p.4 #1 · Why do we collect the full balance before the wedding?
I hate chasing brides down for money on their wedding day. I also think couples need skin in the game, you never know if relationships sour or career issues pop up.
p.4 #2 · Why do we collect the full balance before the wedding?
I take my final payment, roughly one third of the package cost after the wedding. I have a $1,500.00 retainer/booking fee, the remaining balance is spit in half with 2nd payment due 30 days out and the final payment after they actually see their images in their online gallery.
Mark, with the greatest respect that is pretty much the same as getting paid up front They are paying $1500 on booking, being one third of the final bill. Then $1500 a month before the wedding. Not inconsequential amounts. So if they stiff you, then you already have $3000 in the bank. OK you've done the shooting and you've done the basic processing, but you have not designed the album or incurred any wholesale album costs.
In other words you're just like the rest of us
To those members who can't grasp why it would be justifiable to retain the entire fee on a short notice cancellation even though you have not actually shot the wedding: the cancellation has deprived you of the opportunities you would have had if you'd booked someone else to make post wedding extra sales, obtain recommendations from guests, and possibly the chance to shoot a new or refreshed portfolio for that venue. Its not money for nothing, far from it.
p.4 #3 · Why do we collect the full balance before the wedding?
Something I did once when I was really pushed on this: put in a final payment after the wedding but made it equal to the cost of the album. This way if they screwed me I'd have taken the profit from the album already. Obviously this is never going to be a big number but the token gesture to move was enough in this case.
p.4 #4 · Why do we collect the full balance before the wedding?
ashton lamont wrote: I take my final payment, roughly one third of the package cost after the wedding. I have a $1,500.00 retainer/booking fee, the remaining balance is spit in half with 2nd payment due 30 days out and the final payment after they actually see their images in their online gallery.
Mark, with the greatest respect that is pretty much the same as getting paid up front They are paying $1500 on booking, being one third of the final bill. Then $1500 a month before the wedding. Not inconsequential amounts. So if they stiff you, then you already have $3000 in the bank. OK you've done the shooting and you've done the basic processing, but you have not designed the album or incurred any wholesale album costs.
Not really, at least from the client's perspective. They know that they still have 1/3 in their hand and on the two largest packages it is more than a 1/3. Thus, they do not have to part with everything before I show up. Additionally, I offer a full 100% refund if they are not happy with their images. That means that the $1,500.00 retainer and the 2nd payment would be refunded.
p.4 #5 · Why do we collect the full balance before the wedding?
MRomine wrote:
I offer a full 100% refund if they are not happy with their images. That means that the $1,500.00 retainer and the 2nd payment would be refunded.
Wow has anyone actually called this in? Do they also lose all usage right to the pictures if they do? (not that it is really enforceable).
p.4 #6 · Why do we collect the full balance before the wedding?
Mark_L wrote:
Wow has anyone actually called this in? Do they also lose all usage right to the pictures if they do? (not that it is really enforceable).
Not to date and to my knowledge no one has wanted to. They get to see their photos in an on-line gallery before I request final payment but once their digitals are delivered the opportunity for a refund goes away. So any time from the time that their on-lline gallery goes live until we deliver their digitals they can request a full refund.
p.4 #8 · Why do we collect the full balance before the wedding?
If you are getting paid after the fact, certainly don't deliver the pictures until you collect everything. That's how I've always done it and so far so good.
p.4 #10 · Why do we collect the full balance before the wedding?
sgtbueno wrote:
Well, this is another reason, sad but it does happen.
I wonder what the argument was about. What could be so important that you'd kill your wife on the wedding day. He caught her flirting with another man at the reception?
Not really, at least from the client's perspective. They know that they still have 1/3 in their hand and on the two largest packages it is more than a 1/3. Thus, they do not have to part with everything before I show up. Additionally, I offer a full 100% refund if they are not happy with their images. That means that the $1,500.00 retainer and the 2nd payment would be refunded.