Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Hey Arthur

You don't need to even concern yourself whether there is a place for you as a solo single camera shooter ..you have proved there is already purely by the number of weddings you have done.

Why on earth change your operation and style if it's working for you? What you do is simple and effective and it makes you money and brides keep booking you. As Murphy's Law says " If it ain't broke don't fix it"

I think we often forget that we tend to get wrapped up in new technology and get to the stage where we are giving some brides what we want rather than what they would be happy with. Sure if you can add a second cameraman along with 3 extra cameras and a stedicam and slider and make $3000 per wedding instead of $1500 it might be worth a look but again all the hassle might still not be worth it!

What you do works so keep on doing it

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

That's incorrect Murphy's Law is "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."

I don't get why people get so defensive. No one here is trying to convince people not to solo shoot if that's what they prefer. The whole point was to give the original poster guidance on packaging and what are the main factors that effect it one being amount of coverage and the other being manned camera operators.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Wedding Videography must be one of the few professions where to go above and beyond what is expected of you is seen as a criticism and not a positive. What I want is to deliver a Professional looking video that covers the key moments of the day from multiple angles, has good clear audio, well composed shots and which leads to a Professionally edited video the couple can enjoy in the years to come. Is there some reason you think my clients would not be happy with that. Sure some of my clients are pretty clueless on what a Professional looking Wedding Video can look like and I could exploit that to lower my standards, but is that how I really want to work.

I'm sure Arthur's approach works well for him. To me it's old school. A single camera works well for shorter videos, but the moment you're delivering uncut Ceremony and Speeches of say 40 minutes a piece, multicamera becomes an invaluable tool.

I've edited single camera videos, where during the Speeches, the camera had panned to a group of tables at the back of the room whilst the audio suggested a lovely reaction from the Bride to something 1 of the Bridesmaids had said. Of course by the time the camera had panned back, the moment was gone. Will the couple be happy with such a video, sure, but they never get to see what might have been to compare.

That said, no two clients are alike. We all talk about what Brides want as if it's a commonality shared amongst them all. Yet what a Bride wants differs from person to person. Yesterday's Bride wanted a Marryoke and no Reception coverage. Just Ceremony and Speeches and a bit of dancing. This contrasts with another Bride who wants a 3 hour video with everything included, with natural audio throughout. Another Bride who wants only natural audio in the Ceremony and Speeches and then music used elsewhere. Then I have couples who much prefer the shorter videos.

Any Business market requires diversity as people's needs are equally diverse and whether offering multiple packages or a single package, cinematic or documentary videos, you'll find clients are going to have a preference. Some will want you to keep it simple, others even if given as many as 4 Package options will ask for a 5th.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Arthurs keeps repeating how many weddings he does and what he charges as if that would prove his point, it only proves it works where he lives. If he would live in my country he'd have to lower his price to around 1000 and he would struggle to get or handle 30-40 weddings every year, forget about shooting weddings back to back because you are expected to shoot at least 16 hour weddings over here meaning you'd have maybe 2-3 hours sleep before you need to prepare for the next wedding, last wedding I did I had to get up at 4 in the morning and got home at 3 at night. Try to do that weeks in a row, the wedding market is a lot tougher around these parts.

No-one here is saying he needs to change the way he works, only you imply we do. Arthur wanted to make a list of the benefits of being a single camera shooter but he turned it into a list of disadvantages of a multiple camera shooter instead so that's why he got this discussion started, it's only too bad he is not open to other opinions, there is no right or wrong here, just different ways of shooting and delivering a wedding and I know because I shot many, many weddings and I charge a lot of money for them ;)

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Thanks Noa

Well I wouldn't like to shoot in Belgium that's for sure! 16 hours? seriously? I'm half dead if I have to go to 8 hours!! I guess if you have brides lined up and they are all happy with a quick shoot then that's what you need to do ...One simply couldn't do 70 weddings a year here either as most brides want the Saturday and I only get a sprinkling of Friday or Sunday weddings and they are often low budget, Arthur obviously has a great market where he is!

