So I just did my 19th wedding as a 2nd shooter. The 4th photographer I've worked with.
The first 12 were with a photographer who paid me at the end of the night.
5 were with a photographer who chased down the couple at the end of the night for her payment (every time), and then paid me right after.
1 was with a photographer who paid me at the beginning of the day. He also said he gets paid in advanced and that whenever he 2nd shot he was paid at the beginning of the day and didn't know it was done any other way.
Today the photographer hired me just to 2nd shoot the ceremony and formals of the groomsmen. She said she didn't have any cash on her and would mail me a check.
In June I'm soloing for the first time. The couple has already paid me the deposit and the contract states that full payment is due before the wedding but can be paid up to the day of.
So my question is this, either as a 2nd, paying your 2nd, or when you're the chief photographer, when does payment happen?
I pay my second after the day - but only because I don't want to be distracted on the day itself and they are a regular second. However, this was the agreement so neither of us are worried about it.
As primary, I get 1/4 as the retainer and then the other three payments are split up with everything being paid in full no later than 30 days prior to the event. I never want to bother a bride with financial stuff on her wedding day. That doesn't jive well with me.
For paying seconds, I usually pay them at the end of the night. Although not always. If they're leaving before my coverage ends and are only contracted for a certain number of hours I'll pay them at the beginning or when I have the chance.
As I second a lot as well just because I love it and it allows me a chance to be more creative, I can say that 95% of the time I get paid at the end of the night as well.
I know a photographer who pays his seconds 2-3 weeks after the wedding. Never understood that. I pay my second at the beginning of the day. He/she knows what they are making and I write the check the night before so I have one less thing to think about the day of the wedding. I put the check in with the timeline review sheet that we go over on the way to the event. He/she grabs their check at that time. Otherwise I'll forget...
My payments are 1,500 up front and the balance 2 weeks before the wedding.
I pay seconds at the beginning of the day. We always get (and cash) the final check from the bride before the wedding day. You don't want to be chasing around a bride on her wedding day asking for a check.
I trust my seconds as they're good friends and very professional. I pay them at the beginning of the day if at all possible. Otherwise, we hit a bank sometime in the middle of the day while moving between locations.
I've been paid at the beginning, at the end, before the day, or a week or two later. I trust the people I second shoot for, and I always get paid.
~80% of the time at the end of the night I give the primary my cards with a self addressed padded envelope. Cards and check are then usually returned with a week to ten days.
I find most primaries do not want to hang around downloading cards, but also do not want to leave without possession of the images. This solution seems to manage those insecurities well.
I signed a couple that I almost didn't get to sign them. The groom said he didn't believe in paying a man before his work is done. I said, I am sorry, but my policy is to receive payment by the day of the wedding for the remainder of the balance and that's a change to my contract that I cannot make.
