if it makes a difference. Sounds like your gut reaction is right - sounds to me like they are trying to size you (and your budget) up.

AlmostKulak Posted: Apr 02, 2007 05:27 PM

Re: need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

I don't think the guest count matters, the only number of people my photog wanted was number in the BP.

pullmandi Posted: Apr 02, 2007 05:36 PM

Re: need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

Ours definitely wanted to know how many - we were over 175 so he brought a second full time photographer instead of just an assistant. Some photographers, like mine, do provide full coverage of the guests so it's a legitimate question. Our proof albums contain photos of almost every guest there and we are so grateful for that. Many of our family came from overseas and we were thrilled to have photos of them.

Some photographers only cover the couple and wedding party extensively so maybe they don't care. Some do table shots and 30 tables is a lot to shoot if they are also supposed to be covering you. It takes a long time to do and they would be sacraficing getting all those great shots of you candidly laughing, dancing if they are too busy getting every single table in the place.

LaurenF Posted: Apr 02, 2007 06:08 PM

Re: need help quick girlies!! re - photog pricing and guest count...

tell them between 150 and 200 but you'll let them know if it changes. this way, you get the lower end of their price range and they can't jack it up too much from their if the guest amount goes up.