What to put in a wedding photography contract
A good wedding contract is specific enough that nobody has to argue later and short enough that the couple actually reads it. These are the parts that earn their place.
The clauses that matter
- Parties, date, venue and coverage hours, with the overtime rate.
- Deliverables: how many images, what format, the timeline, and whether raws are included (usually not).
- Payment schedule: retainer, installments, the due dates, what happens on a late payment, and who covers processing fees.
- Cancellation and rescheduling by either side, and what the retainer covers.
- Image rights and usage: your copyright, their personal-use license, and your right to show the work.
- A model release if you want to use the images in marketing.
- Practicalities: a meal for the team, a schedule the couple owns, and unplugged-ceremony expectations.
- Weather, illness and substitution: what you will do if you cannot be there.
- Liability cap and a limit on damages, phrased in plain language.
How Phlostate helps
Contract templates carry these sections. Phlo builds the contract from the project so the names, date, venue and fees are already right, and the client signs online. The signed copy lands on the project next to the invoice and the inbox thread.
Questions
- Is an electronic signature enough?
- Yes in the US under the ESIGN Act, and in most countries. Keep the record of who signed and when, which Phlostate does.
Try it on your own business
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