Paying Photographers in advance?

[surfgirl]

Question for all you out there who''ve already contracted your wedding photographers...Did you have to pay a deposit and then the full amount up front before the wedding date? My photographer want''s a 1/4 deposit now to hold the date, then the balance two weeks prior to the event. Is this normal operating procedure? Just wondering...

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Yes. That was the case with all my vendors: venue, photog, day of coordinator, florist & harpist. The only vendors I paid on the wedding date were the makeup artist and hairstylist.

An initial deposit was charged to hold the date, and then the balance was due anywhere from a month to 2 weeks before the wedding. One reason for this was that they want to make sure that your check will clear before the big day!

 

[snlee]

Yes, sounds normal to me. I recall putting down a 20% deposit and paying the balance two weeks before our wedding.

 

[neatfreak]

We paid a deposit and then pay the balance on the day of.

 

[Selkie]

Same here-$1000 down, and we''re paying the balance next week, 2 weeks before the wedding. She was, however, willing to let me pay part of the balance 2 weeks before, and then the remainder when we meet with her a couple days before the wedding. You may have some negotiating room, but expect to see the same thing for most pros.

 

[zoebartlett]

Yep, sounds right to me as well. One of the photographer''s we''re considering is asking for 1/3 to hold the date, 1/3 a few months before the wedding, and then the last 1/3 right before the wedding. I''m assuming all the big vendors will do something similar.

 

[anchor31]

Not me... We made deposits for all our vendors, but we are not paying any of them prior to the event. We will pay the balance on the day-of for most, except the photographer: we will pay 1/3 on the day of and the last 1/3 once we get our photos.

 

[ephemery1]

Date: 7/5/2007 8:03:18 PM
Author: anchor31
Not me... We made deposits for all our vendors, but we are not paying any of them prior to the event. We will pay the balance on the day-of for most, except the photographer: we will pay 1/3 on the day of and the last 1/3 once we get our photos.

We were the same as Anchor... for the band, we paid a deposit when we booked them, then the rest right after the wedding.

For the photographer, we paid a deposit when we booked, then another 1/3rd right after the wedding, then the rest will be due when our albums are complete.

 

[snlee]

Date: 7/5/2007 6:48:47 PM
Author: snlee
Yes, sounds normal to me. I recall putting down a 20% deposit and paying the balance two weeks before our wedding.

I just double checked and we paid the balance a few days before our wedding.

 

[Class n Sass]

We paid $500 to sign the contract. All but $400 is due about 2 weeks before the wedding. We pay the remaining balance we we pick up our proofs

 

[Tacori E-ring]

for our photographer and videographer we paid 1/2 upfront and 1/2 when we got the proofs/video. Worked well for us since the video was kind of bad so we ended up not paying for the full second half.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 7/5/2007 9:28:10 PM
Author: ephemery1

Date: 7/5/2007 8:03:18 PM
Author: anchor31
Not me... We made deposits for all our vendors, but we are not paying any of them prior to the event. We will pay the balance on the day-of for most, except the photographer: we will pay 1/3 on the day of and the last 1/3 once we get our photos.

We were the same as Anchor... for the band, we paid a deposit when we booked them, then the rest right after the wedding.

For the photographer, we paid a deposit when we booked, then another 1/3rd right after the wedding, then the rest will be due when our albums are complete.

This sounds like the safest path for me.

You can negotiate terms with your vendors, I would shoot for this.

 

[surfgirl]

Ladies, thanks for all the feedback on this issue, much appreciated! I feel comfortable paying this photographer up front. I've seen her website, she's shared examples of what she's done for other elopements and she's put together a very nice package for us. Because I have a photo background and we have a professional quality printer at home, we're not having her print for us, instead she's giving us a credit which will basically cover a coffee table book/album for us. I've seen one she did for another elopement and it's lovely. I wonder if you can access it here? If so, I'd love to know what you think of her work. I loved the feeling she captured...

http://www.inaframe.com/album/melisa%2Dadam/


Thoughts???

 

[zoebartlett]

Gorgeous photos! I''ve never actually thought of an "elopment photographer" but it''s a great idea. I love the bride''s red shoes!!

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/6/2007 7:06:42 PM
Author: surfgirl
Ladies, thanks for all the feedback on this issue, much appreciated! I feel comfortable paying this photographer up front. I''ve seen her website, she''s shared examples of what she''s done for other elopements and she''s put together a very nice package for us. Because I have a photo background and we have a professional quality printer at home, we''re not having her print for us, instead she''s giving us a credit which will basically cover a coffee table book/album for us. I''ve seen one she did for another elopement and it''s lovely. I wonder if you can access it here? If so, I''d love to know what you think of her work. I loved the feeling she captured...

http://www.inaframe.com/album/melisa%2Dadam/


Thoughts???

pretty average but good...
Check out this site by one of my favorite shooters from down under...
http://www.jasoncolephotography.com.au/_wedding/featured_weddings_gallery.php?t=Featured_Wedding&id=34

 

[strmrdr]

A few of my favorites from around the world...

http://www.nounaandersson.com/

http://www.billhicksphoto.com/

http://www.islandweddingphoto.com/

http://www.jamisonwexler.com/index.htm

 

[surfgirl]

zoe, thanks for the nice words. I like the way she just captures the essence of the island we're getting married on. Nothing fancy or too frivolous. Just the simple island setting!

strmrdr, I realize that my choice of photographer isn't the "world's best", but it is what is available to me on my chosen day, with very limited notice, within my budget and appropriate to an elopement, and with very little room for date changes. Having said that, I chose her based on the vibe she captures. If I wanted something more schmaltzy or cliched, perhaps I'd have chosen someone else like you suggested. But hey, thanks for your back-handed 'compliment' nonetheless.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/6/2007 8:10:26 PM
Author: surfgirl

strmrdr, I realize that my choice of photographer isn''t the ''world''s best'', but it is what is available to me on my chosen day, with very limited notice, within my budget and appropriate to an elopement, and with very little room for date changes. Having said that, I chose her based on the vibe she captures. If I wanted something more schmaltzy or cliched, perhaps I''d have chosen someone else like you suggested. But hey, thanks for your back-handed ''compliment'' nonetheless.

sowwy... but you did ask.......................
Guess thats what I get for posting outside of RT.....

 

[surfgirl]

Well strmdr...let this be a lesson unto you my friend of the male persuasion...never say anything negative to a bride once she''s signed a contract with a wedding vendor.