Reading these war stories remind me why I don't do a lot of weddings anymore. I've done some greek and middle eastern and have had similar experiences. But it just confirms what I've said hours of coverage should always clearly delineated. Give a flat price and suffer the consequences.

I have packages that determine hours that I work. Only my top package would have me working from say 8am till midnight or 1am if required. Such long days are rare but manageable. Hours alone don't make a Wedding hard in my experience. I've done tougher Weddings that were 6 hours long for me than some that lasted 15. Other factors are how many venues you're working at.

I often wondered if I should charge more for church Weddings than for civil Weddings as the ceremony is often longer and if you're filming Bridal Preps, there's that stress of car parking if in a city centre and of course the stress of more travel during the day to different locations. When Bridal Preps, Ceremony and Reception is all at 1 venue, the day is so much easier.

I'd also love to charge an extra fee for those Weddings whose Speeches last more than 40 minutes. I would call it the waffling surcharge.

Hi Steve

I have always had flat rate prices which cover from event to event (like ceremony to end of first dance) but quite often that can equate to more than what it should be in terms of hours! A ceremony at 3pm assumes a first dance at 9pm (so 6 hours) but it doesn't always work out that way. The problem is if you specify hours, what happens if there is a delay ? Do you charge them per extra hour regardless even if you are there only 30 minutes over time. I have seen a photog who said "times up" just before the cake cutting and refused to shoot any more unless she paid for an extra hour!

Maybe cost out for say 10 hours for something the you estimate at 8 hours so if it goes over time and you stay on you are seen as the good guy???

Hi Chris,

Actually my packages are:

Ceremony to 1st Dance
Ceremony to 10pm
Bridal Preps to 10pm (Bridal Preps filming start time no earlier than 10am)
Full Day coverage from 8am till midnight or later if agreed in advance.

This balances for me between determining packages by hours and those by events.

Thanks Steve

Just asking cos I had a ceremony to first dance one a few years ago and they had the ceremony at 3 and the first dance ended up at 11pm!! I only costed in 6 hours as all dances are normally at 9pm!! Had to wait an extra 2 hours as I was specific that I would cover to the end of the first dance and they just ignored the timeline and kept delaying the first dance (and cake) which I had to get. Most stick to the rules though.

I wondered if you has a clause like "up to the end of the first dance provided it's done by 9pm" or similar or if they delay it, do you have a clause that allows you to charge extra if they go way past the supposed time ?

If the 1st Dance goes beyond 9 then they have to pay until 10. That said if they have a late ceremony, I can be more flexible on that front as I did a few days ago as the Ceremony was at 4.

On solo vs team shooting - there are a ton of benefits when shooting with a second and third shooter, if done properly.

I know every time I do a wedding solo, invariably, the final quality suffers a bit, because it's impossible to be everywhere. A lot of it depends on the size of the wedding and how many locations there are though.

For smaller weddings where it's all in one place (preps, ceremony, and reception) it's a lot easier vs traveling to a hotel for brides, grooms house for guys, then to the ceremony site, and then to a different reception site.

My pricing kind of takes that into account by how I have structured them with 3 hours, 6 hours, and 10 hours with each higher package including additional help - 1 shooter, 2 shooters, 3-4 shooters, because I know the 6 and 10 hour days will likely have multiple locations. And if they don't, all the better for me because I won't need to have the whole team there all day.

In an ideal world, I would work as some plumbers do, have an hourly rate and present my bill after I had finished the job. This then would take into account any extra hours worked on the Wedding Day, time spent editing and all fees and costs incurred. This would ensure I would be fully reimbursed for those Weddings that needed extra time editing to cover processing of low light footage, longer than expected Ceremony and Speeches and any issues with audio on the day. Whilst I can predict how much time any given Wedding can need, the fact is some Weddings take longer to edit than others and it's only when I edit these Weddings, this extra work becomes apparent.

In the end, I charge I rate that covers an average amount of work per package, with the view that some will require less and others will require more.

