Wedding Photography & Videography Services Agreement
Wedding Photo & Video Contract
Aurelith Wedding Films SRL — Studio (service provider) · Clara Weber & Tomás Ruiz (you) — Clients (the couple)
The bottom line
This is a €3,600 photo and video package for your wedding on 19 June 2027 — and almost every risk in it lands on you. The €1,080 deposit is gone whatever happens, even if the studio is the one that cancels. If they simply don't show up, or lose your photos through their own carelessness, the most you can get back is what you paid minus that deposit — nothing for a day you can never repeat. The named photographer can be swapped for anyone 'of equal standing' without telling you, the pictures can take up to six months with no consequence for being late, and you never get the RAW files. The studio can put your wedding (and your guests) all over its social media and ads — keeping them private costs an extra €400, and only if you ask 60 days ahead. Add overtime at €250 per person per started hour, crew travel, hotel and meals, a 'force majeure' clause wide enough to cover a sick employee or traffic, and file deletion 90 days after delivery. Honest bottom line: the package itself is normal; the terms around it are not. Negotiate the liability, deposit, publication and delivery clauses before you pay anything.
Red flags
A no-show or lost photos gets you back less than you paid
Critical· LiabilityClause 12 caps the studio's liability — even for its own negligence — at a refund of what you paid, minus the €1,080 deposit. Your wedding can't be restaged, and you'd get nothing for that.
What to ask for
Full refund including the deposit for any studio-caused no-show or loss, reasonable compensation on top, and written backup procedures (dual cards, two copies).
The studio keeps your deposit even when it cancels
Critical· FinancialThe €1,080 is 'non-refundable in all circumstances', including cancellation by the studio. Together with clause 13, the studio can walk away and keep most of your money.
What to ask for
The deposit stays non-refundable only if YOU cancel; if the studio cancels or fails to perform, everything is refunded within 14 days.
Your wedding in their ads unless you pay €400
Critical· PrivacyPublication of you and your guests in ads, social media and competitions is the default; privacy is a paid extra with a 20 April 2027 cut-off. Marketing use of identifiable people generally needs consent that shouldn't come with a price tag.
What to ask for
Publication only with your separate written consent, image by image, free and withdrawable — and never guests or children in advertising without their own consent.
'Force majeure' covers a sick photographer or traffic
High· TerminationOrdinary business risks let the studio cancel and refund only 50% of what you paid, deposit excluded — €1,260 back out of €3,600.
What to ask for
Force majeure limited to extraordinary events; a replacement photographer for illness or equipment failure; full refund if they still cancel.
The photographer you booked can be swapped without notice
High· OtherAny photographer 'of equal standing' — undefined — can be sent instead, with no warning and no refund.
What to ask for
Named photographer as essential; substitution only in emergencies, with notice, portfolio approval and a right to cancel with a full refund.
Up to 180 days for your photos, with no remedy for lateness
High· OtherFully paid before the wedding, the studio has no consequence for delivering late — and 180 days is itself only 'an estimate'.
What to ask for
A firm 8–12 week deadline, a sneak peek within 2 weeks, and a partial refund for each month of delay.
Key deadlines
- Last day to cancel without owing the full feeMar 21, 2027
From 22 March 2027 (less than 90 days before the wedding), cancelling means owing the full €3,600. Before that, you lose 'only' the €1,080 deposit.
- Opt-out of publication — written requestApr 20, 2027
The studio must RECEIVE your written opt-out at least 60 days before the wedding, with the €400 privacy fee. Better: negotiate a consent-based clause before signing so you never need this.
- Final balance due — €2,520May 20, 2027
30 days before the wedding. There is no grace period: a late payment lets the studio treat the contract as cancelled and keep everything. Pay a few days early and keep the bank confirmation.
- Wedding day — coverageJun 19, 2027
10 consecutive hours from the agreed start time. Note when the crew arrives and leaves yourself (or ask a friend to) — overtime is billed per person, per started hour, from the crew's own records.
- Latest delivery of photos and filmDec 16, 2027
180 days after the wedding. As drafted, the studio faces no consequence if it misses this — chase in writing from the following day.
- Files deleted from the studio's archive
90 days after the studio actually delivers. If they use the full 180 days, that is around mid-March 2028. Back up your files in two places the day they arrive.
Dates you have to act on. Adding them to your calendar takes one click.
