Wedding Expo tips

[Mark Suszko]

There’s a number of reasons not to. For one, rates change all the time, so if you print up a lot with the old info, they’re wasted.

But you know this by now: every job is a custom job, even if you have most elements of it repeat from client to client, every wedding has it’s own subtle differences. That’s why it should be billed hourly, even if you end up adding up the hourlies and presenting a “final” figure. But you can’t do that with any reliability until you quiz the prospective client on the details of their particular wedding and find out their expectations.

Second, if you come up with a package price, people will grab the rate card and run off to show it to other competitors, trying to bargain someone down like this, with the idea that this is a commodity business. Those guys own different gear than you, they shoot differently, everything about them is subtly different, and their rates are also going to differ, sometimes to your benefit, but usually not. The haggler client that just wants a package commodity price and won’t spend the time to talk to you and give you a sense of the project, is going to end up being one of those you regret signing on with, as they keep trying to gain extra services for a set price.

I suggest as a conversation opener, you talk instead about their wedding date and locations and that lets you chat about the venue and other things while you’re looking it up in your availability calendar. The locations for the wedding and the reception will also give you a subtle hint on their general budget; low-end, mid-level, or Royale extravaganza.

[Sam Lesante jr.]

Thanks Mark for the great tips 🙂

[Sergio Cuesta]

There where I live is nearly a tradition having some time of limited offer. You can add a gift or discount when hiring in the expo.