Thanks Steve

Just asking cos I had a ceremony to first dance one a few years ago and they had the ceremony at 3 and the first dance ended up at 11pm!! I only costed in 6 hours as all dances are normally at 9pm!! Had to wait an extra 2 hours as I was specific that I would cover to the end of the first dance and they just ignored the timeline and kept delaying the first dance (and cake) which I had to get. Most stick to the rules though.

I wondered if you has a clause like "up to the end of the first dance provided it's done by 9pm" or similar or if they delay it, do you have a clause that allows you to charge extra if they go way past the supposed time ?
The First Dance can wind up later than promised sometimes by many hours later (e.g. waiting for the drunk bride who is throwing up in the toilets to sober up!). Some videographers have penal overtime rates to deter time slippage on the day.

Hi Nigel

I still prefer to get all my money up front and have a firm price. How would you do that IF that sort of thing happened? I think we all know that brides are flat broke after the wedding so I would be loathe to invoice her for an extra 2 hours as I probably wouldn't get paid. In fact I have a bridal pack sitting on my shelf and it's been there for 24 months now, all because the bride has an outstanding of a mere $200 ! She refuses to pay and I refuse to deliver ..I doubt whether she will EVER pay (or get her video and photos) Sometimes I think it's better to cost in a delay in the event so you are covered. If she actually finishes early you could always score brownie points by giving her something extra in the package (without telling her why) So cost out a 6 hour wedding at 8 hours and if it falls within the schedule, give her a little extra bonus as a thank you.

I have a clause in my contract which covers late payment situations. I expect final payment on completion of the work, which means when I tell them it has been completed, not when they want me to deliver it. They can delay delivery, but not payment. Any delay in payment, means invoking the late payment clause of 1% per week from the date of completion. In Chris's case, that percentage would have been adding up for many months to the stage where it is worth taking legal action.

In practice, I have only had to use the threat of the clause (by a gentle reminder) on a couple of occasions. One of those a couple of months back when they sold me they had unexpected vets bills for a sick puppy and would not be able to pay me for a while. I pointed out that I was not in a position to make them a loan for their puppy, which was effectively what they were suggesting. In addition, they were contractually obliged to pay the additional late payment fee which ammounted to 40.00 per month, steadily incrementing for each week they didn't pay, plus any legal fees incurred. Within 2 days, they phoned me back to say that a family member would lend them the money.

Sometimes people conveniently forget their obligations and often haven't even read their contract details until you remind them. They also forget that it is your income that they are messing with, not some faceless corporate entity and a gentle reminder with a legal stick as backup is usually sufficient.

Roger

I used to split my cost into 3 parts Roger. 1/3rd on booking, 1/3rd 2 weeks before the wedding and 1/3rd on completion but after a few brides messed me around (apart from my 24 month lady) I changed to 1/3rd on booking and the balance 2 weeks before the wedding. I have had too many brides overspend on the wedding and honeymoon and come back flat broke and ruin my carefully planned cash flow!

Yeah, we've had some people not pay, or have had trouble getting payment after the wedding.

Now, it's $500 to book and the balance due 30 days prior to the wedding... and I'm contemplating moving it to 45 or 60 days prior for 2017.

I'm not a bill collector and the last thing I want to be doing is chasing people for money, and also avoiding the "we are low on budget and need to reduce our package for video" or "We are out of money and can't afford video" kind of thing.

Make the florist or caterer deal with that stuff. lol

Where I live you can ask a deposit but no client will ever pay the full amount 1 to 2 months before the wedding so lucky you :) final payment is mainly when all is ready to be delivered. The reasoning behind not wanting to pay the full amount could be that what if the videographer goes bankrupt or gets into a accident, will the couple ever see their money back if no film is delivered? Or what if there is no wedding, couples will accept loosing their deposit but not the risk of loosing the full amount paid.
I did not have any problems with getting payed the past years however, the only strict rule I apply is that as long as there is no final payment there will no video be send to the couple.

Where I live you can ask a deposit but no client will ever pay the full amount 1 to 2 months before the wedding so lucky you :) final payment is mainly when all is ready to be delivered. The reasoning behind not wanting to pay the full amount could be that what if the videographer goes bankrupt or gets into a accident, will the couple ever see their money back if no film is delivered? Or what if there is no wedding, couples will accept loosing their deposit but not the risk of loosing the full amount paid.
I did not have any problems with getting payed the past years however, the only strict rule I apply is that as long as there is no final payment there will no video be send to the couple.

