Payment terms and conditions for actual day photographers

[writing with light]

Just to check with the CSers here. What is the industry practice for payment for actual day photography. For e.g. Is it 50% deposit, then 50% on the day itself? Is it normal for ppl to ask for full payment before the actual wedding day?
Thanks

 

[generalsales]

usually will ask full payment upon delivering of CDs or Prints

 

[de_stan]

I personally feel that there is nothing wrong with asking for a 40% - 50% downpayment.
In fact it safeguards your interest against customers who cancel at the last minute, therefore robbing you of an assignment. And dont forget if it is actual day wedding, usually demand for photographer is quite high on those 'hot' dates.

There are also cases where couples give you thousand and one complaints about your pictures and refusing to pay for your services AFTER you printed the album for them.

 

[xziredmp]

I personally feel that there is nothing wrong with asking for a 40% - 50% downpayment.
In fact it safeguards your interest against customers who cancel at the last minute, therefore robbing you of an assignment. And dont forget if it is actual day wedding, usually demand for photographer is quite high on those 'hot' dates.

There are also cases where couples give you thousand and one complaints about your pictures and refusing to pay for your services AFTER you printed the album for them.

agree....

and there are thousand and one photographers out there who delay prints and owes everyone money.

to have deposit is good. 50% is safe amount, there are bound to be some clowns who would cancel this and that last minute... and should they cancel, at the very least, u have some money to sit down and watch tv instead.

 

[gremlin]

Most pros I know require 50% deposit to secure the date, then full payment 1-2 weeks before the AD.

 

[vince123123]

If you got lots of customers, you can do anything you want and ask for deposit or even full payment.

When you dont' have enough customers, you'll cut this and that and won't ask for deposit.. All about supply and demand.

 

[catchlights]

all bridal shops make customers settle fully payment before collect their albums, that is around two weeks to a few months before their wedding, and make the customers some deposit of money for bring the wedding grown, evening grown, tea dress, suits out of their shops, in case customers never return or damage the grown and refuse to pay.

any other wedding vendors like florist, caterers all demand settle the payment before or on that day itself.

I see no reason why should a photographer should be paid last, after the wedding.

 

[vince123123]

Most fair is to pay the rest upon collection of the goods, not before, not after

 

[xziredmp]

I see no reason why should a photographer should be paid last, after the wedding.

i agree with you. apparently there are some dumb ones out there who are practicing this and end up not able to collect payment.

 

[blurrblurr]

all bridal shops make customers settle fully payment before collect their albums, that is around two weeks to a few months before their wedding, and make the customers some deposit of money for bring the wedding grown, evening grown, tea dress, suits out of their shops, in case customers never return or damage the grown and refuse to pay.

any other wedding vendors like florist, caterers all demand settle the payment before or on that day itself.

I see no reason why should a photographer should be paid last, after the wedding.

Florist, caterers and bridal shop delivers their product on the actual day itself. Photographers can only give them the album say three weeks after their wedding. So there is a difference in payment mode. Unless they are your regular customer who trust you maybe they pay you in full. But a regular customer as wedding couple for AD?:sweatsm:
Usually, I get my couple to pay 80-90% of the package while the remaining 10-20% is near to the cost price of the album. So I am safe even they fly airplane last min after their wedding. And if the couple really do their sum, they end up paying more than the remaining 10-20% payment if they decided to print the photos themself.