Hiring a Wedding Photographer

[maat55]

My wife has told me that we have to pay in full before the wedding. I think this is bad business. I would think 50% for showing up and 50% for the pictures or cd's once recieved would be good business.

What is your experience with this issue?

[Inkstain82]

My wife has told me that we have to pay in full before the wedding. I think this is bad business. I would think 50% for showing up and 50% for the pictures or cd's once recieved would be good business.

What is your experience with this issue?

I've got a little experience with the photography business, and my understanding is that it's standard to pay in full the photographer's fee, which *only* pays for him showing up and taking the photos. Buying CDs and prints and albums is a separate process that you do and pay for later.

[disneysteve]

For our daughter's Bat Mitzvah in September, everything with the photographer was paid for in advance. Same for the DJ and the caterer. That's standard practice in the party business.

[maat55]

Well, I guess I'll pay in advance, grudgingly.

[disneysteve]

The photographer probably offers a variety of packages. What you could do is choose the cheapest package. Then, after the affair when you see the proofs, you could always upgrade to get a larger album or more prints and pay the additional cost then.

[twinjackienurse]

married in august

We had to pay full price before. Just make sure you get a photographer that lets you have copyright to all your pictures!

[cooliemae]

My wife and I just got married in October and of all the things to do with the wedding the photography industy upset me the most.

Don't get me wrong, I loved our photographer and she took some great shots of us.

We paid a $300 deposit when we booked her and the paid the balance in full a week before the wedding.

The thing that upsets me about the wedding industry is that you have to pay more money to actually own your pictures. My wife and I had to pay an extra $400 in order to secure the rights to our own photos. How crazy is that!

We didn't order any prints from the photographer, because if we had, our families would have spent a fortune. We made copies of the pictures onto cds and then are mailing them to everyone, so that they can purchase the pictures they want for a lot cheaper.

[gamecock43]

I was just married last month and paid 50% when I booked her, 50% the day of. Plus I gave a 10% tip in with her 2nd payment. Thats what I did and it worked out fine. I paid all by personal check too.

[maat55]

We had to pay full price before. Just make sure you get a photographer that lets you have copyright to all your pictures!

This was the case with my first daughters wedding and I think it is with this one, but I will check to make sure, thanks for reminding me.