Same here Noa, I never let any video out of my hands until it is paid for.

Roger

Another good reason why I shoot solo is that "affordable low price" of my package makes it very easy for the client to pay it all before the event, like who doesn't have $500 dollars ( that last 1/3rd payment) a few weeks before the event ? as opposed to a far more expensive multi shooter multi cam shoot that would potentially leave the balance up there in the four figure zone. Harder to collect that before or AFTER the event, I say.

I guess people also aim for a higher package price simply due to the number of weddings available. In some cases based on a workable 9 month season you could have situations where you only have 36 Saturday weddings so you might figure "Let's rather make $5000 per wedding with a team, rather than $1500 per wedding solo" as ones opportunities are limited. Also traditionally brides that have a higher end wedding are more likely to choose a Saturday as their special day whilst the budget bride is quite happy with a Friday, Sunday or even a week day wedding . So shooting multi camera with multi operators you have to charge a bit more as you are unlikely to get the week day/off day weddings.

When it comes to the final costing I wonder if the guy that has two assistants and a massive pile of gear actually puts more money in his pocket than the solo shooter?

However we wish to justify our Business choices, the fact is there is a market for solo shooters as there is for multi shooters. Some clients will prefer you to have a team of 2 or 3 to film their Wedding and it's not up to us to argue otherwise.

Given that most of us here shoot solo, arguing it's benefits is like preaching to the choir. If I couldn't see the benefits of filming a Wedding as a solo operator, I wouldn't be doing it. However there are clear advantages for filming with a 2nd or 3rd person. Some Weddings just can't be fully covered to a clients satisfaction with a single person, no matter how much we may think otherwise.

Another good reason why I shoot solo is that "affordable low price" of my package makes it very easy for the client to pay it all before the event, like who doesn't have $500 dollars ( that last 1/3rd payment) a few weeks before the event ? as opposed to a far more expensive multi shooter multi cam shoot that would potentially leave the balance up there in the four figure zone. Harder to collect that before or AFTER the event, I say.

I have the opposite experience, big budget clients always have payed without a discussion, it's the low budget ones that sometimes have been causing problems, either with not paying or with complaining afterwards. Ever since I raised my price the complaints or payment issues disappeared.

All my clients pick my most expensive package, but that could be because I only have one full option package :)

I'm strongly debating on going to one package (day of) after next year. I'm just a little apprehensive since our American culture is all about choice.

All my clients pick my most expensive package, but that could be because I only have one full option package :)

Yeah, we've had some people not pay, or have had trouble getting payment after the wedding.

Now, it's $500 to book and the balance due 30 days prior to the wedding... and I'm contemplating moving it to 45 or 60 days prior for 2017.

I'm not a bill collector and the last thing I want to be doing is chasing people for money, and also avoiding the "we are low on budget and need to reduce our package for video" or "We are out of money and can't afford video" kind of thing.

Make the florist or caterer deal with that stuff. lol

I do 30 days in advance. It's rare I have anyone complain about it. My response when I'm asked why is, so I can concentrate on finalizing the edit. And since I've never failed to deliver, 30 days in advance gives me the mental latitude.

The day we switched from "Booking Deposit, Payment a Month Before and Balance on Delivery" to "Booking Deposit and Balance two weeks before the Wedding", all our non-payment problems vanished and not one bride complained about the new terms. That was years ago and still no complaints. Most others vendors want payment up front any way.

I visited my mate yesterday who is a photographer and he did a wedding in November ...despite his terms (same as mine) the bride didn't pay and came up with various options "I'll pay you when you do Bridal prep" ..he felt sorry for her so relented (and didn't get paid) ..he did the ceremony and on arrival at the reception found the DJ and wedding decor people packing up to go. They hadn't be paid either! Despite her final promise of "I'll pay you when I come down to the reception" she didn't so he also packed up and left. She has been bugging him for her photos ever since but still has not paid him the balance!!

That should convince everyone doing weddings to get paid before you start!!

