Photography - payment breakdown

There should be a clause in your contract about alternative photographers if they are unable to fulfill their obligations. I wouldn't worry about it if they are professionals. If you really are that worried about it, you may want to rethink your decision to hire them. I also have to pay mine in full about a month beforehand, but I trust her to do what she says she will do.

Jennifer I understand where you are coming from and the horror stories, but switch it around. If they give you the photos (even just digital) before you paid in full what is to stop you from turning around and then not paying because you already have the pictures (and I don't mean you as in you personally I mean a general you as is a dishonest person). Which is why vendors do that. If they don't show up yeah you don't get pictures (and that sucks) but you can at least get your money back to (in theory) re-create the day.

Yea, because after the wedding, many couples are broke!! LOL. And there is no value to a service that's been provided and not paid for yet...It's any self respecting professional photographer's policy to get half up front and the remainder, on average 14 or 30 days before the event. It's perfectly normal, just choose your service provider wisely, good luck

Our final payment is due 3 days prior to our wedding

Yes. All of our vendors required full payment before the day of the wedding.

All the photographers I met by me (LI, NY) all seemed to not expect payment in full until after the wedding when copies (or whatever you agree on that you're getting after) are given over to the couple.

The photographer we went with required a $500 deposit and the final $500 after the wedding with the rest due 8 weeks before.

I guess Terry and I are the odd ones out! Lol

Our photographer has 3 payments. A third of the total down the day we booked, another third anytime in-between when we booked and our wedding day and the last third is due once we see all of the images and our photo book. Both fiancé and I were very happy with this because we think it speaks volumes about his work and dedication to providing quality images to his clients.

HI Danielle, yes I'm in NY too and my photographer is from LI. Videographer is Brooklyn.. maybe its just a NY thing?

We paid 1/2 at the time of booking and we will pay the other 1/2, 30 days before the wedding. I trust her.

I would make sure since you are going with a private photographer couple that they have a clause in their contract on what happens if they can't make it to your wedding the day of. As for ours, everything is due a month before the wedding, and we made four seperate payments ( we paid them off early today actually so that we could just check it off our list).

NJ here - $500 deposit, 1/2 remainder due day of wedding, the other 1/2 due when he delivers the pictures after the wedding.

Before is normal. I have several friends who are photographers who have never had the couples pick up their photos, so they are basically screwed for half of the pay they would make on a full day of work and many more days of editing.

Maybe normal but the one I'm considering does not. They require down pay w/ 2/3 of the remaining bal paid 2 weeks before the wedding. After that the final remaining bal is not due until AFTER the wedding. Agaim I can't say it is not normal for them to ask but I like that the photog I'm choosing does not require it.