Hi Everyone.

Based on what I have been reading lately on the Wedding Forum, it looks like we have a few beginners or several photographers who want to turn Pro and do wedding coverages. My question is this...To protect yourself and your customer, do you have contracts with your clients? Here are several tips I have to offer in case you have not made it a habit of having a contract with your clients.


1. You must state when payables are due. Do you expect full payment before the wedding coverage or after? (Like all other wedding suppliers, I expect the full payment before the coverage)

2. You must state when you will deliver proofs/cd's and final album... ( mine states 6to 12 weeks after approval of album layout from the time they have given me their choices/ approval of proofs)

3.In case of illness or other circumstances beyond the control of the photographer, a replacement photographer will be sent. In case the client refuses, a FULL refund will be made.

4. The photographer shall take utmost care with the files/ photographs taken. However, in the event that the photographer fails to comply with the terms of the contract due to circumstances beyond his control, the photographers liability is FULL REIMBURSEMENT.

5. All permits/miscellaneous charges and meals are to the account of the couple.

6. Negatives/ Digital files will remain the exclusive property of the photographer where copyrights belong to the photographer whether for publication, advertising or exhibition ( I still ask for the permission of the couple to use their photos if ever though,...out of respect:) )

7. In case of cancellation or postponement, the reservation fee is non-refundable. I do however Return the deposit if no services have been made (i.e no prenup yet) (cant be that greedy:Grin: )

8. The photographer shall not be held liable if the coverage can not be completed due to any force majueure.


So this is what I have on my revised contracts. The ones I had before were so complicated and "hard to read".

Keep it simple. You don't have to make it sound like it's a court case with so much "lawyer talk".:)

Thanks for the info Ms. Pilar... I think I have to revise my contracts to include a few items.. :)

Great. I have done my first 2 weddings without any contract what so ever... they are friends anyways. :D

5. All permits/miscellaneous charges and meals are to the account of the couple.


this is a must! :D hehehe! thanks for sharing pilar!

This is great Ma'am Pilar, thanks. :) I did some weddings already but as a backup only.. But this will be very helpful when I do have my own wedding client. Hopefully soon. :)


PS. It's an honor to finally meet you Maam...Also with Sir Nick and Sir Nino. :)
I hope someday, I'll have a chance to shoot in your new studio. :Grin:

This is great Ma'am Pilar, thanks. :) I did some weddings already but as a backup only.. But this will be very helpful when I do have my own wedding client. Hopefully soon. :)


PS. It's an honor to finally meet you Maam...Also with Sir Nick and Sir Nino. :)
I hope someday, I'll have a chance to shoot in your new studio. :Grin:


I am glad you find this helpfull. It was nice meeting you as well. See you soon.

Great. I have done my first 2 weddings without any contract what so ever... they are friends anyways. :D


Be careful... i noticed when shooting weddings, the friends and relatives expect you to do more for them.. :Grin: better to have everything in black and white so if they ask you to do something and you didnt discuss it then your back is covered..

Hello po. Baguhan na wedding photographer sa Bohol po ako. Thanks really. This is very useful.

More power!

by the way, ive noticed some photographers and im planning to add and incorporate this as well, ..... goes something likethis..feel free changing a few lines.

#10 For any other photo request by the couple , it should be discussed directly with the photographer and not thru another party ex. the coordinator. The client understands that upon hiring photographer/company etc... he/she understand that the photog/company has a shooting stlye they like and that any request not discussed probably with them would interfere and diminish their high quality in producing unique wedding pictures.

ex. the very new coordinators at times request and demand you shoot the tables of All the guest Without the Bride and Groom , and many times it was their own idea for p.r's sake to the couple. Couple's normally would understand when u explain to them that group shots without them won't be meaningfu and just imagine, shooting group shots without them in a chinese wedding with 1000 guest with 100 tables :)..

by the way, ive noticed some photographers and im planning to add and incorporate this as well, ..... goes something likethis..feel free changing a few lines.

#10 For any other photo request by the couple , it should be discussed directly with the photographer and not thru another party ex. the coordinator. The client understands that upon hiring photographer/company etc... he/she understand that the photog/company has a shooting stlye they like and that any request not discussed probably with them would interfere and diminish their high quality in producing unique wedding pictures.

ex. the very new coordinators at times request and demand you shoot the tables of All the guest Without the Bride and Groom , and many times it was their own idea for p.r's sake to the couple. Couple's normally would understand when u explain to them that group shots without them won't be meaningfu and just imagine, shooting group shots without them in a chinese wedding with 1000 guest with 100 tables :)..


I always tell the couple prior to the wedding that we will only do hopping shots to the tables they actually hop to. I explain that a lot of guests find it annoying/insulting that we are photographing them without the couple in the middle of their dinner. They totally understand this. What we do photograph with or without the couple though is the principal sponsors, entourage, family. :)

ms. pilar, i'm just being really really lazy but can you please share with us a copy of your actual contract?....pretty please?? :) salamat po nang marami!

ms. pilar, i'm just being really really lazy but can you please share with us a copy of your actual contract?....pretty please?? :) salamat po nang marami!

this a GOOOOOOOOOD request... *cross fingers. :)

Thank you much madam'

Wow, this is great! All bases covered! :) How much do you usually charge for a reservation fee?

teach me madam pilar or tips the real picture

bgo lng kc po ako nag aaral kumuha,

teach me madam pilar or tips the real picture


bgo lng kc po ako nag aaral kumuha,


Joey, please help conserve thread resources... please don't split posts into separate threads...

