Over booked 2015

[Steve Bleasdale]

What do you guys do when you are taking to many bookings for certain months in advance.
Do you do the lot that come in and be as stressed to hell in the edit room or do you pick and choose your clients and venues.
For some reason i am getting over booked like four in a row of 7 days for 2015 April, May, July, September!! Couple in June? Couple in August?
Is it all about quality and stress free or just bang the edit out get the money in? Whats the thoughts guys. steve




Wedding Videography & Photography Cheshire Liverpool | Capture Your Moments Weddings | Home

[Adrian Tan]

Wish I had your problem!

To save on stress, could you give the couple a realistic estimate of delivery times, or else outsource the editing?

[Chris Harding]

Hi Steve

I'm downright lazy so one wedding per weekend is what I try to achieve. I'm not into the Friday, Saturday, Sunday stuff as you are so washed out on Monday it takes 2 days to recover.

Funny, but I might get 5 or 6 brides wanting a particular Saturday but no-one wants the next one.

I went slightly overboard in March and have 8 weddings (should be only 4) but for some unknown reason the 15th March remains free ..no idea why as it's no any special day at all.

My theory (unless you are money hungry) is 35 weddings a season is enough. I'm up to April 2015 so far but remember our Winter is June to August so that's a rest period for me.

Chris

[Chris Harding]

Hey Adrian

Outsourcing for me is a no-no!! I have had issues with a second shooter screwing up a simple guy's prep so never would I let someone else edit my footage ...you might end up with more problems than you want to. A nice balance of work and play is the key!

Chris

[Steve Bleasdale]

Originally Posted by Adrian Tan

Wish I had your problem!

To save on stress, could you give the couple a realistic estimate of delivery times, or else outsource the editing?

Good points Adrian

[Steve Bleasdale]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Hi Steve

I'm downright lazy so one wedding per weekend is what I try to achieve. I'm not into the Friday, Saturday, Sunday stuff as you are so washed out on Monday it takes 2 days to recover.

Funny, but I might get 5 or 6 brides wanting a particular Saturday but no-one wants the next one.

I went slightly overboard in March and have 8 weddings (should be only 4) but for some unknown reason the 15th March remains free ..no idea why as it's no any special day at all.

My theory (unless you are money hungry) is 35 weddings a season is enough. I'm up to April 2015 so far but remember our Winter is June to August so that's a rest period for me.

Chris

Cheers Chris, i think your right i will cut it to just the three in the seven days at my age its all to much and your right i was knackered last year. i have made a link with a guy in Cheshire and i am giving him video work as he is a good lad and i trust him, so he is made up and i get some goodies from him to when i give him jobs, so i can go that route.
It is weird how the bookings go, this year 2014 i am chocker May then June only a couple then July right through to December chocker block. I think its due to the venues giving discount for the bride and grooms to book their venue??

[Tim Lewis]

Beware the ides of March! (15th Chris)

[James Manford]

Does my head in when people always want the same date.

I have this theory of making every enquiry a sale rather than letting the customer go ... but then once they're booked I always get more enquiries for that date! I guess it's a lack of security of income so I hate taking the risk.

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Funny, but I might get 5 or 6 brides wanting a particular Saturday but no-one wants the next one.


Chris

Happens to me all the time Chris - it's strange!

I've been doing weddings full time now for 5 years and last season was the first year I turned weddings down - I ended up doing 42 weddings and enquiries are about the same now so I figure I'll get the work in so.... Last year I vowed no more 3 in a row weddings as they knacker my completely but I would book a back-to-back if they're not big ones.

I have 24 already booked for this year so hopefully can be choosy as enquiries seem to be coming in nicely.

I have a full day booking for a Saturday including bride prep (church wedding) and recently got an enquiry for another full day on the Friday before (another church wedding) so declined it. If they had both been hotel weddings I would have accepted it as they are so damn easier.

I had an enquiry for a south Asian wedding next week but turned it down having vowed last year to do no more.

I guess I'm lucky in that I do get the enquiries - I turned dozens down last year as I was already booked, so I work on the theory that I'll do ok - It's only February and I only need another 18 bookings and I've achieved the same as last year

It's about balance for me these days. Weddings can be tough but they don't need to be punishing IMO

Pete

[Dave Partington]

I just don't do more than two full day weddings in a row as I hate the triple wedding weekend, like Fri/Sat/Sun.

I actually turn away the third booking! Arrggh!

I just don't feel that I can give the couple of the third day as good as I gave on the first, so it's unfair to them.

The only way I'll do this in the future is if two of the three are short days, but three full days (prep to dance) ain't gonna happen.

Set reasonable expectations for delivery and don't get too stressed. Oh, and make sure you have lots of HDDs for backups ;)

There's always those popular days when you have to turn bookings away because you're already booked. Such is life.

[Steve Bleasdale]

Good points guys never thought that one Dave, the third days filming your right it is probably unfair on the last days bride as i have been knackered and not put as much in as the first day of a three day filming in a row.
Glad your busy Pete, i have 29 this year and already up to 17 for 2015, so this year i think from now on will have a look at the venue and decide if its for me.
Good point James...

[Steve Bleasdale]

Another point!!
If your booked on a day and get another inquiry for the same day, would you employ say another team to do it for you and then just pay them?

[Jeff Harper]

Business theory dictates, in some people's minds, that if you are getting over booked or turning away a lot of weddings, you can look at raising prices.

When supply exceeds demand for a service then raising prices or expanding are both options.

[Chris Harding]

Hey Steve

I did that once and the guy really messed up big time and sadly I told the bride "I have an associate who might be free" .... that was a big mistake because the poor job seems to reflect back on you. Personally I would try and burn the candle at both ends and start getting sub contractors in because their work is your work in the bride's eyes so one slap dash wedding job by them gives you a bad name.

I have given shooters the simple job of doing bridal prep (just the guys as it's the easiest job) and the shooter came back with exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds of footage ... not bad considering they were paid $120!! Their explanation was "they were not interested in being filmed"

If I cannot do it myself then it doesn't happen ..that way the buck stops with me so I make sure it's good footage that's useable!!

Pete?? Wise move not doing Asian weddings ...after poor Tariq's problems I think a lot were put off!!!

Chris

[Steve Bleasdale]

Cheers Chris thought so!! i even have problems with my brother and son sometimes on a shoot so god knows if i employ terrible videographers that are around and they think they are doing a good job when in fact their work is substandard. Pete is right ye i turned down two Asian jobs last week and this due to being messed around,