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

16 hour weddings ? That reminds me when I was starting out video shooting up in Montreal Canada.
Greek, Arabic and Macedonian weddings. Ever tried them.?
OK, typically I leave my house at 7am to get to the bride's hairdresser at 8 am. Stay with her till around 8:30 till the make-up comes. Leave after the make-up with her around 9:30. Arrive at her house for dress fitting, guests coming at her house,video with photog as she and family are photographed. Yes, she wants video of all that. Leave her house to go to groom's house. Same story there. Leave with the groom back to the bride's house ( Arabic groom picks up bride at her house and gets in limo for park photos/video. Now it's around 2 PM and we stay at the park till 4 PM. Arrive at the venue or church or ceremony place. Venue finishes around 2 am ( Arabic wedding has a guest photo lineup at midnight lasts over an hour). Greek weddings in Montreal especially from Crete do breaking plates way after midnight. Macedonian, forget about it, the don't stop dancing until they drop. Or you drop whichever comes first. And you better not miss any part of any dance.
Get home finally around 3 or 4 am.
How many hours ?? roughly 20-21 hours.
Many times a back to back Greek one Saturday and Sunday.
That's one of the main reasons I moved out.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I just can't see how you can do this every weekend, that would mean having a continuous workingshift of over 40 hours with maybe 2 hours sleep, that is physically almost not possible without a serious loss of concentration on day 2, you also would need to recover from that the following days.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

No, not every weekend thank God, but there were many times that happened.
Compared to weddings that I took years back in Florida where you start like around 2 or 3 in the afternoon and the venues ends at 10 PM. On many occasions they would cut the cake as soon after the opening dance, do a few dances afterwards, toast and get done way before 9PM. Those were the jolly good days.
My typical wedding ends here at around 11 pm after an average of 9 or 10 hour day. I really don't do any bridal prep at her house and the only bridal prep I do if it is all in one place dressing at the venue. Happens often enough. Groom prep ? not any more regardless where he dresses.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

No, not every weekend thank God, but there were many times that happened.
Compared to weddings that I took years back in Florida where you start like around 2 or 3 in the afternoon and the venues ends at 10 PM. On many occasions they would cut the cake as soon after the opening dance, do a few dances afterwards, toast and get done way before 9PM. Those were the jolly good days.
My typical wedding ends here at around 11 pm after an average of 9 or 10 hour day. I really don't do any bridal prep at her house and the only bridal prep I do if it is all in one place dressing at the venue. Happens often enough. Groom prep ? not any more regardless where he dresses.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I'm simply getting too old to do that kinda stuff. I need grandpa bedtimes not young teenager hours! We basically do a ceremony to end of first dance which is usually 3:30pm to 9:30pm (so around 6 bours) My kinda working hours! We do add bridal prep too occasionally but the thing that used to drain me was the extra hours between 9pm and midnight ...by the time the bride leaves and you film the limo driving away into the night and pack up and drive home it's maybe 1:30am - 2:00am so you are lucky if you get to sleep before 3:00am

Glad those days are over!!!

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Reading these war stories remind me why I don't do a lot of weddings anymore. I've done some greek and middle eastern and have had similar experiences. But it just confirms what I've said hours of coverage should always clearly delineated. Give a flat price and suffer the consequences.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I have packages that determine hours that I work. Only my top package would have me working from say 8am till midnight or 1am if required. Such long days are rare but manageable. Hours alone don't make a Wedding hard in my experience. I've done tougher Weddings that were 6 hours long for me than some that lasted 15. Other factors are how many venues you're working at.

I often wondered if I should charge more for church Weddings than for civil Weddings as the ceremony is often longer and if you're filming Bridal Preps, there's that stress of car parking if in a city centre and of course the stress of more travel during the day to different locations. When Bridal Preps, Ceremony and Reception is all at 1 venue, the day is so much easier.

