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Wedding Photography Contract Template

We’ve worked closely with legal experts and proofreaders to create a simple wedding photography contract (PDF and Word), so you can forget the extra admin, and spend more time delivering your best work.

Free Wedding Photography Contract Templates

We’ve worked closely with legal experts and proofreaders to create a simple wedding photography contract (PDF and Word), so you can forget the extra admin, and spend more time delivering your best work.
What’s in this template?
Click below to download our free wedding photography contract template

What is a wedding photography contract?

Wedding photography is a specialty photography service where photographs are captured of any event related to a wedding. This could mean capturing moments from an engagement party, bucks, hens, the wedding ceremony, and reception.
Once the shoot is completed, photographers will then edit and produce the final images for clients.
Wedding photographers are generally sole proprietors but are also at times part of larger agencies.

A wedding photography contract is a formal agreement between photographer and client to set the conditions for which the services are performed.

DISCLAIMER: We are not lawyers or a law firm and we do not provide legal, business or tax advice. We recommend you consult a lawyer or other appropriate professional before using any templates or agreements from this website.

Get access to our Wedding Photography Contract Form

Having a wedding photography agreement will help automate your client bookings while ensuring you are crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s. Our template makes it super easy to add a contract to your correspondence and ultimately book more clients.
Click below to download our template today

Why it's critical to have a wedding photographer contract template

Having a wedding photography agreement accessible at all times can transform your photography business. Below are five compelling reasons you should use a contract with your clients.

1. Increase your chances of getting paid

The main commercial benefit for using a contract with your wedding clients is the communication of your fees and payment terms
While your agreement is not an invoice, you can explain how deposits are processed and when you expect to receive your outstanding balance.

2. Lock in the wedding event details

By the time a couple has inquired about your photography services, they likely have a date and venue in mind. As a wedding photographer, your business is dependent on peak seasons, and you’re often booked months in advance.
A contract will help to push your clients into locking in a date and location as they’d risk losing your availability if they haven’t confirmed this key information.
Without a contract in place, clients may be tempted to change their minds, which creates more admin time for you.

3. Manage expectations

A professional photographer’s worst nightmare is working with clients who try to push the boundaries of the agreed project.
There’s always at least one client who makes unreasonable demands, which can eventually escalate to disputes.
A contract sets clear expectations for the shoot, which forces you to take the time upfront to understand the vision of your clients’ wedding.
An agreement also acts as a reference point if the client makes any requests that are out of scope, keeping all parties accountable.

4. Build credibility

Presenting a contract to a prospective client shows that you mean business! What started as a lovey-dovey consultation reviewing gorgeous portfolios from dreamy weddings gets brought back down to reality. And that’s not a bad thing!
Your wedding clients will respect you more when you’re prepared to talk terms and conditions to make the shoot a success. It shows that you’re committed to capturing their wedding to the best of your ability.

5. It's motivating

Getting a wedding photography contract signed is the moment a lead turns into a paying client. As a paid wedding photographer, it’s motivating to see your stock of client contracts grow.
Also, signed contracts give you some financial certainty as you plan out your client shoots for the rest of the period. You can more easily manage any open shooting dates and when you can expect to receive payments.

Get access to our Wedding Photography Contract Doc

Having a wedding photography agreement will help automate your client bookings while ensuring you are crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s. Our template makes it super easy to add a contract to your correspondence and ultimately book more clients.
Click below to download our template today

When to introduce a wedding photography contract

Even with the rise of mobile photography, couples around the world are still happy to pay a premium for the perfect wedding photos. For many, a wedding is one of the single greatest days of life, and images capture the special moments from this treasured event forever.
However, with such a strong demand for quality photographers comes fierce competition. Clients will often review dozens of portfolios before deciding which photographer will best capture their special day.
Your wedding photography contract is a vital tool to help you to capitalize on the demand for professionals. But you need to get your timing right.
After a couple reviews examples of your work, they’re going to ask you the million-dollar question, “what’s your price?”
Before showing them your packages, we suggest you slow down and ask quality questions to understand the vision for the wedding. Of course, you need to know the practical details of the wedding, such as the number of guests, the location, catering, etc. In addition to logistics, get a feel for why they’ve made certain decisions for their wedding event.
What’s the meaning behind their guests? What’s the story of the venue? What’s the couples’ personality like?
With this information, you can personalize your packages and also include a copy of your contract.
Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ about Wedding
Photography Contracts

