Wedding! Eeek!

[brad]

Well, I've gone and done it.

It appears I've got my first wedding.. a small, fixed budget affair that will allow me to be completely creative and build a showcase wedding portfolio that I can use to hopefully do more work in the future. I've worked out what I felt comfortable (and a bit generous since I really wanted to start building my wedding portfolio) giving them for the fixed budget... I think at the moment, only one question remains.

What kind of deposit should I ask for? Half up front with another quarter on delivery of proofs and the final payment with delivery of the final album? Something else? What's standard?

It looks like this may lead to additional picture sales to their families.. as well as other work in the future.. so I'm thrilled. :)

[Rizzella Bella]

CONGRATS!
Good luck with the shooting!

[MyKey]

What kind of deposit should I ask for? Half up front with another quarter on delivery of proofs and the final payment with delivery of the final album? Something else? What's standard?

Congrates first of all. Secondly this is a tough questions but overall the vast majority standard is to get them to sign a contract, friend or not this is a good pratice to get into, smaller priced weddings 1/2 up front and the rest due BEFORE the wedding normally 1 month to 2 weeks beforehand.

I require $500 up front and the rest 2 weeks before the wedding. If a problem arises when the money is not paid before the wedding, no proofs are even digital samples are given until payment is received.

It is all up to you but remember though this is a great fun art, it is a business when you get into weddings, treat it as such. In the long run your clients expect it and are more happy when you do so.

If I can help out anyway let me know and again congrates on the new gig!

[n_wellman]

Brad,
As stated before congratulations. I too am considering someday building a wedding portfolio, and shooting weddings as a source of income. Along with that I struggle with pricing and a payment schedule. I like your first suggestion of 1/2 up front, 1/4 after proofs, and 1/4 after delivery of album. This strikes a chord with me because I got married a year ago June and my wife and I are only just now about to receive our pictures and album. We paid 1/2 up front and 1/2 a week before the wedding. Now, we signed a traditional contract, but it stated no concrete time frame, so our particular photographer seemed to be "lax" in getting the work done. If you are a driven photographer with a good work ethic and respect for your customers, the half and half payment may work for you with no problem, but speaking as a consumer, I like the idea of still having the feeling of a little incentive to get the product finished. Hope this makes sense, and good luck to you.

Nick

[brad]

Yea, I must admit that I borrowed the 1/2 up front, 1/4 on delivery of proofs, and 1/4 on delivery of finished product from the industry I know the most about... computer consulting.

That's my traditional structure for custom, fixed bid software. Half up front, 1/4 on delivery of the first version ready for testing and 1/4 on final acceptance (which is no later than 90 days after the first testing version, with a few exceptions).

[MyKey]

While I agree with you on the surface, trust me there are horror stories where clients do not pay you once they get the proofs. They take them to walmart or their home scanner and print them out themselfs. I have in my contact a time limit when the proof book will be delivered and the money is due up front before the wedding. I used to not do this and it was impossible to get money from people you did not know except by photographing their wedding. While most people are wonderful I have had several horrible clients over the many weddings I have shot which the contract and the money up front saved me from losing not only money but more importantly time.

[mramos]

I agree with Mike. I require a $200 non refundable retainer on contract signing and the remainder two weeks prior to the wedding. I promise to deliver the prints in 4 wks.

[ndsimm]

I also send my congrats to you and offer assistance if you need it....While I love the wedding business, I too have had my share of non-payers. right now, I have the pics and album from a wedding I did a year ago this month that I haven't delivered because the check for the balance bounced and they have yet to make it good. Get everything in writing and always honor your contract....

[Elsaspet]

Congratulations Brad!!!! Be sure to post the picts!

[brad]

I will post when I get the engagement shots done... I want to blow this one out to make that "portfolio" album for me for future work... the couple is young and attractive, so it will be a great opportunity. :)