I'd also love to charge an extra fee for those Weddings whose Speeches last more than 40 minutes. I would call it the waffling surcharge.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Hi Steve

I have always had flat rate prices which cover from event to event (like ceremony to end of first dance) but quite often that can equate to more than what it should be in terms of hours! A ceremony at 3pm assumes a first dance at 9pm (so 6 hours) but it doesn't always work out that way. The problem is if you specify hours, what happens if there is a delay ? Do you charge them per extra hour regardless even if you are there only 30 minutes over time. I have seen a photog who said "times up" just before the cake cutting and refused to shoot any more unless she paid for an extra hour!

Maybe cost out for say 10 hours for something the you estimate at 8 hours so if it goes over time and you stay on you are seen as the good guy???

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Hi Chris,

Actually my packages are:

Ceremony to 1st Dance
Ceremony to 10pm
Bridal Preps to 10pm (Bridal Preps filming start time no earlier than 10am)
Full Day coverage from 8am till midnight or later if agreed in advance.

This balances for me between determining packages by hours and those by events.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Thanks Steve

Just asking cos I had a ceremony to first dance one a few years ago and they had the ceremony at 3 and the first dance ended up at 11pm!! I only costed in 6 hours as all dances are normally at 9pm!! Had to wait an extra 2 hours as I was specific that I would cover to the end of the first dance and they just ignored the timeline and kept delaying the first dance (and cake) which I had to get. Most stick to the rules though.

I wondered if you has a clause like "up to the end of the first dance provided it's done by 9pm" or similar or if they delay it, do you have a clause that allows you to charge extra if they go way past the supposed time ?

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

If the 1st Dance goes beyond 9 then they have to pay until 10. That said if they have a late ceremony, I can be more flexible on that front as I did a few days ago as the Ceremony was at 4.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

On solo vs team shooting - there are a ton of benefits when shooting with a second and third shooter, if done properly.

I know every time I do a wedding solo, invariably, the final quality suffers a bit, because it's impossible to be everywhere. A lot of it depends on the size of the wedding and how many locations there are though.

For smaller weddings where it's all in one place (preps, ceremony, and reception) it's a lot easier vs traveling to a hotel for brides, grooms house for guys, then to the ceremony site, and then to a different reception site.

My pricing kind of takes that into account by how I have structured them with 3 hours, 6 hours, and 10 hours with each higher package including additional help - 1 shooter, 2 shooters, 3-4 shooters, because I know the 6 and 10 hour days will likely have multiple locations. And if they don't, all the better for me because I won't need to have the whole team there all day.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

In an ideal world, I would work as some plumbers do, have an hourly rate and present my bill after I had finished the job. This then would take into account any extra hours worked on the Wedding Day, time spent editing and all fees and costs incurred. This would ensure I would be fully reimbursed for those Weddings that needed extra time editing to cover processing of low light footage, longer than expected Ceremony and Speeches and any issues with audio on the day. Whilst I can predict how much time any given Wedding can need, the fact is some Weddings take longer to edit than others and it's only when I edit these Weddings, this extra work becomes apparent.

In the end, I charge I rate that covers an average amount of work per package, with the view that some will require less and others will require more.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

The First Dance can wind up later than promised sometimes by many hours later (e.g. waiting for the drunk bride who is throwing up in the toilets to sober up!). Some videographers have penal overtime rates to deter time slippage on the day.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Hi Nigel

I still prefer to get all my money up front and have a firm price. How would you do that IF that sort of thing happened? I think we all know that brides are flat broke after the wedding so I would be loathe to invoice her for an extra 2 hours as I probably wouldn't get paid. In fact I have a bridal pack sitting on my shelf and it's been there for 24 months now, all because the bride has an outstanding of a mere $200 ! She refuses to pay and I refuse to deliver ..I doubt whether she will EVER pay (or get her video and photos) Sometimes I think it's better to cost in a delay in the event so you are covered. If she actually finishes early you could always score brownie points by giving her something extra in the package (without telling her why) So cost out a 6 hour wedding at 8 hours and if it falls within the schedule, give her a little extra bonus as a thank you.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I have a clause in my contract which covers late payment situations. I expect final payment on completion of the work, which means when I tell them it has been completed, not when they want me to deliver it. They can delay delivery, but not payment. Any delay in payment, means invoking the late payment clause of 1% per week from the date of completion. In Chris's case, that percentage would have been adding up for many months to the stage where it is worth taking legal action.

