The stuff they don't tell you...

[Big Mike]

Good advice and examples from everyone so far.
I'm with the others...make sure you get fed or else you will take an hour break to leave and get your own food. I prefer to get paid in full, at least a week before the wedding but I am lax about it if they want to pay me on the day.
As for down time, take what you can get but try not to miss anything. I often find that I get hot (& sometimes a little sweaty) when shooting a wedding...so I find a place to cool off and take a breather. However, do it out of site because otherwise it looks like you are a slacker.
Drinking is probably a bad idea. As someone mentioned, if one person sees you having one drink and one photo isn't picture perfect...the story will be that the photographer was drunk the whole night. Word of mouth is a major part of getting jobs and you need to think about how all the people are seeing you.

Another issue that shouldn't go in the contract but might come up...be careful about flirting. I've heard a story from a photographer about how a bride's maid, the bride's little sister in fact, was heavily flirting with him. The wedding was in a hotel and she was trying to give him her room key...in plain view of everyone there. Accepting such an offer certainly wouldn't be professional...and in this case is would have been illegal, as she was only 17.

It's good that you were thinking of these things rather than learning the hard way. Unfortunately, that's how a lot of these get put into our contracts in the first place.

I suggest that you get a hold of as many wedding photography contracts as you can. Read them carefully and think about why they different clauses are in there. Then edit your own contract to include the ideas that you think are important.

 

[Jeepnut28]

I have a rule that I dont eat my clients food, nor do I drink their booze.

ever.

I am there to work.

I also dont allow anyone that assists me to do it either, they are there to
work.

I dont sit down, I only drink water.

I usually will eat before the event, and will have a powerbar or something in my bag to hold me over until I get home.

I realize that this isn't for everyone.......but it is how I choose to operate.

 

[JIP]

I have a rule that I dont eat my clients food, nor do I drink their booze.

ever.

I am there to work.

I also dont allow anyone that assists me to do it either, they are there to
work.

I dont sit down, I only drink water.

I usually will eat before the event, and will have a powerbar or something in my bag to hold me over until I get home.

I realize that this isn't for everyone.......but it is how I choose to operate.

Do you do weddings??? I cannot imgine joining a bride while she is getting ready at any time from 10:00 to noon following her throughout the day and shooting the guys shooting all of the ceremony and whatever pictures after and then going all through the night till sometimes 10:00-11:00PM and not having anything but water. I know you might be tsking some kind of professional stand here but that is just not reallistic to say "I will have nothing but water" I don't care what job you are doing it is the law that you be able to take a 1/2 break from anything if you work 8 hours so I don't imagine it is too bad to take a couple of miutes to get a bite at a wedding. At leasty that has been my experience for the last 6 years.

 

[Jeepnut28]

Do you do weddings??? I cannot imgine joining a bride while she is getting ready at any time from 10:00 to noon following her throughout the day and shooting the guys shooting all of the ceremony and whatever pictures after and then going all through the night till sometimes 10:00-11:00PM and not having anything but water. I know you might be tsking some kind of professional stand here but that is just not reallistic to say "I will have nothing but water" I don't care what job you are doing it is the law that you be able to take a 1/2 break from anything if you work 8 hours so I don't imagine it is too bad to take a couple of miutes to get a bite at a wedding. At leasty that has been my experience for the last 6 years.

i do weddings.

i admit it is hard, but it is what I believe is best for me to keep me moving and shooting. there are always shots to take. again, I eat good before hand and snack on powerbars until I get done.

last wedding I did I went from 10:00 am to midnight.........I grabbed something to eat as soon as I was done.......I know its not for everyone but I dont like to slow down.......I sleep well after I shoot a wedding.

 

[Sideburns]

Good advice and examples from everyone so far.
I'm with the others...make sure you get fed or else you will take an hour break to leave and get your own food. I prefer to get paid in full, at least a week before the wedding but I am lax about it if they want to pay me on the day.
As for down time, take what you can get but try not to miss anything. I often find that I get hot (& sometimes a little sweaty) when shooting a wedding...so I find a place to cool off and take a breather. However, do it out of site because otherwise it looks like you are a slacker.
Drinking is probably a bad idea. As someone mentioned, if one person sees you having one drink and one photo isn't picture perfect...the story will be that the photographer was drunk the whole night. Word of mouth is a major part of getting jobs and you need to think about how all the people are seeing you.

Another issue that shouldn't go in the contract but might come up...be careful about flirting. I've heard a story from a photographer about how a bride's maid, the bride's little sister in fact, was heavily flirting with him. The wedding was in a hotel and she was trying to give him her room key...in plain view of everyone there. Accepting such an offer certainly wouldn't be professional...and in this case is would have been illegal, as she was only 17.

It's good that you were thinking of these things rather than learning the hard way. Unfortunately, that's how a lot of these get put into our contracts in the first place.

I suggest that you get a hold of as many wedding photography contracts as you can. Read them carefully and think about why they different clauses are in there. Then edit your own contract to include the ideas that you think are important.

sorry to thread hijack here...but are the age of consent laws that different in Alberta? Here it is 14 I believe...unless they've changed it recently.

I agree about being unprofessional...but I'm not so sure about the legality of it. Because I'm pretty sure if it was here, it would be fine as long as she consents...maybe frowned upon...

 

[ScottS]

I have a rule that I dont eat my clients food, nor do I drink their booze.

ever.

I am there to work.

I also dont allow anyone that assists me to do it either, they are there to
work.

I dont sit down, I only drink water.

I usually will eat before the event, and will have a powerbar or something in my bag to hold me over until I get home.

I realize that this isn't for everyone.......but it is how I choose to operate.

You are a machine!!!

 

[Big Mike]

sorry to thread hijack here...but are the age of consent laws that different in Alberta? Here it is 14 I believe...unless they've changed it recently.

I agree about being unprofessional...but I'm not so sure about the legality of it. Because I'm pretty sure if it was here, it would be fine as long as she consents...maybe frowned upon...

I'm not sure...maybe illegal was too strong. But if one party is over 18 and the other is under 18...I was under the impression that it could be a legal issue.

The point is, don't flirt with the guests. I was at one wedding (as a guest) where the photographer spent half the time hanging out in the parking lot, with a crowd of pretty girls. I think we was a relative of the groom's...but it certainly didn't look professional.