There are many, in fact way too many instances where the bride promises to pay on the day of BUT there are too many variables/excuses/reasons/delays into that payment not being delivered. I can mention one instance, and this is fairly common that I am sure most will agree, is a time way back when the final payment was supposed to be the week before the wedding at the very latest and the bride had too many things to pay that week as usual, perfectly understandable, promised the payment on the end of the wedding day. Time comes, she did not pay. She had to wait for HER guest cheques to clear BEFORE she can pay me as all her guests didn't put cash in their envelopes. She did, however , leave me with a cheque saying that she will call me AFTER HER HONEYMOON and let me know when to deposit it. Seemed her honeymoon lasted a full 2 months.

The only reason someone should get paid after the wedding would be maybe somebody who is just starting out and is a bit more of a risk for the couple. Once you become established, it doesn't make sense.

When I did weddings in Texas in the mid-nineties, I had a couple pay the remaining balance TWO YEARS after their wedding. I kid you not. I half-expected them to get divorced before I saw my money.

The only reason someone should get paid after the wedding would be maybe somebody who is just starting out and is a bit more of a risk for the couple. Once you become established, it doesn't make sense.

Even if you are established you can go out of business leaving the couple with no film and no money. I would also not fully pay for a service that has not even been started, probably it's a culture thing but deposits are considered normal over here, full payment before the wedding not.

Hey Noa

So what sort of deposit would couples give you in Belgium?? Do they pay you when you announce the media is ready for delivery or actually once they have received it and watched it?

What would a baker do then over there ..accept a deposit for the cake only and hope the couple pick it up and pay for it ?? One would assume that reception venues would need to be paid in advance like everywhere else.

The problem with a video or photos once you have shot it and handed it over to the couple you don't really have a physical product of value to repossess if they don't pay!! Same as the wedding cake ...once people have eaten it you cannot take it back due to non payment!!!

I think it is important to differentiate between a service and a product. If you are baking a cake, you have physical ingredients to purchase before you even start baking. A wedding dress requires purchase of materials, taking measurements etc, and venue hire involves buying in large quantities of food, venue dressing materials and payment of staff etc.

Filming and/or photographing a wedding is basically a no expense up front enterprise, being mainly time use. Having a cancellation or non payment doesn't mean you have lost money on wasted materials, it means that you have a chance of replacing a cancellation at no expense, or taking action to recover payment for time spent on filming or editing.

For me, my contract covers cancellation fees dependant on notice given, and penalties for any late payment of due amounts. I never hand over any work until full payment has been made, but equally I prefer to be paid when I have completed the work. The client gets notification of the completion date and payment has to be made within 7 days of that notification or penalty payments kick in. They also have the option of paying cash on delivery, or bank transfer, card or cheque payments providing they are cleared before delivery.

The reason I have used the no payment up front policy for 32 years, is that as explained, I have no up front costs, but more importantly for me, if anything happens to me or my business, the couple are not losing a big payment. Over the years I have seen this happening many times to couples through business collapses, deaths and deliberate fraud on a number of occasions involving thousands of pounds. The ordinary working man does not get paid in advance for his job and I expect to work on the same basis of being paid for what I have done, not for something that I will be doing. I have the same policy with contractors that I use, I will pay them for any materials, but any labour costs are paid on completion.

Over the years, I have experienced the occasional reluctance to pay or stalling for time, but a quick and friendly reminder of their contractual obligations (which they frequently haven't read) always brings quick payment. People who are reluctant to pay never want to face the idea of paying even more if they stall, so I have never failed to receive payment for a wedding and delays have been very few and far between.

The strength of a good contract is vital however you take payment. A couple of years back, I filmed a wedding and kept getting stalled for payment and delivery, so I reminded them of the penalties and sent them a bill for the cost plus penalties or they could pay the contract price immediately. They paid the next morning. I also filmed at the same venue a few weeks later and it seemed that they were still owed over £5k by the couple. They later took them to court and the couple were ordered to pay them £10 per month. Apparently there was no notification in their contract of when final payment should have been made.

The moral is to take payment however you see fit, but make sure you have a cast iron contract to back it up.

