UK Wedding Video Market

[James Hollingsworth]

Lots of interesting ideas here, most of which I have tried. I certainly target venues as well as the facebook pages although I haven't done a short clip dedicated to a venue, so perhaps that is an idea and worth doing for free. The first wedding I shot was for a friend and even then I charged £500. Alongside that I set up my site and initially asked for £795 as an average. People found me on the net/yellow pages ( bearing in mind according to the 5% average drop per year in people getting married, there were 40% more looking back then) I met with them and showed them a DVD and it just went forward. I feel that even if you are just starting out, you still shouldn't charge too little, else you will never get your prices up to a level where you can afford to do it full time. (Similar to Peter's experience with the fashion show). It is true that we must make a B & G appreciate the importance/value of a video and that many brides regret not filming it but I am reluctant to threateningly say 'you might regret it if you don't' - it just doesn't seem appropriate. As for 'Shoot it yourself', I would shoot myself if I had to be one of their editors! Makes no sense to me, we all know that the filming bit is the easy part, I would quite happily shoot a wedding for £500 and say, here 'edit it yourself'!

[Chris Harding]

James?

It might also be your price?? You might just be too expensive for budget brides and too cheap for higher end brides. I adjusted my prices by a mere $200 back in 2010 and BAM..the bookings just ground to a halt because it simply wasn't the market sweet spot any longer ...I know brides could easily afford the extra $200 but they were used to that segment of the market being the old price and anything over that price was simply a "he's too expensive ... rather go for the other guy" It really doesn't matter if you offer less participation ...as long as your price is within range of your target market ...I have no idea if 2000 in the UK is considered budget end or high end but it seems like it is the wrong price for brides ... Compare with your competitors (brides will !!) and if you seem to be out on your own with pricing then try either raising or lowering to what others are charging and bookings will change

We have to be realistic and if 6 other videographers are all charging between 1500 and 1700 and James is charging 2000 then James is disregarded .... and the same goes if you are substantially lower than say, the 2500-300 competitors.

Chris

[Justin Turner]

Instead of dropping your price, raise your image. There is alwys a transistional period when you make a price change but it doesnt last.

Offer something extra like an e shoot or have a champagne viewing, when you finish an edit send the couple an invite to view it with family and friends etc. Think of some point of difference but dont get caught in a price war. Just think of ways you can add value and make sure your presentation is as good as it can be.

[James Hollingsworth]

I think that is the problem Chris. It does seem that £1200 is £200 the wrong side of £1000 and leaves you in no mans land. I don't want to go to the top end though as generally all that means is more cameramen, lights, directors!!! My clients come to me because of my low profile, they definitely don't want all that jazz. Tricky, will leave the prices as they are for a bit as wouldn't want to upset my existing bookings. Then review in the autumn. Thanks again.

[James Manford]

Some very good points here that I need to take into consideration.

Love the community here!!

[Chris Harding]

Hi Justin and James

Whether you raise your image or not, if you are in a "no man's land" with prices it will never help. By all means raise your image, titivate your packages and then raise your prices so you are in the "more expensive" ballpark and not inbetween budget brides and higher end brides. Take a look at the car market and see how they work ..they also have a "no mans land" zone so if all the budget cars are selling around 15K and the luxury ones at 25K no one wants to look at a 20K car cos it's either an overpriced budget model or a cheap and rubbish luxury vehicle.

I find the budget market more fun and less demanding BUT I still cost out weddings at my standard hourly rate.. I just make sure that if a package is $1500 then I'm providing "X" hours of my time and effort. Believe it or not there is also a rounded off physical barrier for brides and charging 1899 instead of 1900 does actually influence their buying decision ... the retail market never sells a fridge for $700 here it's always $699 which to shoppers is a LOT cheaper!!

Chris

[Justin Turner]

Hi Chris we might have to agree to disagree on this one :)

I dont think small jumps in price such as $1000 to $1200 is going to make any difference. I believe if someone likes what they see and they like you (couples need to connect with you) then they will pay what you are asking with in reason. So we cant just put any number on it we have to be realistic, but a couple of hundred dollars wont lose a sale if they want you.

The problem with the cheaper market is it is more focused on the price and they want everythng for nothing. I believe if you can move up in the price range, as long as you can show value for your product then you will book weddings.

There are couples that wont even look at a certain price range because its too cheap. The perception would be they are not good enough.

Another point and this might be more directed at photographers ( which I know is not the same) the market is saturated with competition but most of it is in the lower price point. Moving up to a higher end market also gives you less competition. The market might be smaller but the competition is also less. You cant just quadruple your price and offer the same product, but offer something unique and offer a service to go with it and if people like what they see they will buy it.

There will always be different markets and more then one way to do things. Its important to remember the true cost of running a business too. Its more then just your time shooting and editing. To work out the true cost you need to take into account equipment , computers, insurance, travel, super, software, phone, etc etc many more things. These are fixed costs that will be there with or without work coming in. Working for too little would not be worht the time and effort that goes into running a business.

Going up doesnt mean you need extra shooters or directors etc. I shoot 90% of my work alone my wife shoots the video again 90% alone.

Like I said there is more then one way to do it but if I knew in the early days what I knew now I would have moved prices much quicker then we did.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Justin

Fair enough! I realise its not a hard and fast rule ..I was simply reporting on my instance and yes, technically a few hundred either way shouldn't make any difference. Over on this side of the country brides seem to place us video guys in a price bracket for some unknown reason ...I have had brides book me and be quite annoyed that the "other guy" had the cheek to try and rip her off and charge almost $100 more than me ... That's hard to argue with and I don't drop my prices ever for any bride I really don't know why they penny pinch here!

The business side is so very important!! I have had many arguments on this forum about guys doing beautiful cinematic masterpieces for a mere $2500 and then proudly tell me "This took me 60 hours to edit you know" Nice profit you made on that one dummy!! Very few video guys look correctly at the business side and actually cost out a wedding correctly ... there is no real point in working you butt off and then finding out that you are making a cool $10 an hour shooting weddings!!

(I was with a DJ (father and son) on Saturday at my wedding and he told me that he costed out his weddings over the year with all business costs included and figured they were making 52 cents an hour ... yet he still continues???)

What do you UK guys cost your time out at over there??? My costing is based on $75.00 an hour but Justin is in the BIG city so his would be higher!

Chris