Referral Business for Weddings

[ShutterSpire]

I KNOW that the best form of 'advertising' is from referrals from previous brides.... however, how do you GET there? We have done about 20 weddings in our 3 yrs in business and have only gotten one referral from a bride that ended up booking her wedding with us.... most of the other inquiring referrals chose cheaper photographers.

We have GREAT reviews and all but one of our clients RAVES about us.

As far as other vendor referrals, we have gotten a few referrals from one particular venue, but none others... even though we provide them with books, business cards, free images, etc.

When we talk to other wedding photographers, they say they dont even advertise because their referral sources are so good, but no one helps with the HOW they got to those great referral sources?!

Any thoughts?

[ShutterSpire]

Ok, after talking to a past client for a really long time tonight I THINK I know what the problem is... we raised our prices (because we had to) and that is making us essentially start over from scratch!

We raised our prices from including nearly everything (unlimited time, two portrait sessions and photo album) in a package that was only $2349, to including only 8 hrs, one portrait session and a disc for $2795. Our previous package would cost almost $1000 more ($3495), which I feel is a fair price for all of that.... it is just out of the price range of our previous brides and most of the people that they would send our way.

We could have kept our previous package, but we were working so much for so little profit that we were getting really burnt out.

Does this make sense to anyone?? Is our work good enough for a $3k+ price tag? Your opinions please...

[Tom]

Generally when you raise your prices, you burn your referral base. People tend to be friends with people in similar socioeconomic backgrounds, so when you increase up, you may not get referrals from there anymore.

As for your pricing and if it is inline - check our photographers in your area. Check their prices and their quality. How does yours compare?

I'm about your same level of experience in weddings. I've been the primary shooter for 21 weddings now at 2.5 years of business. My 8 hour shoot and burn is $1950.

I have yet to advertise and have gotten all my weddings through referrals until last weekend - we did our first bridal show. How successful it is will play out over the next few months.

[ShutterSpire]

Originally Posted by Tom

I have yet to advertise and have gotten all my weddings through referrals until last weekend - we did our first bridal show. How successful it is will play out over the next few months.

If you didn't advertise, how did you get your first weddings to get the subsequent referrals?

[Tom]

Originally Posted by ShutterSpire

If you didn't advertise, how did you get your first weddings to get the subsequent referrals?

Friends or friends of friends

[ShutterSpire]

Originally Posted by Tom

Friends or friends of friends

So, you did a friends wedding or friends of friends for your 'regular' rates and got referrals from those? We have had the issues of doing friends or friends of friends weddings for reduced rates (afterall, they are friends and we needed some business) and the referrals we get from them are expecting that same low price.

[Tom]

I never discounted for friends or friends of friends. I have thrown in e-sessions, but that is it. I've also come up a lot in price. At the bridal show last weekend, a former bride came to help sell us to new brides. She paid 2500. That same package now is 5700. And we did just have the issue with a referral from her that was amazed we were so 'expensive.' I've shot maybe 10 weddings since she got married and have basically doubled my prices - all in 12 months.

We also put a clause in our contract that couples aren't supposed to tell other people what they paid us. We pointed that out and explained that we are planning on raising our prices a great deal over the next 5 years and I don't want people to get mad because I've doubled my prices and expect something cheap. I basically said that is a way I would be undercutting myself. EVERYONE totally understood completely and was very cool about it.

My goal is to be shooting 35 weddings with an average of 8,000 in 4 more years (goal set last year.)

[ShutterSpire]

Originally Posted by Tom

I never discounted for friends or friends of friends. I have thrown in e-sessions, but that is it. I've also come up a lot in price. At the bridal show last weekend, a former bride came to help sell us to new brides. She paid 2500. That same package now is 5700. And we did just have the issue with a referral from her that was amazed we were so 'expensive.' I've shot maybe 10 weddings since she got married and have basically doubled my prices - all in 12 months.

We also put a clause in our contract that couples aren't supposed to tell other people what they paid us. We pointed that out and explained that we are planning on raising our prices a great deal over the next 5 years and I don't want people to get mad because I've doubled my prices and expect something cheap. I basically said that is a way I would be undercutting myself. EVERYONE totally understood completely and was very cool about it.

