Hey guys! I have few questions for my first "real" wedding by myself... First of all, I'm not sure what to charge... Here is the story, it's a friend of my husbands from work that has asked me to be the photog, the bride wanted to know how much money they should bring to me at the engagement session. And what kind of packages I have to choose from... So this being my first wedding by myself, I've never dealt with the back end of it. Any advice would be great! What are typical packages, how much do you want up front and then the rest later or installments. What contracts could be involved? Obviously a model release, some thing saying they aren't going to ditch me and find another photog. What are the album contracts... etc! Help I have so many questions going through my head right now!
TIA

There is so much to discuss to even think about doing a first wedding. What kind of equipment do you have? When is the wedding? What are their expectations and how much are they willing to pay you? For starters.

Its best to have your business set up before setting out like this otherwise it is like trying to set up an office in a car going 90mph! You have alot to decide and think about and research to do it right. This is ripe for alot of problems.

Kerri

Have you joined the PPA? Do you have insurance, back up equipment?


(Edit) Check Melody's post for a ton of good info... http://www.opensourcephoto.net/forum/index...c=33291&hl=

A lot of the questions you have asked often are up to the personal decision of the individual photographer. I think the bigger concern is do they know your level of experience and are you able to photograph the wedding and give them the images that they want? Do you have the proper equipment or can you rent the equipment (since this is the first one) and know how to use it?

Is this your site: http://www.jessicamandilephotography.com/ Just curious...

Good luck in whatever you decide to do..

This question is very broad and too hard to answer with a "Charge X" answer. I totally agree you should check out Melody's post to see what you are signing up for (link above). It is really too hard to just "shoot 1 wedding". This is more of a "you're in or out" business as a primary.

From what you've written it sounds like you've already shot some weddings with other photographers. I'd say that the best thing for you to do at this point is to contact them, take them out to lunch, and try to use their experience to nail down these questions you have. Based on the nature of what you've asked, you're really going to need someone to sit down with you and walk you through it.

Good luck!