Tips for Negotiating Photography Services

TIP - Tell the photographer what your budget is directly.

Up-front communications are imperative in order to get what you want. Ask what kind of services they will be willing to provide that will meet your budget. If you want more, then you will have to decide if you are willing to spend more for what you want.

TIP - Ask the photographer if you can purchase add-on services, such as parent albums and reprints, after the event.

Why? Because thats money in your pocket that you can spend on another aspect of the wedding. Some may have a rule, such as no more than a year past the wedding day. Others will say, Sure! It will help you fall within your budget and will enable you to order only those items that you really need. For example, rather than ordering a package that includes a parent album, you could order that album for Mom as a gift for the holidays or her birthday. What a great idea!

TIP - Ask for a payment schedule

While some photographers may not comply, it never hurts to ask if they will accept a payment schedule. Normally, there is a deposit required and full payment is usually due by the day of the wedding. But you could offer 25% down, 50% by the day of the wedding, and the remaining 25% to be paid upon picking up the proof album. Depending on their rules on payments, many photographers will comply. Then you can use wedding gift money from guests to pay for the remainder of the services rendered.