Wow! What do I do?

[rich_evans]

<p>Maybe some of us are just fortunate, but we've never been burned. And like Mary and William W, we charge a 50% deposit at the signing of the contract and the other 50% on the day of - dad (or the groom) is generally prepared to write a bunch of checks that day anyway. No tickee no shirtee - if we're not paid that day, then we hold the photos until paid - simple.</p>

[waltonwhittaker]

<p>A check can be cashed when it is proferred, regardless of the date. Ask your banker.</p>

[mrmel]

<p>I did a wedding a few years ago that the couple paid for in advance. They also paid an additional fee for a hard copy proof book. They went off on their honeymoon and I would have the book ready when they returned. I got a call from the bride asking me to deliver the proof book to her mom. The mom went on to tell me that when they returned from the honeymoon they went their separate ways and are getting a divorce. They never asked for the Album and amazingly I actually received reprint orders from some of the relatives. That said you really need to get some kind of cash prepayment before the wedding day unless you are prepared to possibly not receive any compensation for your work for any reason. If you plan to post online be sure to take plenty of portraits and family shots of guest without the bride and groom and have information to hand out at the reception of how they can be seen and purchased.</p>

[dennis_fox1]

<p>I shot wedding for years and the amount is due it is due that's it.<br>

People most of the time try to screw you on weddings fact.<br>

You must remember word of mouth will screw your business too.<br>

Ask for the money or you can't shoot there wedding.<br>

Reorders are the gravy of the business.<br>

Also don't give your hard work away</p>

[brucecahn]

<p>Who does stuff like that? Customers. Lots of them are like that. Take the job, but don't do it until you have cashed their check. People like that are not always trustworthy and you don't want to take a chance of working for nothing. It happened to me several times until I clamped down. At least half to show up, the other half to get their proofs.</p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>I'm not a wedding photographer, just an outside observer. I can't help wondering why the service has to be paid for before the service is rendered. And why is that stipulation even in the contract? I know I don't usually pay for things, services or goods, until after I receive the service or goods. Why is it different in wedding photography? Thanks.</p>

[think27]

<p>I actually only ask for 20% up front. I like getting the nice big check the day of.</p>

<p>I make sure I have enough to cover the film and processing... and with my prices, that was more than enough. </p>

<p>Like Jeffrey, I also don't believe in asking for payment before I show up. What if something happens to me? I also don't worry and never had to worry about getting paid. I hold something very very dear to these couples... the treasured photos... I've even worked out a deal with a few couples I liked that where having trouble making ends meat where they paid 20%, 50% the day of and 50% upon delivery of prints. Like I said - I never ever got burned. I DO think you should get paid the day off.. but there I preferred to be paid at the end of my day. There were couples who preferred to pay in advance and or at the beginning of the day but that was up to them.</p>

[think27]

<p>However, We should all keep in mind that people do things differently and there are not any wrong answers. </p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>I would hire you Mary in a heartbeat. Conversely, I would be very suspicious of someone who was so fanatically concerned about getting paid even before rendering a service. I can't imagine that any consumer would feel differently. </p>

[surfidaho]

<p>Howdy!<br>

Mary's right, there is no wrong answer. But I get the money ahead of time, for three reasons:</p>

<ol>

<li>I hate asking people for money on their wedding day.</li>

<li>I want everything out of the way so that everyone can focus on the wedding.</li>

<li>I've had checks bounce. Not from malice mind you, but weddings are expensive, and sometimes people don't realize that they're overextended.</li>

</ol>

<p>I also prefer credit card transactions rather than checks, for reason number 3.<br>

Later,<br>

Paulsky</p>

<p> </p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>Well, it seems to me that some ways of doing business are "more right" than others (since we're being tactful here).</p>

[john_liberty]

<p>Actually, I would cash it now. My bank told me it's against the law to date a check like that (at least in NM). It's supposed to be payable on demand. Failing that I wouldn't shoot the wedding. They violated your verbal agreement. A post dated check is not payment. Period.</p>

[surfidaho]

<p>Howdy!<br>

My version of "right" comes from trying many different ways of doing business over many years, and learning what works best for me and my customers.<br>

I do not require final payment until two weeks before the date, and I give full refunds (including the deposit) for any of The Three "D"'s:</p>

<ol>

<li>Death - Heaven forbid somebody close to the bride and groom passes away and the wedding must be postponed or cancelled.</li>

<li>Disability - Not as bad as number one, but still bad.</li>

<li>Duty to Country - Back when people were having their Iraq tours extended, this popped up quite often.</li>

</ol>

<p>Otherwise, I keep the deposit.<br>

Later,<br>

Paulsky</p>

[sam_ellis]

<p>I ask for full payment one month in advance for Paul's reason #1, I hate asking for a check at the wedding. I know it's standard, but I just feel awkward. I explain that to the couple at the initial consultation. If they forget, we take care of it at the wedding, but I don't stress about it.<br>

Also, one of my "things" is posting a preview of the wedding within 24 hours (usually that night) and adding a photo or two to facebook and tagging the couple. Most of my couples love that and tell me that they checked them out while on the honeymoon. It also drives people to my site right away. The facebook comments are nice to read too :) I wouldn't do that if I was waiting for a check to clear.<br>

Sam</p>

[William Michael]

<p ><strong ><em >"I also prefer credit card transactions rather than checks" </em></strong></p>

<p > </p>

<p >Me too. There is a thread here: <a href="http://www.photo.net/business-photography-forum/00TgqU">http://www.photo.net/business-photography-forum/00TgqU</a> about payment TYPES. As I mentioned in that thread, Banks here are fastidious about Cheque Clearances, because as I understand it is the bank which is wholly liable.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >***</p>

