Payemnt in Full before the Wedding

[Pete_Riding]

I get everything up front as well. One third with the booking and two thirds no later than six weeks before the date.

It helps to explain why to them - Its because most wedding photography bookings are made months in advance and if something goes wrong on the clients side its virtually impossible to get an alternative customer at short notice. I'm simply not prepared to risk sitting at home earning nothing.

I have the full contract online so they have all the time in the World to study it and raise any queries. In practice its never an issue. You may wish to offer retainers (don't call them deposits as the latter are refundable) payable by credit card or PayPal so the customer then has the protection of the card issuer if something goes seriously wrong.

The contract is here:
http://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/weddin...conditions.htm

[RichPontier]

Wow, I'm speechless.In Holland it can be a difficult job to even get a downpayment.
Impossible to get paid the full amount upfront.
We charge 450,00 euro when we book a couple, everything else is paid when the album is finished.
And here there are a lot of photographers who charge much less or no downpayment at all.
I am thinking of changing my policy however.Just have to figure out a way to explain it to my customers.

Rich Pontier LBIPP
www.richpontier.nl

[KirkDarling]

For everyone who requires complete payment up front, what happens if you are incapacitated prior to the wedding? Do you have backup arrangements with other photographers of equal quality who will honor your contract with the customers? I would not think that just returning the money would suffice.

Yes! and it's written into my contracts.

That's me anyway.
Bill.

[jerryfenner]

Hey Bill ..... I've been wondering who Jenny is as well? For some reason, seems to happen often.

Cheers everyone

JeRRy

[David_A_Smith]

Rich,
Perhaps people in Holland are more " Honouarable" as it were or it is not a problem as some here have related. As the saying goes, " If it aint broke, don't fix it". [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

If you do want to get your money up front, an explaination that I would suggest that works well for everything is saying "it keeps costs and therefore your prices down". Perhaps you could suggest this through you getting a discount from your suppliers when you pay cash, less bank fees on your overdraught, less cancellations.... Whatever. Don't be afraid to lie your butt off either because customers will sure as heck lie to you when it suits them. I have seen it heaps of times and you can always spot it... Their lips move! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I have found many times that People won't do something or you can't do something right up to the point you actually enforce it. Some years ago I was doing all my album plans at night which meant I often didn't get hom till anywhere between 10Pm and midnight. This was a drain on my wife who was then not seeing me at night or weekends and I wasn't seeing my young kids. I asked a friend how he handeled this and he told me he only did album plans monday to friday, 9-5. I told him my clients had to work etc and wouldn't come in then. He said his wouldn't either till he told them that was the only time he could do album plans. After hours were for interviews and weekends he was of course shooting. I tried it and sure enough, the people that couldn't get time off for another month all rang back in an hour or 2 to tell me they had now arranged a day next week or would take a sick day or whatever. Upshot was, problem solved! Once I got used to the idea being workable, the clients rarely if ever questioned it. Turned out the problem was mine more than theirs, I just didn't realise it. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Good customer service is essential but so is being in control of your business and the way it runs.

[George_Lund]

I get a third at booking, a third 60 days before the wedding, and the final third 14 days before the wedding. I will not take any pics untill full payment is made. The first third holds the date. To those who do not do this, what happens if they decide not to get married 3 weeks before the wedding, good luck in booking another gig in the short of time, meanwhile you have turned away other clients because you saved a date for another then dont get paid???? All payments made are also non-refundable. As for reprint orders, I get at least half at time of order and the rest when I am ready to give them the prints. It's all in a contract signed at booking.