Roger

Point taken Roger

However if a couple pays me a deposit it still doesn't really cover me for my time already spent and if they stalled on a prepayment prior to the wedding would it cover your time if you went ahead and shot and edited the wedding? As already mentioned I have a DVD set on the shelf that's 24 months old now...no they won't pay BUT I have edited and packaged their wedding media ready for delivery ...if they cannot pay the small sum they owe me, what chance would I have if I started adding penalties? My view is if they cannot pay the final 1/3rd on delivery that means they have no money spare. OK we are solo shooters but I wonder how the higher end operators would feel when they have to pay two second shooters, transport and fuel if the bride refuses to pay on delivery ...Do they tell their assistants "Sorry boys I cannot pay you as the bride won't pay" I still prefer the up front method even if it sounds a bit unfair to the bride.

Point taken Roger

However if a couple pays me a deposit it still doesn't really cover me for my time already spent and if they stalled on a prepayment prior to the wedding would it cover your time if you went ahead and shot and edited the wedding? As already mentioned I have a DVD set on the shelf that's 24 months old now...no they won't pay BUT I have edited and packaged their wedding media ready for delivery ...if they cannot pay the small sum they owe me, what chance would I have if I started adding penalties? My view is if they cannot pay the final 1/3rd on delivery that means they have no money spare. OK we are solo shooters but I wonder how the higher end operators would feel when they have to pay two second shooters, transport and fuel if the bride refuses to pay on delivery ...Do they tell their assistants "Sorry boys I cannot pay you as the bride won't pay" I still prefer the up front method even if it sounds a bit unfair to the bride.

I think that time is a variable thing, so how much time would you spend on a wedding let's say 6 months before the date, apart from writing it it in the diary and sending them a contract? Any other time spent talking to them previously, I would see as promotion, a necessary investment in any business.

I do worry about your wedding that has been sitting on the shelf for 24 months. Why can't they pay? If they signed a contract with you for the full fee and you have fulfilled your obligation to them, then they don't have a choice. You are effectively making them a loan of the balance to pay other bills that they have. It's up to them to take out a lone to pay their debt to you. You mention that if they can't pay the small amount they owe you, what chance would you have that they would also pay extra penalties. My counter argument to that would be that if they owed you for example £300, then under my penalty payment clause, that would now ammount to about £560. With an offer to accept the £300 now or be taken to court for £560 plus costs they may well decide to pay. They could also have paid off that ammount at £6 per week only by now!

I think it is more the case that you are a nice guy, giving them more sympathy than they deserve and they know they have already got away with it for 2 years and probably see you as a soft touch!

Roger

I am one of those that asks for a small deposit on Booking then the remaining balance before the day; so a week before the Wedding is when I expect the final payment. To be honest only my death would ensure they would not get the finished video. Going out of business is no excuse as I have the footage and a computer. I prefer to have the money up front as I can get stalled on delivery for silly things like music choices, final approval of the video.

I suppose I could have say a 1/3 of the payment deliverable before I hand over the finished video, but as I am delivering multiple videos ( full length, 30-40 min video, Highlights video over a period of 3-4 months), its hard to pin down when I would demand this last payment. Also I allow couples the chance to request minor amendments to the video, so when do I ask for this final fee. Before I hand over the copy for them to approve, the final version once any amendments are made, when I deliver the 40 minute version or maybe I should wait until they are being delivered the final 2 disk DVD copy; at which point they have already seen all the videos online.

I prefer money upfront. Its simple, direct and means no chasing for payments after the day. I'm having my website updated. I paid in full before work began. I see no issue with this and hopefully neither do my clients re my service.

I prefer money upfront. Its simple, direct and means no chasing for payments after the day.

Same here, a deposit before the wedding but with the difference that the remaining balance is paid when the film is ready and before it's send to the client. When all editing is finished I inform them and send the invoice, they pay and once the money is on my account I send everything. Had no payment problems the past years nor did I have to chase anyone for my money.

Same here, a deposit before the wedding but with the difference that the remaining balance is paid when the film is ready and before it's send to the client. When all editing is finished I inform them and send the invoice, they pay and once the money is on my account I send everything. Had no payment problems the past years nor did I have to chase anyone for my money.