My goal is to be shooting 35 weddings with an average of 8,000 in 4 more years (goal set last year.)

Ok, that's great. But how did you book those weddings after you doubled your prices if raising your prices burns your referral base?

Sorry for all the questions... just trying to make sense of it all.

[Tom]

Raising our prices really hasn't relatively negatively impacted us at all, but we were prepared that it would. Ultimately, I think we were undervaluing our work. We've only met with one bride that didn't go with us based on price, and it was an Indian wedding where she asked us to waive sales tax if she paid in cash. I refused to do it and she went with someone else who did.

We still get all our weddings from referrals. I think I got two off google searches this year. One of those google searches yielded a bride that knew a former bride, so she called the former bride, got a great review and booked me.

[suerenee]

A mentor told me once that all it takes is one good bride--you get one bride with 4 single bridesmaids and you're set for a few years (with the theory that they will each have 4 single bridesmaids).

I love the clause about not discussing prices!

Referrals are the way to go. I signed a bride last night that, as she was looking through my portfolio, realized one of my previous brides was a TA she had at Texas State. She probably saw my blog post or tagged photos on her TA's facebook page.

I also don't discount. I might make a custom package that removes something or subs something else but I don't discount. I make sure my clients know what things are worth from the get go. I will often "gift" my client a print or canvas wrap and since they have my price list they know the value of my gift. And if they refer me a new bride I'll send them a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant. That goes a long way with my clients and then I get more referrals. I'm still starting, so I'm still growing slowly but I can see the slow wheels of referrals working.

Tom--love your goal! Mine is 25 weddings a year at $2500 per wedding. But right now I just have to book enough weddings to keep the lights on :)

[Chantal]

Ever since I raised my price this year I've been losing referrals. Last year I was REALLY cheap and even did a few free weddings that I was totally burned out. This year I raised my price and I only have 2 weddings so far. I actually turned down clients wanting me to shoot 50% less, had to bite my tongue. I was so frustrated and sad I'm losing tons of clients but in the end I realize I'm not overworking myself. I actually will make some money this year shooting 2 weddings than last year with 10 weddings.

Susan - I'm starting out at $2500 too and my goal is 5-10 weddings a year.

[suerenee]

Originally Posted by Chantal

I actually will make some money this year shooting 2 weddings than last year with 10 weddings.

I met a "wedding planner" at our pool who told me she never let her brides pay more than $400 for a photographer. She told me if I lowered my price I could have 12 brides from her. I laughed b/c I have 4 weddings booked for Sept/Oct and I will make 2x as much doing 4 weddings vs her 12 weddings. My time is more valuable than that. I'd rather stay home and eat Ramen Noodles with my kids than shoot weddings that don't pay what I'm worth.

[groovyone]

Wow, my time is worth more than that and I have only shot 4 weddings.

[LadyShutterBug]

the only real problem with raising prices is when the quality of images you're putting out there is not proportional to the jump in price.

i have also found that socioeconomic status has less to do with "what they will pay" than one might think. i've dealt with tire-kicking upper crust and middle class willy-nilly-spenders.

some people are cheap, or don't distinguish between mediocre and super fantastic. or if they do, they don't care. the trick is finding the RIGHT referrals, because those are the ones who simply want you, no mater the cost. they'll make it happen.

[ShutterSpire]

Originally Posted by LadyShutterBug

the only real problem with raising prices is when the quality of images you're putting out there is not proportional to the jump in price.

i have also found that socioeconomic status has less to do with "what they will pay" than one might think. i've dealt with tire-kicking upper crust and middle class willy-nilly-spenders.

some people are cheap, or don't distinguish between mediocre and super fantastic. or if they do, they don't care. the trick is finding the RIGHT referrals, because those are the ones who simply want you, no mater the cost. they'll make it happen.

The problem before is that we were way under price for the quality of pics... plus, one way we justify the increase was the upgraded equip we purchased in the last 6 mo or so.... 5dmkII, L-glass and prime lenses.... We were shooting with really good equip before (7d's, Sigma 24-70 2.8, Sigma 70-200 2.8, etc)... but we upgraded, our quality stayed high (and improved)... we were just told by many of our photog friends that it was time to start charging a lil more since we were quality to begin with.