Wedding Photographer - Would it be rude to ask discount?

I definitely would ask. It couldn't hurt

You wouldn't be asking for a discount, you would just be asking for them to remove a service from the package. Some photographers will do this and others won't.

I asked a lot of photographers to remove the wedding album from the package because the price went down drastically. All but one happily removed it for me.

I'd only ask if it was included in the packages. Our photographer didn't include it in the packages.

Every photographer we've communicated with has expressed a willingness to customize their packaged services. That's what you want - fewer services, but make sure that's how you frame the discussion!

Does the person already include an engagement shoot - then yes, ask for it to be removed from the package. If it isn't included then you really can't ask for a discount for that reason.

Not rude at all...no reason to pay for something you don't want and won't use. Just tell the photographer what you want and ask them to work up a price for you. Just because they may not have packages listed for exactly what you want doesn't mean they won't put something together for you or just charge you for services a la carte. Also, I'm assuming you are asking this still in the photog search phase...or did you mean you've already booked one and now want to ask for a discount? If you did that and are already under contract, there may not be anything you can do about it.

@Summer - No just searching/asking for quotes etc Nothing booked

Also, I ask because I specifically state this in my email asking for a quote and the responses still have it listed in the package and price. Afterwards they just add a comment like "You don't have to do an engagement shoot if you don't want to" or "I am also open to traveling to CA for the engagement shoot".

Most photographers that I've talked to will put together a custom package for you based on what you want/need. I wouldn't phrase it as a discount, it might leave a bitter taste in their mouth. Ask if they could work with you to put a custom package together!

You can ask any vendor for a discount. With us, the answer is no.

I was in a very similar situation. Don't ask for a discount, instead tell the photographer what you are looking for. Only the day of the wedding, for X hours, and if you want anything extra like a photo book. Ask them, "this is what I want, how much would this cost". If they tell you, you have to pick a package they have which includes an engagement shoot, then they will not be flexible and go find another photographer. Pick one who is willing to work with you so you get exactly what you want for something you can afford.

@OP...well if you're specifically telling them in your email that you do not want an e-session and you'd like to know their pricing without that, and they still send you pricing including that, then that would be a red-flag to me that they don't pay attention to detail and I'd move onto getting a quote from someone else. Or you could just respond back and say "How does the price of Package X change if I drop the e-session?" if it's someone you're really interested in.

Our photographer's package included a engagement session. We asked her if we could skip that and add an hour to the wedding day for the same price and she thought it was a great idea.

We also skipped the engagement shoot and albums. I was honestly pretty annoyed at photographers that still included those in their quoting when I was very specific about what I was asking for (in our case, it rubbed me the wrong way for them to insist on two parent albums given that FH's parents have both passed away). It sounds like in your case you just need to make sure you find a photographer who will work with you to create a package rather than insisting on a pre-set one.

We're doing exactly what Kassy did. We still saved money overall since a friend did engagement photos for us free.

My photographer will convert a 2 hour engagement shoot into 1 extra hour on the day of, since she has a second shooter. It doesn't hurt to ask!

If they won't offer a discount, try seeing if they will offer something else in exchange for it. Maybe a boudoir shoot later on that you could do as a first anniversary gift (even if you aren't staying in town very long you could do this dring a visit home to see your family sometime in the future). Or a few extra prints. Maybe just an extra bit of coverage on the day of.

I agree with Summer a here. I would think twice about using them if they're not reading what you're looking for in your original request.

I get they're probably copying and pasting but that's not what you asked for.

It doesn't hurt to ask, especially if there is something you can offer to eliminate from your package. When my couples don't need or want a personalized story, the price goes down.

That's not rude at all, packages are created to accommodate what we feel are the most viable options, and to provide everything they need for one price. I can't speak for every photographer, but myself and most I know, we expect customizations at least some of the time. I'd be happy to accommodate you if you asked me, let's put it that way.