In practice, I have only had to use the threat of the clause (by a gentle reminder) on a couple of occasions. One of those a couple of months back when they sold me they had unexpected vets bills for a sick puppy and would not be able to pay me for a while. I pointed out that I was not in a position to make them a loan for their puppy, which was effectively what they were suggesting. In addition, they were contractually obliged to pay the additional late payment fee which ammounted to 40.00 per month, steadily incrementing for each week they didn't pay, plus any legal fees incurred. Within 2 days, they phoned me back to say that a family member would lend them the money.

Sometimes people conveniently forget their obligations and often haven't even read their contract details until you remind them. They also forget that it is your income that they are messing with, not some faceless corporate entity and a gentle reminder with a legal stick as backup is usually sufficient.

Roger

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I used to split my cost into 3 parts Roger. 1/3rd on booking, 1/3rd 2 weeks before the wedding and 1/3rd on completion but after a few brides messed me around (apart from my 24 month lady) I changed to 1/3rd on booking and the balance 2 weeks before the wedding. I have had too many brides overspend on the wedding and honeymoon and come back flat broke and ruin my carefully planned cash flow!

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Yeah, we've had some people not pay, or have had trouble getting payment after the wedding.

Now, it's $500 to book and the balance due 30 days prior to the wedding... and I'm contemplating moving it to 45 or 60 days prior for 2017.

I'm not a bill collector and the last thing I want to be doing is chasing people for money, and also avoiding the "we are low on budget and need to reduce our package for video" or "We are out of money and can't afford video" kind of thing.

Make the florist or caterer deal with that stuff. lol

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Where I live you can ask a deposit but no client will ever pay the full amount 1 to 2 months before the wedding so lucky you :) final payment is mainly when all is ready to be delivered. The reasoning behind not wanting to pay the full amount could be that what if the videographer goes bankrupt or gets into a accident, will the couple ever see their money back if no film is delivered? Or what if there is no wedding, couples will accept loosing their deposit but not the risk of loosing the full amount paid.
I did not have any problems with getting payed the past years however, the only strict rule I apply is that as long as there is no final payment there will no video be send to the couple.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Same here Noa, I never let any video out of my hands until it is paid for.

Roger

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Another good reason why I shoot solo is that "affordable low price" of my package makes it very easy for the client to pay it all before the event, like who doesn't have $500 dollars ( that last 1/3rd payment) a few weeks before the event ? as opposed to a far more expensive multi shooter multi cam shoot that would potentially leave the balance up there in the four figure zone. Harder to collect that before or AFTER the event, I say.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I guess people also aim for a higher package price simply due to the number of weddings available. In some cases based on a workable 9 month season you could have situations where you only have 36 Saturday weddings so you might figure "Let's rather make $5000 per wedding with a team, rather than $1500 per wedding solo" as ones opportunities are limited. Also traditionally brides that have a higher end wedding are more likely to choose a Saturday as their special day whilst the budget bride is quite happy with a Friday, Sunday or even a week day wedding . So shooting multi camera with multi operators you have to charge a bit more as you are unlikely to get the week day/off day weddings.

When it comes to the final costing I wonder if the guy that has two assistants and a massive pile of gear actually puts more money in his pocket than the solo shooter?

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

However we wish to justify our Business choices, the fact is there is a market for solo shooters as there is for multi shooters. Some clients will prefer you to have a team of 2 or 3 to film their Wedding and it's not up to us to argue otherwise.

