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Free template

A wedding photography contract for the whole day.

“The coverage ended before the sparkler exit?”

Weddings need more than a portrait contract: hours of coverage, a timeline you can’t control, guests with phones, and a payment schedule that runs for months. This template covers them in plain words.

Download for WordDownload PDFSend it for signature

A starting point, not legal advice. Laws differ from state to state, so have a lawyer where you work read your version once before you rely on it.

What’s in it, and why.

  • The couple and the day

    Both names, the date, every venue and the hours of coverage. Coverage past those hours is billed at a rate written in now, not argued about at 11 pm.

  • Second photographer

    Whether there’s a second shooter, and for how many hours. Leave it out if you work alone.

  • Payment schedule

    A retainer to book the date, then the balance in parts, with the last payment due before the wedding.

  • What the couple delivers

    A shot list of must-have family groups, one person to point out relatives, and the venue’s rules on flash and where you can stand.

  • Meals and breaks

    A meal for each photographer on long days, and a short break, served when the guests eat so you don’t miss the toasts.

  • Guests and venue limits

    You’re not responsible for shots lost to guests stepping into the aisle or a venue that bans photography during the ceremony.

  • Delivery

    A sneak peek within days, the full gallery within weeks, and how long the link stays open.

  • Postponement and cancellation

    What happens to the retainer if the date moves or the wedding is called off, and what you do if you’re sick on the day.

  • Usage and liability

    You keep the copyright and the couple gets personal use. If something goes wrong beyond your control, what you owe is capped at what was paid.

The template.

Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. The Word file has the same words, ready to change.

Wedding Photography Agreement

This agreement is between [Studio name] (“the Photographer”) and [Client name] and [partner’s name] (“the Clients”), and is dated [Date].

1. The wedding

Wedding date: [Shoot date]. Getting ready at [address], ceremony at [Location], reception at [address].

Coverage: [number] hours, from [start time] to [end time]. Coverage beyond these hours is billed at [hourly rate] per hour, agreed on the day.

Second photographer: [included for number hours / not included].

2. What is delivered

A sneak peek of about [number] photos within [number] days, and about [number] edited photos in high-resolution JPEG files through a private online gallery within [number] weeks of the wedding. The gallery stays available for at least [number] months.

Albums and prints are [included as described / available separately].

3. Fees and payment

The total fee is [Price]. A nonrefundable retainer of [retainer amount] is due when this agreement is signed and reserves the date. The balance is due in [number] payments, the last one [number] days before the wedding.

4. The Clients’ part

The Clients will provide a timeline and a list of family groups at least [number] weeks before the wedding, and name a family member or friend to help gather people for group photos.

The Clients are responsible for the venues’ rules on photography. If a venue limits where the Photographer can stand or bans flash, the Photographer will work within those limits.

On coverage of [number] hours or more, the Clients will provide a meal for each photographer, served at the same time as the guests.

5. Guests and the unexpected

The Photographer is not responsible for photos missed because of guests’ cameras or phones, venue restrictions, weather, delays in the timeline, or people not being present when expected.

6. Postponement and cancellation

If the Clients move the wedding, the retainer carries over once to a new date the Photographer has open. If the Clients cancel, the retainer is kept, and payments beyond it are refunded if the cancellation is at least [number] days before the wedding.

If the Photographer cannot attend because of illness or emergency, they will send a qualified replacement the Clients approve, or refund every amount paid.

7. Copyright and usage

The Photographer owns the copyright in every photo. Once paid in full, the Clients receive a perpetual license to print, share and post the photos for personal use. Commercial use, like a vendor’s advertising, needs the Photographer’s written permission.

The Photographer may use the photos in their portfolio, website and social media unless the Clients ask otherwise in writing.

8. Liability

The Photographer carries backup equipment and stores files in more than one place. If photos are lost or the wedding cannot be covered for reasons beyond the Photographer’s control, the Photographer’s liability is limited to a refund of the amounts paid.

9. The whole agreement

This is the whole agreement between the Photographer and the Clients. Any change must be in writing and signed by all. It is governed by the laws of [State].

Photographer: signature, printed name and date
Client: signature, printed name and date
Client: signature, printed name and date
Download for WordDownload PDFSend it for signature

A starting point, not legal advice. Laws differ from state to state, so have a lawyer where you work read your version once before you rely on it.

Send it for signature.

Signatures is part of DropYourFiles, on every plan including Free. Your client signs on the same kind of link they review your work on.

  1. Download it for Word

    Open it in Word, Pages or Google Docs and change anything: your terms, your prices, your name. Save it as a Word file or a PDF.

  2. Upload it to Signatures

    In DropYourFiles, open Signatures and upload your file. Put a signature, initials and the date where each person signs, and fill-ins like the client’s name, the date and the price.

  3. Send your client a link

    Your client opens it on a phone or a computer, agrees to sign electronically, and draws or types a signature. No account, no app.

  4. Countersign and keep the record

    You sign in the studio. When everyone has signed, each person gets the signed copy by email, with a record of who signed and when, and it stays with that client in your studio.

Questions.

What should a wedding photography contract include?

The date and venues, hours of coverage, what’s delivered and when, the payment schedule, what happens if the date moves or you’re sick, who owns the photos, and a cap on liability. This template has all of them.

Is the retainer refundable?

In this template, no. It reserves a date you’ll turn other couples away from. If the wedding moves, it carries over once to a new date you have open.

Can both partners sign on their own phones?

Yes. In Signatures, each signer gets their own link, so both partners sign wherever they are, with no account. You countersign, and everyone gets the signed copy by email.

Can I use this for wedding video too?

The structure works, but film has its own terms, like music licensing and rounds of changes to the edit. For a wedding film on its own, start from the videography contract template.

Keep reading.

Send your next contract on one link.

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