Hiring wedding vendors is a lot to take in, but it's absolutely crucial you sign contracts with any of your vendors for your own protection. Legal jargon can be hard to follow and understand, and often times attorneys will place additional items in contracts to protect businesses, but not the client. While I'm not an attorney and I certainly am not writing this post to give legal advice to brides and grooms to be, I can share some insight into things to ask about or look out for before signing an agreement with your wedding photographer. Make sure you know what you're getting into before you sign the dotted line!

1. Read the Entire Contract.

It's bad business to sign something you haven't fully read and understand, that's a sure way to get burned. After a consultation or before sending over any payments, ask your photographer to share a copy of their contract and read the entire document, even the fine print. If you have any questions or concerns about wording in certain sections, ask them about it before signing the agreement. Not having a full grasp of what a section in a contract means may potentially lead to issues down the road.

2. What are You Liable for?

A contract should outline all of the important elements that both you and your photographer are responsible for. Your photographer may have sections in the contract that give you responsibilities as the hiring party. Some things you may be responsible for include meals, guest behavior, damage to equipment, travel, hotel accommodations, etc. Make note of any specific details you will be responsible for and if you have any objections, bring them to the photographers attention before signing.

3. Payment Amounts and Payment Schedule.

How much you owe your photographer and when payments are due should be outlined in the agreement so there is nothing left up for debate. If it's not outlined in the agreement, then your photographer could request money at any time in any amount.

4. Cancellation and Refund Policies. 

What happens if for some reason you have to cancel or postpone your wedding... like a global pandemic?! Your photographer should outline in the contract what happens in the event that you cancel your wedding or switch dates. It should be clear if you will lose a deposit, have the ability to move your date, or owe any additional money if you have to change your event date.

5. Additional Pricing.

What happens if you need to extend the hours of your photographer? Do you know how much that will cost? Same goes for additional edits, prints, or albums. Ask your photographer to include additional pricing information in the contract so you know how much things will cost after you agree to the initial contract.

6. Copyright Details.

Photography is considered intellectual property and the owner of the property is whomever creates the images. Your photographer should outline what sort of rights you have to the images in the contract. You may see phrases like print release, shared copyright, and license included in the document. Ask your photographer to be clear about what rights you have to the photos and make sure you understand those rights before signing so you don't face possible legal implications down the road.

7. Worst Case Scenarios.

Your photographer should outline what their plan of action is in the event of a worst case scenario - they can no longer photograph your wedding or lose your photos. This could be for any reason like illness, accident, family emergency, or going out of business. But it's important you know what will happen in the event something goes wrong, you don't want to be left hanging on the most important day of your life.

8. Delivery Timeline.

One of the most common disputes I see online is when a bride or groom has been waiting months for their wedding photos to be delivered. Your photographer should outline the time frame they have to edit and deliver your photos to you in their contract. This ensures that you have a way to hold them accountable if for some reason they don't hold up their end of the agreement. 

9. Special Policies or Requests.

Does your photographer have any special policies like a designated break period? A limit to the number of locations they're willing to drive to? Special policies or requests are limitless in terms of what could be asked, but it's a good question to ask your photographer before you complete their agreement.

10. Disputes.

What happens if the services provided lead to a dispute. If your photographer doesn't hold up their end of the contract and leaves you hanging, how will the dispute be handled? What state will the dispute be handled in? What are the limitations of what you're allowed to sue them for? Read the dispute section carefully so you know how you can proceed if something goes wrong.