On this page
How to use it
- Fill in the names, date, venues and the coverage hours.
- List exactly what the couple receives and the delivery window.
- Set the retainer, the balance due date and any payment plan.
- Decide your replacement plan if you cannot attend.
- Adjust the music and revision clauses to how you really work.
- Have a lawyer where you work review it before your next booking.
Clauses that matter more at a wedding
A wedding has no second take, so the contract does two jobs a brand film contract does not: it says what you will not be blamed for, and it says what happens if you are ill.
| Clause | Why it is there | A real case it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Retainer not refundable | You turned down other couples for that date | A couple splits up five months out |
| If the videographer cannot attend | The fear behind most couples' questions | A positive test two days before |
| Officiant and venue rules | Many ceremonies limit where you can stand | "No camera past the third pew" |
| Sound | You do not control the DJ's desk | A best man who wanders from the microphone |
| Meals | An 8-hour day with no food is a missed toast | A planner who sits the crew at 9 PM |
| Music | A popular song can get the film muted online | "Can you use our first dance song?" |
| Files and archive | Couples lose links | A request three years later |
The money, worked through
Take a sample collection at $4,800 for 8 hours, two shooters, a highlight film and the full ceremony and speeches. A retainer of one third, $1,600, is due on signing and holds the date. The balance of $3,200 is due 30 days before the wedding, so you are never chasing money after the day. If the couple splits the balance into payments, add the dates to clause 3. Extra coverage on the day at $300 an hour is agreed with the couple or planner and invoiced after.
| When | Amount | What it pays for |
|---|---|---|
| On signing | $1,600 | Holding the date |
| 60 days before | $1,600 | Optional middle payment |
| 30 days before | $1,600 | The balance, before the day |
How Cutvey does this
In Cutvey the wedding starter proposal carries these terms, the couple signs on their phone, and the retainer invoice is raised when they sign. Two or three payment plans can sit on the proposal for the couple to pick from, and if you turn autopay on, the couple can tick a box to have later payments taken by themselves. The timeline questionnaire goes out on its own date, and the films are delivered on a page that opens when the balance is paid. Software for wedding videographers walks through a whole season.
Frequently asked
Should the retainer be refundable?
Most wedding filmmakers make it non-refundable, because the date cannot be sold twice. Say so in plain words, and have your lawyer check the wording where you work.
Can I use the couple's first dance song?
Only if you can license it for that use. Many popular songs cannot be licensed for a wedding film at a price a couple will pay. Clause 9 sets that expectation before they ask.
What if the couple wants raw footage?
Sell it as an add-on with its own price, and say it is uncut and ungraded. It is not covered by the sample, so add a line to clause 2 if you offer it.
Goes with this stage of a job: Win the work. More free paperwork on the templates page, and free tools that work in your browser.