Final Delivery - 2-part question

[Katie Fasel]

There has been a lot of discussion on cases, envelopes, etc. to present final discs in...we have our case and labeling system down...most of our DVDs/Blurays get shipped, but looking for a nice case or decorative box to present them in. Does anyone have someone they use already? Just looking for something nicer than a packing box...of course to ship it would still be a box on the outside, but it wound be nice to have something prettier when they open that up, or for the times we hand-deliver as well.

In addition, we have been including a "final mailing" type page that says to the effect of thank you for having us, we hope you enjoy your video, let us know if you would like more copies etc. etc. Just wondering if you have any sort of a letter like this, and what yours includes...I've been thinking it feels kind of impersonal, but maybe I'm over-thinking.

Just would like some ideas! Thanks!

[Chris Harding]

Hi Katie

Even if I stuck to my standard cases I would really also like to be able to present the final product in a white box with 3 cutouts for the DVD cases and lined with tissue paper with "Our Wedding" embossed on the top. In my days of wedding photography (ouch that was 25 years ago!!) We were able to buy white wedding albums and yes they came in a really nice white box and the album sat in tissue paper and the bride could open the box, peel back the tissue to reveal her album. Presentation like that would indeed be stunning but to find something like that????

Maybe it's our recycled society ...even my new Sony's that arrived this year in drab brown cardboard boxes with basic printed info (plus "this box is made from recycled materials")...In the old days in would have been a quality cardboard box and full colour printing and a photo of your camera on the box and it looked really appealing.

I also give the bride a "Thank you letter" ..it's very basic and just thanks them for allowing us to be part of their wedding, extra copy prices etc etc and "we wish you every happiness for the future". No harm in doing that at all .... I have one friend who gives the couple a magazine subscription and a thank you letter .. his logic is that they remember you every month for a year!!

Chris

[Daniel Latimer]

I stole this idea from someone else, so I apologize that I don't remember who it was and can't give proper credit, but I send it in a standard packing box. When they open the box the DVDs have a ribbon around them to keep them together and look like a gift. Plus I include movie candy (like Twizzlers, popcorn, etc.). It's something fun and unique. Hopefully something they will remember.

[Long Truong]

The movie candy idea is awesome. Thanks for sharing Daniel. Will definitely try that one out :)

[Katie Fasel]

Yes, definitely a cool idea...something I'm definitely going to consider!

[James Hobert]

I prefer to drive out to meet my couples and give it to them in person. Even if they live 50 miles away. I know it's kind of crazy but that way it's more personal. We share stories from the day and it gives me a bit of closure since I would have just finished spending 60-70 hours putting it all together and by then will know their Wedding backwards and forwards. Since our first meetings are usually a lot of fun and the only other time I see them is on their Wedding day but we're generally non-invasive, its nice to come full circle and have a little fun with them in person again. I use their favorite pics for the cover. The movie popcorn is a nice, creative idea though.

[Don Bloom]

Originally Posted by Daniel Latimer

Plus I include movie candy (like Twizzlers, popcorn, etc.). It's something fun and unique. Hopefully something they will remember.

I tried that once. Before I could get the package all closed up my grandkids came over. I got busy doing something else, they ate the popcorn and my dog ate the Twizzlers. :-(
The couple got the DVDs and nothing else like I've been doing ever since I started doing DVDs! I did try it though.

[Kren Barnes]

We've tried the fancy hemp and leather engraved covers but noticed that clients get more excited when we design our discs and covers like a Hollywood movie DVD and present them on blu-ray or dvd cases...we use to do the candy/popcorn thing but have changed to nice black gift bags with wine+chocolates (or beer) and a thank you card with a handwritten message....Just like James, i personally deliver the dvds regardless of the travel distance..clients really do notice the efforts you make and that makes a powerful referral tool...but of course all this is for naught if the actual wedding video is horrible :)

Kren

[Rob Cantwell]

this is something like what i give to my clients http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/members/...4-dvdcover.jpg
the more i think about it the more i realise that the couples i get on with the most i spend more time on the presentation of their stuff, but i would be into the personal thing e.g. presonally presenting the couple with the final product, even though the realisation for a lot of them is, it's a one off event, there wont be a next time for most of them. But it sort of seals the final part of the deal and they usually are very happy so it's kudos for referrals if they happen ' our guy was sooo nice, he even came all the way to give us our DVD personally' i also send a mail on their anniversary it's easy and doesn't cost anything and might generate a referral.
:)

[Chris Harding]

Nice Rob

I too make the effort of doing a personal DVD delivery to the couple once they return from honeymoon. It's a lot more thoughtful than tossing the disks in the mail and hoping they will get them. This however is restricted to local brides!! I do have the odd bride that comes over to the West Coast to get married and then go and live on the East Coast 4000kms away.

I do like the idea of a mail for their anniversary .... let's face it the average couple is quite often surrounded by eligible bride's to be as friends. I have quite often done brothers in the same year and after doing a bride you get told a year later by the bridesmaid "I'm getting married now!" ...A small effort to show good service often goes a long way!!

Chris

[Katie Fasel]

Regardless of whether I deliver in person or not, I still would like a nice box to deliver them in. Some (a lot) of our brides are clear across the state, 200 plus miles away..If I can, I do hand-deliver and tack onto another trip if I'm headed that way, but a 3+ hour drive is not in my time budget for the sole purpose of hand-delivering. Even some of my local brides have preferred in the past that we just mail them because of the logistics of coordinating schedules.

When I deliver to local brides, I've been putting them in a nice re-usable gift-type bag, something they might get use out of later. But I just think a box would be a little nicer, and have yet to find what I'm looking for...one of those things that when I see it, I'll know, but have no way to describe it otherwise :-)

[Tim Bakland]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

It's a lot more thoughtful than tossing the disks in the mail and hoping they will get them.

Is mail that dodgy over there? :)

I use a regular postage box, but the couple gets one really nice book-style case from WHCC. WHCC - White House Custom Colour - CD & DVD Cases

[Chris Harding]

Hi Tim

I very seldom need to post as all brides are local but when I do I use a padded bag...what I really would like is exactly what Katie wants!! A nice white box with tissue paper and the DVD's inside ....!!

Our postal guys are not too bad but I would suspect still a little rough but nothing a DVD case can't handle...if I used a nice white box I would still have it in a standard cardboard outer box if it had to be posted. I do remember a lady who sent an envelope in the mail with photos and instead of putting "Do not Bend" on the front she instead wrote " Photos - Please bend, stomp and mutilate" and they made it thru without a mark on them!

Chris

[Adrian Tan]

Random thought -- instead of tissue, straw!

I was researching wooden USB sticks a few months back (which can be ridiculously expensive... handcrafted rare wood from Germany, etc). Noticed that at least one or two photographers appear to be presenting wooden USB sticks to clients, nestled in a box of straw.

[Clive McLaughlin]

I've had my eye on tin cases I found online. They have a circular window for the printed disc to be visible through and they can be engraved with your company name. They were around about £1 per case. I deliver three per client so its not that bad a price considering how much they pay me.

Haven't ordered any yet though, still working with standard slimline plastic cases. (Which in truth are far too cheap and flimsy!)