<p > </p>

<p ><strong ><em >"like . . . William W, we charge a 50% deposit at the signing of the contract and the other 50% on the day of"</em></strong></p>

<p > </p>

<p >Later on I found that three payments was a better structure for my business: I played with many combinations, like: 30% non refundable / 60% on the day or before / 10% for preview album or viewing . . . whatever the structure, be it two or three payments the leverage is that nothing is handed over until the final payment is made. I found there weren’t any customers that did not understand and appreciate this concept. </p>

<p > </p>

<p >I think the manner in which things are explained beforehand and at a face to face meeting is important. Even for those who do not meet the client beforehand, a telephone conversation, timed correctly (not during the client's work hours) can achieve this understanding, I think emails (the written word generally) is limiting and is open to too much misinterpretation - just look at the misinterpretation mishaps forum threads often have :)</p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

<p >WW </p>

<p > </p>

 

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>Sam, why would you have to ask for payment on the day of the wedding? Everything is done on the day of the wedding? All the prints are completed and the service has been fulfilled? As an impartial observer, it just seems as if getting paid supercedes everything, even completing the "project." It strikes me as unnecessary stress that the couple has to endure: "What if the photographer doesn't come through and we already paid him?"</p>

<p> </p>

[kiva]

<p>I believe you'll find that all other vendors are paid Prior To the wedding day. The family does not go around passing out checks, in our area, on the wedding day.</p>

<p>The venues are paid ahead.</p>

<p>The food is paid ahead.</p>

<p>The flowers are paid before being delivered.</p>

<p>The cake is paid in advance.</p>

<p>The dj, in our area, are paid ahead.</p>

<p>Why not the photographer? </p>

<p>Couples may, of course, try to get away with not paying in advance ... you gotta' love America: they can ask. But, I can ask to be paid in advance as well; I can put it in my contract and they can hire me or not. Free Enterprise rocks!</p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>William, thanks for the heads up: I wasn't aware that all those other goods and services were paid in advance. It sounds like there's something wrong with the entire wedding racket and not just the photographers.</p>

<p>I just know if I have my car repaired, I don't pay for the parts in advance, I don't leave a deposit, and I don't pay for anything until the work is completed to my satisfaction. And that's how it should be.</p>

[sam_ellis]

<p>William pretty much summed it up, it's just how some people do things. Most of the vendors I know get paid ahead of time. As I said, I feel it just makes things smoother on the wedding day to not get paid at the wedding. The bride and groom, parents, best man, etc. all have enough things to do than to go around passing out checks. What if the best man has it and gets too drunk to function? What if dad's check bounces and I've already done all the work- I have a preview up the next day and the rest within two weeks. I may have posted all the images before the bank informs me of the problem by mail.<br>

My contract states that the deposit and payments are non-refundable unless the photographer cancels. So if something happens to me and I can't be there they get all their money back. If anyone doesn't like that policy, they don't have to hire me.<br>

many people ask to pay me even earlier just to get things squared away. If you've never been married, there are a LOT of details to manage. The less you have to worry about on the wedding day, the better.</p>

<p> </p>

[sam_ellis]

<p>By the way Jeffrey, my car's in the shop right now and I paid a $500 deposit even though everything is 100% covered by insurance. I've also had work done where the estimated cost was due in advance.<br>

To call the wedding business a racket is insulting. We provide goods and services to people on a very important day of their lives. Every couple has the option to go to the courthouse, fill out some paperwork, and get married by a JP, judge, or clerk of the court. There is nothing in the books that says a single vendor has to be hired. People choose who their vendors are and as vendors, we can choose how to run our businesses.<br>

There is no right answer to how to handle payment. I'm sure that if your fiance wanted to hire XYZ Photography but they required full payment in advance, you wouldn't tell her "no" because of it.</p>

 

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>Sam, "racket" is an unfortunate choice of words, maybe "business practices" is apt. I would have been insulted too. Sorry.</p>

<p>I don't think you should have had to put down a $500 deposit to have work done on your car. I would go elsewhere, just me, but I suppose being in business yourself, and operating similarly, you were sympathetic.</p>

<p>And you're correct that you have a right to run your business as you see fit just as I have a right to avoid your business if it seems unfit.</p>

<p>There are two sides to this story and I'm speaking strictly as a consumer hoping to offer to offer something to the discussion, FWIW. People going through a wedding process seem vulnerable to me. JMHO, FWIW.</p>

<p> </p>

[kiva]

<p>I'll betcha' anything you paid for your "new" car before they let you drive it home, right?</p>

<p>I ask the bridal couple to pay for their new photos before I let them take 'em home. They've inspected my work and see that I give a quality product in the style they like: so they by my "model" of photography and pay for it and await the delivery since it's not currently on the showroom floor.</p>

<p>smiles... it's a good thing. You order something on-line in dozens of locations with your credit card: you pay for it All ahead of getting the product. Take alook around you in life and you'll see it's actually very very common.</p>

[betty_lowrey]

<p>I agree with William.<br>

When you go to a movie, you pay before seeing the film.<br>

When you go to the doctor, you pay a co-pay before getting seen.<br>

I could go on and on. I require a 50% deposit to reserve your date and the balance on the day of the wedding or before.</p>

[douglas lee]

<blockquote>

<p>I just know if I have my car repaired, I don't pay for the parts in advance, I don't leave a deposit, and I don't pay for anything until the work is completed to my satisfaction. And that's how it should be.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>So, your auto mechanic lets you take your car home before you pay for it? Doubt it. Of sourse wedding vendors require up front payment. After the wedding the flowers are wilted, the food is eaten, the cake is eaten, etc., etc..</p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>Maybe you guys are right about upfront payments. I'll have to chew on this a little more, FWIW. I'm glad I brought this up because it's making me re-assess my position. Good luck with your businesses! Thanks.</p>