Given that most of us here shoot solo, arguing it's benefits is like preaching to the choir. If I couldn't see the benefits of filming a Wedding as a solo operator, I wouldn't be doing it. However there are clear advantages for filming with a 2nd or 3rd person. Some Weddings just can't be fully covered to a clients satisfaction with a single person, no matter how much we may think otherwise.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I have the opposite experience, big budget clients always have payed without a discussion, it's the low budget ones that sometimes have been causing problems, either with not paying or with complaining afterwards. Ever since I raised my price the complaints or payment issues disappeared.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I'm strongly debating on going to one package (day of) after next year. I'm just a little apprehensive since our American culture is all about choice.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I do 30 days in advance. It's rare I have anyone complain about it. My response when I'm asked why is, so I can concentrate on finalizing the edit. And since I've never failed to deliver, 30 days in advance gives me the mental latitude.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

The day we switched from "Booking Deposit, Payment a Month Before and Balance on Delivery" to "Booking Deposit and Balance two weeks before the Wedding", all our non-payment problems vanished and not one bride complained about the new terms. That was years ago and still no complaints. Most others vendors want payment up front any way.

I visited my mate yesterday who is a photographer and he did a wedding in November ...despite his terms (same as mine) the bride didn't pay and came up with various options "I'll pay you when you do Bridal prep" ..he felt sorry for her so relented (and didn't get paid) ..he did the ceremony and on arrival at the reception found the DJ and wedding decor people packing up to go. They hadn't be paid either! Despite her final promise of "I'll pay you when I come down to the reception" she didn't so he also packed up and left. She has been bugging him for her photos ever since but still has not paid him the balance!!

That should convince everyone doing weddings to get paid before you start!!

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

There are many, in fact way too many instances where the bride promises to pay on the day of BUT there are too many variables/excuses/reasons/delays into that payment not being delivered. I can mention one instance, and this is fairly common that I am sure most will agree, is a time way back when the final payment was supposed to be the week before the wedding at the very latest and the bride had too many things to pay that week as usual, perfectly understandable, promised the payment on the end of the wedding day. Time comes, she did not pay. She had to wait for HER guest cheques to clear BEFORE she can pay me as all her guests didn't put cash in their envelopes. She did, however , leave me with a cheque saying that she will call me AFTER HER HONEYMOON and let me know when to deposit it. Seemed her honeymoon lasted a full 2 months.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

The only reason someone should get paid after the wedding would be maybe somebody who is just starting out and is a bit more of a risk for the couple. Once you become established, it doesn't make sense.

When I did weddings in Texas in the mid-nineties, I had a couple pay the remaining balance TWO YEARS after their wedding. I kid you not. I half-expected them to get divorced before I saw my money.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Even if you are established you can go out of business leaving the couple with no film and no money. I would also not fully pay for a service that has not even been started, probably it's a culture thing but deposits are considered normal over here, full payment before the wedding not.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Hey Noa

So what sort of deposit would couples give you in Belgium?? Do they pay you when you announce the media is ready for delivery or actually once they have received it and watched it?

What would a baker do then over there ..accept a deposit for the cake only and hope the couple pick it up and pay for it ?? One would assume that reception venues would need to be paid in advance like everywhere else.

The problem with a video or photos once you have shot it and handed it over to the couple you don't really have a physical product of value to repossess if they don't pay!! Same as the wedding cake ...once people have eaten it you cannot take it back due to non payment!!!

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I think it is important to differentiate between a service and a product. If you are baking a cake, you have physical ingredients to purchase before you even start baking. A wedding dress requires purchase of materials, taking measurements etc, and venue hire involves buying in large quantities of food, venue dressing materials and payment of staff etc.

Filming and/or photographing a wedding is basically a no expense up front enterprise, being mainly time use. Having a cancellation or non payment doesn't mean you have lost money on wasted materials, it means that you have a chance of replacing a cancellation at no expense, or taking action to recover payment for time spent on filming or editing.

For me, my contract covers cancellation fees dependant on notice given, and penalties for any late payment of due amounts. I never hand over any work until full payment has been made, but equally I prefer to be paid when I have completed the work. The client gets notification of the completion date and payment has to be made within 7 days of that notification or penalty payments kick in. They also have the option of paying cash on delivery, or bank transfer, card or cheque payments providing they are cleared before delivery.

