You’ve invested in a nice camera, perhaps a nice lens and you have been shooting family portraits for friends. Then it happens. Someone asks you to shoot their “really small” wedding. You tell them that you haven’t shot any weddings and they remind you that it’s “really small” with just friends and family in their backyard.
You figure that you might as well shoot it. How hard could it be right?
Have a contract, even if you’re not getting paid
When you’re shooting weddings as opposed to family portraits, you’re shooting a once-in-a-lifetime event. When someone tells you their wedding is “small” they are talking more about their budget for photography rather than how big of a deal they will make if you screw it up.
We suggest you have a wedding photography contract even if you’re shooting the wedding for free to get experience.
Why have a contract if you’re shooting for free?
The reason you have a contract for anything is to protect both parties involved — i.e. both sides of the contract. Technically, your contract will be for one dollar since you can’t have a contract without “consideration.” (money).
A contract:
- Will protect you if you screw up their wedding. If you mess up someone’s wedding, even if you’re shooting it for free, they could sue you. You don’t want to be sued by a bridezilla for something you did for free.
- Will protect them - Contracts explain exactly how you’ll perform. It outlines what you are bound to and what you HAVE to do for them. Once you have performed on your side of the contract, you’re done. You don’t owe them anything else.
- Will answer legal questions - Wedding photography contracts will answer legal questions for a judge if it comes to that. Judges don’t want to hear “he said/she said.” They want to see papers with signatures on them.
- Will protect your future - At least ten times I have pulled out old contracts to clarify what we agreed to with our wedding clients. Some will think that they were to get an album, others thought we would keep an online gallery of their images up forever. Your contract will spell out those details and eliminate confusion. Also, what if you shoot for a couple and one becomes a movie star? If you didn’t have a contract, you could find that you could never use those images again.
Where to get a wedding photography contract
Rachel Brenke is probably the top in the industry. She’s helped thousands of photographers protect themselves by having the proper contracts in place PRIOR to taking on clients. You can get the wedding contract here: http://www.photoaspects.com/wedding-contract
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