Invoicing wedding clients in installments
Most wedding photographers split the fee into a retainer at booking, a payment a few months out, and the balance before the wedding. Here is a schedule that works and how to run it without chasing anyone.
A schedule that works
- Retainer at signing, often 25 to 30 percent, non-refundable, holds the date.
- Second payment around the halfway point between booking and the wedding.
- Final balance two to four weeks before the wedding, never after.
Autopay and reminders
Let the client save a card at the first payment so later installments charge themselves. Send a reminder before each due date and a nudge after a miss. If a charge fails, retry once and tell the client the same day.
In Phlostate
Create the invoice with a schedule, share the pay link, and the installments run on their dates with autopay if the client opts in. Overdue reminders are an automation that is on by default, and Phlo can retry a failed installment when you ask.
Questions
- Should the retainer be refundable?
- Usually not, because it holds a date you turn other work away for. Say so in the contract.
Try it on your own business
Fourteen days free with a card on file. Nothing is charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel before then from Settings.