Many photographers rely on email conversations and invoices to form an agreement with wedding clients. While this can be seen as a contract, a signed agreement gives you more protection and more explicit visible consent from all parties.
While there are no set rules about what should be in your agreement, here are some standard inclusions:
  • Parties involved
  • Photography services
  • Wedding details
  • Client contacts
  • Payment terms
  • Copyright clause
  • Cancellation policy
  • Section for signing
Like any agreement, a wedding photography contract may be terminated when:
  1. The job is complete, and the image assets are delivered to the client.
  2. Any party breaches the conditions of the contract.
  3. All parties voluntarily agree to terminate the agreement.
As a client, if you terminate the contract without valid reasoning, you may lose your deposit.
As a photographer, if you end the agreement prematurely, you may be required to find a replacement photographer.
document preview

Wedding Photography Contract

Wedding Photography Contract

Parties

– This Service Contract Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”) is entered into on ______________ (the “Effective Date”), by and between __________________________, with an address of ______________ (hereinafter referred to as the “Client”) and cwith an address of ______________ (hereinafter referred to as the “Photographer”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties”).

Consideration

– The Parties agree that the Photographer will provide the photography services attached hereunder whereas the Client will in return provide compensation for such services and expertise.

Services

– The Consultant’s services are summarized as follows:
  1. _________________________________________________
  2. _________________________________________________
  3. _________________________________________________
  4. _________________________________________________
  5. _________________________________________________

Wedding Information

  1. The wedding date ______________
  2. Start time ______________
  3. Location ______________
  4. Ceremony time and location ______________
  5. Reception time and location ______________
  6. End time ______________

Contact Information

– The Client’s telephone number ______________
– The Client’s email address ______________
– Other necessary and relevant phone numbers and email addresses ______________

Payment

– The Parties agree that the total fee of the services provided will be ______________.
– The Parties agree that a non-refundable deposit amounting to ______________ will be made upon the execution of this Agreement.
– The Parties agree that the means of payment will be via ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Other Terms And Conditions

– The Parties hereby agree that the Photographer will be provided with a meal by the Client in case his/her attendance will be required in excess of five hours.
– The Parties agree that the Client will provide a brief overview of the wedding’s expectation to allow the Photographer to prepare in advance.
– The Photographer agrees to reasonably put in maximum effort to snap photographs of as many guests as possible.
– The Photographer will not be held liable for the poor quality of photographs in case of the guests’ interference with the photographer’s work.
– The Client understands and abides by the fact that the Photographer may be restricted or limited by rules of the location of the ceremony and/or reception.

Copyright

– The Parties agree that the Photographer will maintain the copyright for all the photographs taken by him/her.
– The Photographer hereby grants the Client the permission to make copies of the images for friends and family, however, not for the sake of commercial use unless the Photographer gives his/her consent.

Cancellation

– The Parties agree that in case the Client cancels this Agreement prior to the event, he/she will be entitled to a refund of the monies paid except for the non-refundable deposit made.
– The Parties agree that in case the Photographer cancels this Agreement, he/she will be required to provide a suitable replacement photographer that the Client consents to.

Dispute Resolution

– Any dispute or difference whatsoever arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be submitted to ______________ (Arbitration/mediation/negotiation) in accordance with, and subject to the laws of, ______________

Governing Law

– This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of ______________.

Severability

– In an event where any provision of this Agreement is found to be void and unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then the remaining provisions will remain to be enforced in accordance with the Parties’ intention.

Entire Agreement

– This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding among the Parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings, inducements and conditions, express or implied, oral or written, of any nature whatsoever with respect to the subject matter hereof. The express terms hereof control and supersede any course of performance and/or usage of the trade inconsistent with any of the terms hereof.

Amendments

– The Parties agree that any amendments made to this Agreement must be in writing where they must be signed by both Parties to this Agreement.
– As such, any amendments made by the Parties will be applied to this Agreement.

Signature And Date

– The Parties hereby agree to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and such is demonstrated throughout by their signatures below:
Client
Name: ______________________
Signature: ___________________
Date: _______________________
Photographer
Name: ______________________
Signature: ___________________
Date: _______________________

Get access to our Wedding Photography Contract Doc

Having a wedding photography agreement will help automate your client bookings while ensuring you are crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s. Our template makes it super easy to add a contract to your correspondence and ultimately book more clients.
Click below to download our template today
Download Wedding Photography Contract Doc
Download Wedding Photography Contract PDF