Last date to order for weddings?

[KeepsakeGirl]

Do you set a "last date to order" for all weddings and if so, what is your cut-off time? I set it for 1 yr for the first year we've been in business and what a shock to learn that all of them waited until the year was almost up to finally put in their orders

SO...I'm thinking of putting a TWO MONTH window for all reprint orders and after that, GONE.
If they want me to repost the wedding after that date, there will be a $50 fee.

Is this a bad move? Like Holly said in another thread, its kind of hard to push pre-sales to the relatives when they haven't seen our work most of the time because its the bride & groom who are shopping for the photographer.

[brad]

Feel free to do that if you wish.

But I have received orders from a wedding more than a year afterward.

If your wedding model depends on prints for income, you might need to examine your pricing.. my model is built around print purchases being "free money" after the wedding work itself is already bought and paid for.

[KeepsakeGirl]

I wouldn't say it depends on it, but I know that the "big itch" for prints starts to fade after a while..especially a year...and yes, orders do some in after a year but sometimes they aren't worth the hassle of having to dig up cds, unarchive jobs , etc.

[brad]

If you don't want to worry about that.. then do it with something like Exposure Manager.. upload the full rez images there after the wedding and they take care of all the work.. you just collect the check.

[HotHolly]

From my personal accounts of weddings this past year...people just wait until the last second to order. Doesnt matter if you give them 30 days or 365 days...they dont make it priority until you pull their stuff.

We currently give them 60 days with no ordering before archiving their event. After that, they will have to pay a fee to get it out of storage. Most people will order a day or 2 after the deadline. Its annoying, but at least it isnt a year into it....with the exception of the last bunch of loonies I've had.

Most have followed the 'waiting til the last sec' model and then they order. I think charging a fee to store them is a good thing too. It says your time is worth money and it makes it worth the hassle of pulling 1 image.

Also, if you use pictology or something like that, they will email all your event clients for you. So you dont have to bother with it. It sends 2-3 emails out (depending on how you have it set up) to let them know their event is about to end. That has helped - it also has the finality b/c its either there or not.

:o)

[ndsimm]

I usually keep images on my Smugmug Gallery until I no longer have a need for them. Some I delete, some I just mark as hidden. I just had someone email me last week wanting to order images from a wedding I did in June 2005
depending on how much web space you have, that may be an option, but I do think, in some cases, a deadline needs to be in effect.
How long did we hold on to negatives before a print options was no longer available????

[KeepsakeGirl]

I just finished an order from a 2003 wedding! yes..MOTG is finally getting her parent book. lol

[HotHolly]

Good for you! Extra $$ around the holidays always rocks!

[KeepsakeGirl]

Originally Posted by HotHolly

Good for you! Extra $$ around the holidays always rocks!

yea i should look at it that way but finding that disk was a pain too. lol

[MarkM]

Erica,
There is a way to get your clients on the stick, and turn in the orders in a timely fashion, and make more money in the process.

I devised this system 8 years ago, and I guarantee that it will not only get your orders in within 30 days of delivering the ablum, but triple your reorders in the process.
I sell the order forms it in my marketing CD, but I'll give you the concept here FREE.

Here's how it works:
The system rewards the couple with a "point" for every dollar they return in orders. These points can be redeemed for FREE photos for themselves.

Example,...couple returns with a $300 wedding print order. They get 300 points that can be redeemed for FREE photos for themselves on the following scale:
4x6=50 points
5x7=75 points
8x10=100 points
11x14=200 points
16x20=400 points
20x24=600 points
This order will net the bride 3 8x10's FREE OF CHARGE.

There's only ONE CATCH.
They have to return the order within 30 days of receiving their album to be elible for the free points.

An interesting thing now happens...she's now working for you!...like selling girl scout cookies.
The bride will be selling your photos door to door to get her own free prints, because she wants a FREE 20x24 for her new home.

This system will triple your wedding reorders.

Why it works:
#1. The word FREE unleashes pheremones in the woman's brain...kinda like the high she gets from a buy one get one free shoe sale. LOL.
$2. It contains a Call to Action (30 day return policy). This is what guarantees the order will come back in a timely manner.