Different type of clients, different customs, different countries. Some of my clients I don't even hear from again after the Wedding. I send them a steady stream of videos; no feedback, no emails, no comments. I find it easy to talk to clients before the day rather than after. Plus I don't provide all videos at once. I prefer to be paid before I film the Wedding.

I've had 1 client this year that due to special circumstances, I agreed to receive some of the money on the day with the final balance to be given after the Wedding and before I commenced work on the editing. This was July and I've had 1 email since then confirming payment would be made shortly; this was back in September. So far, I have not had the final balance paid. So I relented once and was let down. I don't tend to give others the same chance.

So I like my money sitting in full in the bank before I start filming. Hardly any of my clients even make a passing comment on it, let alone complain about it. So I see no reason to change.

Having an outstanding balance after the event introduces the possibility that the client delays payment for an unknown period of time during which may result in litigation/lawsuit that may or not be resolved in a manner satisfying both parties which in turn may also negatively affect future recommendations by said client. Like
" Well great, we got our videos but we really wanted to take more time to scrounge up the money to get them but he/she sent us a letter from the lawyer/collector. What a creep after paying more than half the contract up front before the wedding. We will never recommend them again to any of our friends. The nerve." This could all have been avoided if ALL the money was collected before the " I do". Happens often enough though.

100% correct Arthur

I often feel like only expecting payment after the shoot is almost as bad as saying "Watch the video and tell me what you don't like about it" ..The crazy thing is that some videographers still do that and give them a "proof copy" ... I'm comfortable getting the full payment a fortnight before and I have never had a bride complain about having to pay up front!

Unless other parts of the world are different or the bride's Daddy is an oil sheik, most couples have zero budget after the wedding over here which means the chance of them having surplus cash to pay you is slender!!

Whilst I appreciate the argument that if I was to drop dead, the couple having paid in full would be out of pocket and have no Wedding video either; the counter argument is what if the couple suffered a similar fate. Some honeymoon destinations might not be safe. Okay perhaps more in the realm of reality is if the couple were to split up. I've had cancellations quite late in the day where couples have split up. There's no reason to think this can't happen after the Wedding. No amount of legal threats will pursuade them to part with cash for a video no longer needed.

The above scenarios are extreme cases, probably rare to happen, but in all my pre Wedding payments, I've never had to beat clients over the head with my contract re settling up. Never had to threaten them with legal action. The only issues I've had are in the few cases where I've allowed payment afterwards. Sure a water tight contract can help. However it can also lead to bad blood should the couple play the sob story and you take the hard line.

" Well great, we got our videos but we really wanted to take more time to scrounge up the money to get them
That's what you get by sending the film first and requesting the money later, for me it's clear, no money: no film. That might end up with me not getting paid but with a client not getting their film either, I also know this can happen sooner if you are cheap, my experience the past years with clients that have bigger budgets is they always pay without a discussion. It's the cheap ones that can cause you problems so a solution is to price your packages in such a way that you don't have to deal with the cheapskates.

my experience the past years with clients that have bigger budgets is they always pay without a discussion. It's the cheap ones that can cause you problems so a solution is to price your packages in such a way that you don't have to deal with the cheapskates.

But there are plenty of potential customers who are looking for a video who don't have the high budget to splash out on something expensive. It can be a lucrative market to tap into for those willing to handle such clients. Such customers though need to be dealt with differently to those who are prepared to pay more.

That's just the problem over here, based on my experience I"d say that at least 8 out of 10 will refuse to pay the full amount before the wedding, a deposit is not a problem but most of them want to see the film first before they pay you the remaining balance. In my experience it's the "I want it cheap but good" kind of clients that can cause problems so I gladly will leave those to the weekend warriors as that is already a oversaturated market.

Some of the comments here lead me to suspect that some contracts aren't worth the paper they are written on in the wedding video business. As far as I am concerned, you come to an agreement and put that in writing to confirm it in the event that either party breaks the agreement. Problems with payment have been so few and far between that it is not something I worry about and those few have always been resolved satisfactorily. I don't have any more problems with bookings and payments than those that take all payments up front. I also don't see why payment for weddings should be upfront whereas commercial work would always be invoiced. I would find it easier to trust a couple that I have built a relationship with rather than a faceless corporate entity.

