Wedding Cancellations?

Scootersbabygirl

This is my first full summer doing weddings. I had 9 weddings scheduled. 2 were canceled, and one "made other arrangements". So I was just wondering how many weddings the average photographer has canceled on average?

heatherfeather

None for me yet. My clients know if they cancel the wedding I keep the reservation fee. That is why it is there... to prevent "other arrangements".

sser

This year was the first for me I had my first breakup! although I do keep the deposit I was really looking forward to this one.

Noelimages

In five years I've had two cancellations. The first one was about three years ago.....After the eSession the Groom left his laptop running while out of town. Turns out he had been cheating on Myspace. Wedding cancelled but the married later without a big ceremony.....now they are seperated. This year I had wedding scheduled on June 12. I shot the eSession on May 8th and the following Tuesday I recieved a text and email from the bride saying the wedding was cancelled with no explanation. In both situations I kept the deposit. Simply put, I turned down other events on those dates.

r3t1awr3yd

Being someone who canceled their own wedding (supposed to be married TOMORROW as a matter of fact!), I was wondering if you guys offered to work with the client to move the date. I didn't really cancel my wedding, I just wanted to postpone it and the photographer that I hired was totally cool with moving the wedding date to next year.

That would keep business available for you AND help the couple. Just a thought.

sser

r3t1awr3yd wrote: »

Being someone who canceled their own wedding (supposed to be married TOMORROW as a matter of fact!), I was wondering if you guys offered to work with the client to move the date. I didn't really cancel my wedding, I just wanted to postpone it and the photographer that I hired was totally cool with moving the wedding date to next year.

That would keep business available for you AND help the couple. Just a thought.

I have no problem with that as long as obviously i'm available

heatherfeather

Same here...

r3t1awr3yd

I'm just saying to not forget to offer than as an option :P

I haven't had any cancellations myself but I know I'll definitely offer a different date if the time ever comes

Surfdog

I have only had 1 cancellation in 4 years, and that was one where a momma got waaaaayyyy ahead of the kids and was really pushing the whole wedding thing before the youngsters were really ready. Think the pressure finally got to the groom-to-be, and he decided a month beforehand to be the groom-that-wasn't. Obviously it was better for all involved that it cancelled. The only money I made for that day was the retainer (per our contract), but didn't really mind that I didn't do the wedding. Probably would not have been worth the drama.

Agnieszka

I had one too (2 months before their big day) .... First I thought they maybe just found an other photographer and changed their mind. But I remembered that he was a musician, so I went on his website, and found all these heartbreaking songs. Yeah .... so ...

I gave them the deposit back, figured they had other worries ... + I had a unexpected weekend off, which was actually nice (tough I was always dying to shoot at their venue, oh well)

Definitely have them give you a deposit tough!

mmmatt

from my contract

5. In the case of the cancelation of an event, photographer will refund retainer amount less 10% plus the typical cost of any services initiated prior to notification, and only if photographer is able to book another event for that day of an equal or greater contract amount.
6. In the case of the client making a request to reschedule the event, photographer will adjust the contract to another open date within 3 months of the original date with no penalty to client. If another date within 3 months of the original date cannot be agreed upon by both parties, then photographer will produce a refund per #5 above.

Basically I will let them flex the date within 3 months of the original date without penalty and I will only refund the retainer if I can manage to rebook the day, and then I keep 10% as an inconvenience fee. I've yet to have a cancellation, but I'm sure my day will come.

Matt

*edited* I posted an old contract clause, this one is current

Scootersbabygirl

One of the weddings canceled this year was my cousins - her fiance decided to show his "dark side" and they're not getting married just yet. The other cancellation said that her boyfriend left her when she was at work with a "dear john" note on the fridge (and she was really upset when I talked to her). The "other arrangements" wedding was one that I took on as the second photographer she'd hired. The first one had apparently canceled on HER, and I was the replacement, but now, all of a sudden, she's made "other arrangements". My confidence level isn't high enough yet for this not to bother me. I'm sure, given a few years, it will be, but right now the other arrangements bride made me worry that it was me!!

BlueSkyPhotos

I had one wedding rescheduled. They moved their wedding day from June of this year to next year. We kept the arrangement the way it was originally agreed upon. I also had one cancellation. I just got an e-mail from the bride nine months before the wedding stating there will be no wedding. That's all. I found out through a friend that they actually split up. I kept the reservation fee as I turned two other opportunities away for that day.