So I just got a message through the super cool message service on my fancy new website. Have I mentioned how much I love my new website? Well, I do! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
OK, I’m getting off topic. The message was from someone questioning our prices. I will admit, we aren’t the cheapest wedding photographers out there, but I stand by our pricing. I have a lovely Excel worksheet that breaks down all of our costs and a fabulous formula that helped me determine our price. It’s pretty darn scientific. At Rebecca Claire Photography, I really want to concentrate on the fine art of wedding photography. We aren’t a couple of kids who just got Rebel XTi’s for Christmas and thought we’d start shooting weddings for a bit of extra spending money. We have been doing this for years and have taken that time to truly hone our craft. I could have been all snooty and said something along the lines of “blah blah, you must not be our customer, blah blah” like those ladies in Pretty Woman, but that’s so not me. Obviously, this person doesn’t understand why we are worth what we are worth, and so I have taken the opportunity to educate. Of course, once I finished the email, I was so pleased with how well I really got to the heart of why I believe we are worth it, that I thought “I have got to share this with my fabulous blog readers who are wonderful and intelligent and generally all around fabulous.” (Really! You know you are) So below is my email response:
With Rebecca Claire Photography you aren’t just getting wedding photographers. We are trained artists with degrees in our fields from four-year accredited art schools. Our package includes unlimited time on your wedding day. We are there as soon as you desire, be it right as you wake up or after breakfast, and we don’t leave until you tell us you are ready for us to go. After your wedding, we personally edit and retouch each image. We do not send this important work out to a company or individual who was not at the event and has no idea what happened and who are your important friends and family. On average, for every shooting hour, we have five hours of editing and retouching. We limit our bookings each year so that each wedding receives the attention it deserves both pre and post wedding day. Because we handle the images from start to finish, we can guarantee the highest degree of quality and craft.
We also include an “everything” album which includes every image from your wedding with the individualized care we give to each image leaving our studio. The 100 5x7s are delivered in a custom made hardwood box created by a local wood artist, and the large print or canvas is an heirloom treasure, printed archivally to last for generations. With online ordering, your friends and family can view and order prints directly from us. The stress of making sure each person gets the prints they desire is lifted so you can enjoy your images after your wedding worry-free.
Of course, if you like our style but $20,000 is not within your budget, we have a sister photography company, Pellucid Photography, for our trained associates. Each associate works with us both at events and in classes and no associate is sent out on their own until we are satisfied with their competency, artistry and ability to manage the stress of wedding photography. Pellucid Photography is completely customizable with packages starting as small as three hours, but they all include two photographers plus an assistant, just like Rebecca Claire.
All in all, at Rebecca Claire Photography, you’re getting a pretty great deal.
