Contract clauses

[u/folcor]

It’s been many years since I have reviewed and redone the contract for my packages. I’m curious to all of you. What are the contract clauses that you have added to your contract that you added from experience the situation you don’t typically think of until you see it happen and then you go home and add it to your contract just in case

[u/LushEmpire]

Years ago, my clause used to say that if meals were not provided, I would go to McDonald’s for 40 minutes to eat, and they needed to make sure there were no meaningful events or activities happening while I was gone. These days, the clause is a little more realistic: if I don’t get a meal, I’m allowed to order DoorDash and eat it quietly in the corner of the ballroom so I don’t miss anything.

But really, just put it in your contract that you need a meal equivalent to what the guests are being served. At the very least, you need to be able to eat during cocktail hour, since for us that’s basically the middle of the workday.

 

Vendor Meal

For wedding coverage of six (6) hours or more, the Client agrees to provide the Photographer with a warm meal comparable to the meal being served to the wedding guests. Whenever possible, the Photographer should be served during cocktail hour, as this typically falls near the middle of the Photographer’s workday and provides an appropriate opportunity to eat during the scheduled coverage.

[u/Scenarioing]

So far the most important issue, two out of three comments, is meals.

[u/BeeFromHoneyBook]

The ones that come up most often from photographers who've been burned are the secondary photographer clause, covering guests with professional equipment who start directing family groups. A lot of photographers don't think about it until it happens on a wedding day.

Other clauses worth adding: clear language on RAW file ownership and delivery, a definition of what constitutes a completed questionnaire before the shoot, and a timeline for how long files remain available after delivery before the gallery expires. Contracts grow the same way for most people, one uncomfortable situation at a time.

The other big one is a force majeure or illness clause that specifies what happens, including your backup plan, if you can't shoot the wedding. Most photographers assume it'll never apply until it does.

[u/grain_issue]

Client Delay clause

Basically, if the client is late providing something the photographer needs - final timeline, shot list, approvals, selections, payment, etc., any delivery deadlines that depend on it move accordingly.

I added something like this after realizing that “gallery delivered within X weeks” gets messy when you spend two of those weeks waiting on the client.

[u/curiousjosh]

Meals. Had to specify we eat same time as the couple, that we can’t just be fed a sandwich, and best one…. Our meal can’t be leftovers of something previously served after one caterer had no meal and tried to give us sliders from the guest arrival hour.

[u/dwphotoshop → u/curiousjosh]

I've always found this to be an interesting clause for a contract. What does it say will happen if you don't get a meal?

[u/curiousjosh → u/dwphotoshop]

It’s a great clause to use with bad planners or caterers so my clients never have to find out.

Yes, there’s specifics in there if we’re not fed at the right time we still have to take a break and we’re not responsible for missed photos, and a fee for meals, but we never had to use it because of the clause.

Most of the time when going over the schedule with the planner, or the couple talking to the caterer, any experienced vendor knows to have the photographer eat when the couple eats. If they try some something else (like a caterer trying to say we can’t eat until after every guest has eaten) I point out the clause in our contract, or I’ve helped the couple understand what would be missed if we don’t eat when they do, and they have that battle with the caterer.

A few times we’ve had to point out it’s in our contract.

Meanwhile behind the scenes we always have protein bars, and sometimes backup food if there’s a hint something could go wrong.

We really got on point about this after a wedding at a restaurant where they insisted on feeding us after all the guests, and they took so long feeding everyone they weren’t going to have food for us until after the wedding.

[u/andreasphotos]

Make sure your money is covered - your retainer, as well as anything such as acts of god, refunds due to YOU not being able to do something and no refunds if the client cancels. Protect yourself first.

[u/Scenarioing → u/andreasphotos]

"no refunds if the client cancels."

---No retainer refunds that is. 100% liquidated damages without the main work completed are unenforceable and can cause various huge problems when challenged.