The reason I have used the no payment up front policy for 32 years, is that as explained, I have no up front costs, but more importantly for me, if anything happens to me or my business, the couple are not losing a big payment. Over the years I have seen this happening many times to couples through business collapses, deaths and deliberate fraud on a number of occasions involving thousands of pounds. The ordinary working man does not get paid in advance for his job and I expect to work on the same basis of being paid for what I have done, not for something that I will be doing. I have the same policy with contractors that I use, I will pay them for any materials, but any labour costs are paid on completion.

Over the years, I have experienced the occasional reluctance to pay or stalling for time, but a quick and friendly reminder of their contractual obligations (which they frequently haven't read) always brings quick payment. People who are reluctant to pay never want to face the idea of paying even more if they stall, so I have never failed to receive payment for a wedding and delays have been very few and far between.

The strength of a good contract is vital however you take payment. A couple of years back, I filmed a wedding and kept getting stalled for payment and delivery, so I reminded them of the penalties and sent them a bill for the cost plus penalties or they could pay the contract price immediately. They paid the next morning. I also filmed at the same venue a few weeks later and it seemed that they were still owed over £5k by the couple. They later took them to court and the couple were ordered to pay them £10 per month. Apparently there was no notification in their contract of when final payment should have been made.

The moral is to take payment however you see fit, but make sure you have a cast iron contract to back it up.

Roger

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

Point taken Roger

However if a couple pays me a deposit it still doesn't really cover me for my time already spent and if they stalled on a prepayment prior to the wedding would it cover your time if you went ahead and shot and edited the wedding? As already mentioned I have a DVD set on the shelf that's 24 months old now...no they won't pay BUT I have edited and packaged their wedding media ready for delivery ...if they cannot pay the small sum they owe me, what chance would I have if I started adding penalties? My view is if they cannot pay the final 1/3rd on delivery that means they have no money spare. OK we are solo shooters but I wonder how the higher end operators would feel when they have to pay two second shooters, transport and fuel if the bride refuses to pay on delivery ...Do they tell their assistants "Sorry boys I cannot pay you as the bride won't pay" I still prefer the up front method even if it sounds a bit unfair to the bride.

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I think that time is a variable thing, so how much time would you spend on a wedding let's say 6 months before the date, apart from writing it it in the diary and sending them a contract? Any other time spent talking to them previously, I would see as promotion, a necessary investment in any business.

I do worry about your wedding that has been sitting on the shelf for 24 months. Why can't they pay? If they signed a contract with you for the full fee and you have fulfilled your obligation to them, then they don't have a choice. You are effectively making them a loan of the balance to pay other bills that they have. It's up to them to take out a lone to pay their debt to you. You mention that if they can't pay the small amount they owe you, what chance would you have that they would also pay extra penalties. My counter argument to that would be that if they owed you for example £300, then under my penalty payment clause, that would now ammount to about £560. With an offer to accept the £300 now or be taken to court for £560 plus costs they may well decide to pay. They could also have paid off that ammount at £6 per week only by now!

I think it is more the case that you are a nice guy, giving them more sympathy than they deserve and they know they have already got away with it for 2 years and probably see you as a soft touch!

Roger

Re: Do My Wedding Packages Make Sense?
 

I am one of those that asks for a small deposit on Booking then the remaining balance before the day; so a week before the Wedding is when I expect the final payment. To be honest only my death would ensure they would not get the finished video. Going out of business is no excuse as I have the footage and a computer. I prefer to have the money up front as I can get stalled on delivery for silly things like music choices, final approval of the video.

I suppose I could have say a 1/3 of the payment deliverable before I hand over the finished video, but as I am delivering multiple videos ( full length, 30-40 min video, Highlights video over a period of 3-4 months), its hard to pin down when I would demand this last payment. Also I allow couples the chance to request minor amendments to the video, so when do I ask for this final fee. Before I hand over the copy for them to approve, the final version once any amendments are made, when I deliver the 40 minute version or maybe I should wait until they are being delivered the final 2 disk DVD copy; at which point they have already seen all the videos online.

I prefer money upfront. Its simple, direct and means no chasing for payments after the day. I'm having my website updated. I paid in full before work began. I see no issue with this and hopefully neither do my clients re my service.