Did you have a contract? This is why you should always get paid before you actually take pictures. My contract requires, in addition to a retainer to hold the date, payment in full 14 days prior to the wedding.
Me too, Payment in full. 50% at booking and the rest 30 days out.
BOT: That cake actually looks like one of the best wedding cakes I've seen. Some people pick some wierd stuff for wedding cakes, or stuff that is over done.
And this bride was so cheap it doesn't suprise me that she got cheap caterers who didn't know how to cut a wedding cake. Its common to freeze the top and enjoy on the 1 year anniv.
Canon Gear: 5D MkII, 30D, 85 1.2 L, 70-200 2.8 IS L, 17-40mm f4 L, 50 1.4, 580EX, 2x 580EXII, Canon 1.4x TC, 300 f4 IS L, 100mm 2.8 Macro, 100-400 IS L Other Gear: Olympus E-PL1, Pan 20 1.7, Fuji 3D Camera, Lensbaby 2.0, Tamron 28-75 2.8, Alien Bees lighting, CyberSyncs, Domke, HONL, FlipIt.
~ Gear Pictures
Did you have a contract? This is why you should always get paid before you actually take pictures. My contract requires, in addition to a retainer to hold the date, payment in full 14 days prior to the wedding.
Huge lesson learned. It was my first solo wedding. The couple were friends of friends. I essentially gave them 50% of the shooting fee as a wedding gift - but made it clear what I was doing - and still haven't been paid nor have they ordered any prints. Hmmm.
They've been "down south" most of the winter (i.e. money is NOT an issue) and I'll be seeing them again in May for the first time since shortly after the wedding. It'll be interesting to see how they approach me - if at all? Or, for that matter, how I'll approach them.
I now have a decent contract in place thanks to everyone's help should the situation arise again.
Two weeks ago I did an engagement shoot for a terrific couple. We crawled around the rocks and rising tides on a beach bordering the Bay of Fundy - and this couple was SO much fun to work with. PLUS, they paid me up front for EVERYTHING. They're still selecting the images from their proofs collection that they want edited for printing - but that's fine. I've been paid and will be happy to edit when they've decided what they want.
AND, the engaged couple do NOT have a lot of money. He teaches school and she is a graduate student. Yet - they paid. Hmmm.
Comments
Me too, Payment in full. 50% at booking and the rest 30 days out.
BOT: That cake actually looks like one of the best wedding cakes I've seen. Some people pick some wierd stuff for wedding cakes, or stuff that is over done.
And this bride was so cheap it doesn't suprise me that she got cheap caterers who didn't know how to cut a wedding cake. Its common to freeze the top and enjoy on the 1 year anniv.
Other Gear: Olympus E-PL1, Pan 20 1.7, Fuji 3D Camera, Lensbaby 2.0, Tamron 28-75 2.8, Alien Bees lighting, CyberSyncs, Domke, HONL, FlipIt.
~ Gear Pictures
Huge lesson learned. It was my first solo wedding. The couple were friends of friends. I essentially gave them 50% of the shooting fee as a wedding gift - but made it clear what I was doing - and still haven't been paid nor have they ordered any prints. Hmmm.
They've been "down south" most of the winter (i.e. money is NOT an issue) and I'll be seeing them again in May for the first time since shortly after the wedding. It'll be interesting to see how they approach me - if at all? Or, for that matter, how I'll approach them.
I now have a decent contract in place thanks to everyone's help should the situation arise again.
Two weeks ago I did an engagement shoot for a terrific couple. We crawled around the rocks and rising tides on a beach bordering the Bay of Fundy - and this couple was SO much fun to work with. PLUS, they paid me up front for EVERYTHING. They're still selecting the images from their proofs collection that they want edited for printing - but that's fine. I've been paid and will be happy to edit when they've decided what they want.
AND, the engaged couple do NOT have a lot of money. He teaches school and she is a graduate student. Yet - they paid. Hmmm.
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Picadilly, NB, Canada