I am also not worried about someone not paying me then complaining on the Internet about a non existent poor service. They would be far from happy if I responded by publishing a copy of their signed contract showing that they had breached it and were being dishonest.

The argument that couples have no money left after a wedding is really an empty one and an excuse, as parents usually pay a large proportion and it is quite common around the world for money to be given as a wedding gift. I feel that insisting on full payment before the wedding for a service that you haven't yet provided is a statement that you do not trust the couple to pay afterwards. I would be very put out if I went into a restaurant for a meal and was told that I had to pay first, or get my car repaired and be expected to pay first. I certainly wouldn't expect to go for a job interview and demand that if I got the job I should be paid in advance.

Other people obviously feel very differently about this, but I am very happy with the way that we charge for our services and wouldn't dream of changing it.

Roger

I took a company to court over a cast iron statement in their contract. It turned out (as I was told by a mediator during the process) that a statement in a contract is not as legally binding as some would think it to be. In the end I was expected to compromise even though I had a strong case based on a clause in a legally binding contract. A contract would need to be the size of a book to be an effective tool for every contingency.

A few years back I ordered a new wardrobe. It took 4 weeks to arrive as it had to be built. I was expected however to pay at the beginning of the process. When I arranged for new tyres for my car via the web, I paid for this when I booked and then took the car in. I paid for website work in advance of the work not at the end. Rent is paid in advance, not after. Cinema and theatre tickets are paid in advance; in cases of some shows well in advance of when the show is on. I pay for holidays, boat and air travel on booking, often months before I get to use the service. So its not exactly unheard of.

Once I commence filming I am starting work on their Wedding Video. Now I get the reasons why clients could pay something before the work starts and then the rest once work is complete. Especially as many Industries do Invoice you after the work is finished; however many also ask for full payment before work commences. So it is down to personal choice. Some here choose to ask for when the work is finished; others like myself ask for when work is about to commence. There are good and bad reasons for each approach. So it comes down to what you're happy with.

Plus I have many clients who pay for the Wedding themselves; its not all down to Mum and Dad. Plus even Mum and Dad might be short on cash, so the argument that funds are tight after the Wedding still stands.

Even those Videographers who get final payment on completion of the work I assume have some form of deposit. How much is the deposit. Is it as low as 5% or as much as 50%. In asking for that deposit you are basically saying you don't trust the couple not to honour the booking, so I can't see that as an argument either. To use Roger's analogy; I don't pay a deposit when I book a table at a restaurant. So our professions are clearly different enough to make such a comparison invalid.

The debate will continue as long as people do things different ways, so as long as we are all happy with the way we carry out our business it's all pretty irrelevant anyway and just another way to occupy the quiet Post holiday hours :-)

Roger

Wow! What a thread! A lot of good stuff in here.

I've been doing wedding videos since 1996 and it's good to read all the different ideas and differences between locations and cultures.

I agree on the 2nd shooter difficulties. A reliable and capable 2nd shooter helps SO much when you have several pieces of gear. Problem is it's difficult to find one that is both reliable and capable.

I usually use 3 (or 4) cameras for solo shoot weddings and it works alright but I sometimes find it hard to transition from ceremony to reception etc when I need to be shooting and also packing the extra gear away not needed for reception. I usually only use 1-3 cameras for reception.
Plus mics, audio recorders etc.
And as mentioned you just cannot be multiple locations at the same time.

Try as I might, I have yet in all these years been able to train someone who can handle a wedding on their own without me there.

It's an ongoing growing lesson in this wedding business and I am thankful for these boards to communicate with others and learn better and other ways of doing things.

This year I have brought in a couple new things to change things up.

My main wedding package sheet has 4 complete packages with all the details. But I have come up another sheet that just has the economy services for those budget brides that don't need a full ceremony and reception. I'll see how this goes. It's all calculated on time and resources needed so as long as I stick with that it should be worth it.

I also have an A7Sii which will allow some possibilites I didn't have before so I'm curious how well that will work out. Previously I've been using ENG cameras and POV cameras.