Mine, I have a U.S standard wedding photography contract but definitely edited to fit on our way. and it's quite the same as you stated ms. Pilar. Thanks

sorri sir earl bgo lng po.

dalawa beses n ko ndadali po ng mga coordinator n mapang api kc may mga dala kc photopgrapher kaya nag cancel kc may kulang po s contract ko.

madam ilan percent po dapat ibawas pag nagkancel ang client para mailagay ko s contract.

There is no hard and fast rule as to how much should be forfeited in terms of cancellation. A good measure would be the opportunity you lost, had the couple cancelled in advance, and you could have looked for another client.

I'd say 50% of the package rate would be a fair amount as penalty for cancellation. If you want to go lower or higher, that's your call as long as the couple agrees to it. In some contracts I handled before, the penalty was 75-100% of the contract amount, which naturally, I advised my clients not to accept.

And Joey, can't we post in plain words please, not text-speak? Text-speak will ruin your communication skills in the long run. Thank you.

@joey
I think you need to include your surname in your log-in since it's one of the main rules in posting in this forum.

may n book din naman ako same date ng nag cancel s akin kaya ok lng.

sobrang asar lng talaga ako s mga mukhang pera coordinator ( d naman lahat ) d nila kc pinagbibigyan yun mga bgong photographer.

sori sir, ryhan

@joey
I think you need to include your surname in your log-in since it's one of the main rules in posting in this forum.


oo nga, joey. ano nga ba ang apelyido mo. ba't di mo nilagay.

:<)

sir joey bautista po ang fullname

sir eddie solo lng talaga kyo pag kumukuha ng wedding? kaya idol ko kayo.

sir joey bautista po ang fullname

joey, might as well re-register yourself in this forum oki? include your surname na this time para mas masaya.:Dum:

ok n po. pasencya n

I found a wedding contract in the net, it's a 12pages contaract, for me it is concrete and detailed.
To all experts, pls. see if this enought or over..
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-130350.html

thanks

hi ms. pilar i was just curious about what they call "unlimited shots" in the contract. isnt that unreasonable? or malabo.. what if for me unlimited is only 400 shots e.g.? i know marketing strategy is part of this business..but how about the welfare of the clients?

its very important to have a contract , one of my client nag back out buti na lang naka lagay sa contact cancellation of contract forfieted yun deposit. share ko lang po experience ko :Dum:

I found a wedding contract in the net, it's a 12pages contaract, for me it is concrete and detailed.
To all experts, pls. see if this enought or over..
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-130350.html

thanks

12 pages????? thats way too long for a client to read through. :Shock: a contract should be direct and precise. it should be at most a 3 minute read. just my opinion

hi ms. pilar i was just curious about what they call "unlimited shots" in the contract. isnt that unreasonable? or malabo.. what if for me unlimited is only 400 shots e.g.? i know marketing strategy is part of this business..but how about the welfare of the clients?


Hi Jerico.
I answered your post on this thread
http://www.digitalphotographer.com.ph/forum/showthread.php?t=3790

thanks for the info miss pilar

Hi Everyone.

Based on what I have been reading lately on the Wedding Forum, it looks like we have a few beginners or several photographers who want to turn Pro and do wedding coverages. My question is this...To protect yourself and your customer, do you have contracts with your clients? Here are several tips I have to offer in case you have not made it a habit of having a contract with your clients.


1. You must state when payables are due. Do you expect full payment before the wedding coverage or after? (Like all other wedding suppliers, I expect the full payment before the coverage)

2. You must state when you will deliver proofs/cd's and final album... ( mine states 6to 12 weeks after approval of album layout from the time they have given me their choices/ approval of proofs)

3.In case of illness or other circumstances beyond the control of the photographer, a replacement photographer will be sent. In case the client refuses, a FULL refund will be made.

4. The photographer shall take utmost care with the files/ photographs taken. However, in the event that the photographer fails to comply with the terms of the contract due to circumstances beyond his control, the photographers liability is FULL REIMBURSEMENT.

5. All permits/miscellaneous charges and meals are to the account of the couple.

6. Negatives/ Digital files will remain the exclusive property of the photographer where copyrights belong to the photographer whether for publication, advertising or exhibition ( I still ask for the permission of the couple to use their photos if ever though,...out of respect:) )

7. In case of cancellation or postponement, the reservation fee is non-refundable. I do however Return the deposit if no services have been made (i.e no prenup yet) (cant be that greedy:Grin: )

8. The photographer shall not be held liable if the coverage can not be completed due to any force majueure.


So this is what I have on my revised contracts. The ones I had before were so complicated and "hard to read".

Keep it simple. You don't have to make it sound like it's a court case with so much "lawyer talk".:)


very educational forme thanks ma'am Pilar:)