What Should Be Included in a Wedding Photography Contract?
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When you get engaged there’s a little montage that flashes before your eyes: drinking champagne while twirling around in a dozen dresses, cake samples, a riot of color swatches, cake samples, the overwhelming scent of a thousand flowers you’ve never heard of, cake samples, imagining yourself on a Cape Cod beach or at MFABoston, and that one beautiful moment as you stare over at your beloved before they say “I do.”
Then you’re hit with invoices.
And paperwork.
Even for the cake samples.
There’s a deeply unsexy side to wedding planning that nobody really wants to talk about but is incredibly important: contracts.
As you start to accumulate vendors, you’re going to get to know a lot about business contracts against your will. This is a crash course in what you need to know about wedding photography contracts from your favorite New England wedding photographer.
Obvious disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
A contract is a roadmap so you and your wedding photographer can reach your wedding day (and after) smoothly. At a high level it’s going to outline what everyone needs to do, when they need to do it, and what happens if something goes wrong. So what parts should you expect to see in your Boston wedding photography contract?
1. The Essential Details: The names of the parties; the date, time, and location of the wedding; and contact details.
2. Package Details and Pricing: The contract should cover how long coverage will last; the level of staffing for the shoot (second photographer? Key grip? Best boy grip?); additional coverage (engagement session, rehearsal dinner, bridal shoot); deliverables (downloads, albums, prints); delivery times. There should also be a rough outline of the editing and retouching process – what’s standard? What will be extra?
3. The Money: What’s the payment schedule? How does the deposit work? Who is responsible for permits and location fees? Are there any travel costs? Do you have to feed and water your Cape Cod wedding photographer? What happens if the wedding needs to be cancelled or rescheduled? What happens if something happens? Do you get a refund? Does the photographer send a backup? What happens if everything is running late and you need two more hours of coverage?
4. Usage: What can you do with all these beautifully composed pictures? Can you print them? Can you edit them? Can you share them? What is your photographer going to be doing with them? What does the model release say?
5. Emergencies: What happens if your photographer gets hit by a bus? What happens if your venue burns down and then falls into a swamp? What’s the liability and insurance situation? How long does thee photographer retain copies of the images after the wedding in case you accidentally delete them?
As you can see, your contract with a Massachusetts wedding photographer will have to cover a lot. Most of the time you won’t have to worry but if something does go wrong you’ll be glad you took the time to understand and review any wedding contract. A good contract will protect both parties and make sure you’re not left high and dry when something goes wrong. It also helps to set expectations and answer questions you might not have though about, all in black and white (though sometimes the type is very small).
Have you started reviewing vendor contracts for your wedding? What are you seeing? What questions do you have about wedding photography?
Ryan Richardson is a wedding and engagement photographer serving Boston and beyond; including Cape Cod Weddings, New England Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings and Rhode Island Weddings
Summary:
While they’re the least fun part of planning your wedding, contracts are probably one of the things you need to pay the closest attention to. They’re both a roadmap for your wedding team and an emergency escape plan.
Q&A
Q: What should be included in a wedding photography contract?
A: A wedding photography contract should clearly outline the date, location, coverage hours, payment schedule, deliverables, image usage rights, cancellation terms, backup plans, and expected delivery timeline. It should also explain what happens if the wedding is postponed or if anything has to be changed. The contract should serve both parties.
Q: Do wedding photographers keep the copyright to the photos?
A: In most cases, the photographer retains the copyright while the couple receives personal-use and printing rights. This generally allows you to download, print, and share your photographs, but not sell or substantially alter them without permission. Some New England wedding photographers will offer a fully copyright buyout but it’s not common.
Q: How do I keep the photographs from my wedding private?
A: Different Boston wedding photographers will have different policies about how images will be used for sales and marketing - in this social media climate content is king and there’s a lot of value in being able to share your latest wedding, blog about the location, and get people excited about your work. If privacy is a concern for you, put that up front in your conversation and ask for language stating your images won’t be used (or will only be used under limited circumstances). More established photographers will take these requests very seriously, though sometimes there may be a marketing buy out fee.