How much deposit does a wedding photographer and videographer ask for?

The short answer

With us the deposit is £120. It is non-refundable and it holds your date exclusively, so once it is paid your wedding day is set aside for you and nobody else. It counts towards your package total, the balance is due a month before the wedding, and you receive a receipt after each payment.

Other suppliers set their deposits differently, so it helps to know what to compare. The rest of this guide explains what our deposit does and the questions worth asking anyone you are thinking of booking.

What the deposit does

The deposit turns an enquiry into a booking. An enquiry does not reserve your date; the £120 deposit does. From that point the day belongs to your wedding.

That matters because we photograph and film about 40 to 60 weddings a year together, so every date we hold is a whole day set aside. Our guide to why wedding photography and video cost what they do shows what that day, and the work around it, involves.

How deposits can differ between suppliers

Some suppliers ask for a percentage of the total, while others ask for a fixed sum like ours. Some deposits are refundable in certain circumstances, and some are not. The balance can fall due weeks or months before the wedding, or on the day itself.

Because of this, the number on its own tells you little. Compare the terms around it: whether the deposit holds your date exclusively, whether it can be refunded and when the rest is due.

Questions to ask before you pay any deposit

Ask whether the deposit is refundable, and whether it holds your date exclusively. Ask what the full price is and what it includes, and when the balance is due. Ask whether you will receive a receipt, and what happens if your plans change. Whatever the answers, ask for them in writing.

With us, the deposit is non-refundable, it holds your date exclusively, the balance is due a month before the wedding and you receive a receipt after each payment. Our guide to questions to ask a wedding photographer and our guide to questions to ask a wedding videographer cover the rest of what to compare.

If you book photography and film together

Booking the team is simpler. You sign one agreement, pay one deposit, have one planning call and follow one timeline. The team price already includes a £300 saving compared with booking photography and film separately.

Our standard full-day packages start at £1,999 for photography, £1,999 for videography and £3,699 for both together, with travel across England and Wales included. Our guide to booking your photographer and videographer together explains how the two fit together.

What happens after you pay

Once the deposit is paid, you are welcome to email or message us on Instagram whenever you have questions. About a month before the wedding, or whenever you have had your final venue meeting, we have a planning call to talk through your venue layout and any officiant rules, how to cover the morning, where family photographs happen and any first look, reading or surprise.

Our guide to what happens after you book walks through every stage from booking to delivery.

If you are still deciding

The deposit is what holds the day, so many couples book once their date and venue are confirmed and they are happy with the answers. Our guide to how far in advance to book your photographer and videographer helps you choose the moment.

When you are ready, send an enquiry with your date and venue and we will reply within a few hours. We check your date, then offer a call of about 15 minutes, or you can book straight in.

Questions couples ask