Key facts
- Total fee
- €3,600 (Gold Collection)
- Wedding date
- Saturday, 19 June 2027
- Booking deposit
- €1,080 (30%), non-refundable even if the studio cancels
- Final balance
- €2,520, due 30 days before the wedding
- Delivery
- Up to 180 days after the wedding, no remedy for delay
- Overtime
- €250 per crew member per started hour after 10 hours
- Opt out of publication
- €400 extra, request 60 days ahead
- File archive
- Deleted 90 days after delivery
- Disputes
- Courts in Brașov (the studio's seat)
Clause by clause
1. Services and Package
Low· OtherWhat the contract says
“...up to ten (10) consecutive hours of coverage by one lead photographer and one videographer, a minimum of 500 edited digital photographs, and a highlight film of five (5) to eight (8) minutes.”
What it means
You're buying 10 hours in a row with a photographer and a videographer, at least 500 edited photos and a 5–8 minute highlight film. 'Consecutive' matters: if they start at 11:00 for getting-ready shots, coverage ends at 21:00 — often before the first dance or the cake.
Negotiation tip
Write your actual timeline into the contract (start time, ceremony, end time) and check the 10 hours cover the moments you care about. Ask whether a full-length ceremony video is included or only the highlight film.
2. Booking Deposit — gone whoever cancels
Critical· FinancialWhat the contract says
“The booking deposit secures the Event Date and is non-refundable in all circumstances, including cancellation of this Agreement by either party for any reason.”
What it means
Holding your date costs €1,080, and you never get it back — not even if the STUDIO cancels on you. A deposit that compensates them for turning away other couples is normal; a deposit they keep after breaking the deal themselves is not. In the EU, terms that let a business keep your money when it doesn't perform are often treated as unfair in consumer contracts — check your country's rules.
Negotiation tip
Ask for: 'If the Studio cancels or fails to perform for any reason other than the Clients' breach, all amounts paid, including the booking deposit, are refunded in full within 14 days.' Keeping the deposit non-refundable for YOUR cancellation is a reasonable trade.
3. Final Balance — paid before you see a single photo
Medium· FinancialWhat the contract says
“The remaining balance of EUR 2,520 shall be paid no later than thirty (30) days before the Event Date. If the balance is not received by that date, the Studio may treat this Agreement as cancelled by the Clients and retain all amounts paid.”
What it means
The whole €3,600 is paid a month before the wedding — up to seven months before you receive anything. And there's no grace period: one late bank transfer and they can call it your cancellation and keep everything.
Negotiation tip
Propose splitting the balance: e.g. 50% before the wedding and the final part on delivery of the photos and film. At minimum, require written notice and 7 days to pay before a missed transfer can count as cancellation.
4. Cancellation and Postponement by You
High· TerminationWhat the contract says
“If the Clients cancel this Agreement less than ninety (90) days before the Event Date, the full fee of EUR 3,600 shall be due, regardless of whether the Studio rebooks the date. A change of the Event Date shall be treated as a cancellation unless the Studio, at its sole discretion, agrees to the new date...”
What it means
From 22 March 2027, cancelling means paying the full €3,600 — even if another couple books the same day and the studio is paid twice. Moving the wedding (illness, a venue problem) counts as cancelling unless the studio agrees, and then it still costs €300.
Negotiation tip
Ask for a sliding scale (e.g. 50% due 90–30 days out, 100% only in the last 30 days), a refund of anything above the deposit if the date is rebooked, and one free postponement within 12 months if the studio is available.
5. Assigned Personnel — the photographer you chose may not come
High· OtherWhat the contract says
“The Studio reserves the right, at its sole discretion and without notice, to assign another photographer or videographer of equal standing. Such a substitution shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement or entitle the Clients to any refund or price reduction.”
What it means
You probably booked this studio because of Matei Stan's portfolio. This clause lets them send someone else — without telling you, for any reason, at the same price. 'Equal standing' is never defined, so there's nothing to measure it against.
Negotiation tip
Name the photographer as essential: substitution only for genuine emergencies (illness, accident), with written notice as soon as known, approval of the replacement's portfolio, and the right to cancel with a full refund — deposit included — if you don't accept the replacement.
6. Overtime — €250 per person, per started hour
Medium· FinancialWhat the contract says
“Coverage beyond ten (10) hours shall be billed at EUR 250 per crew member for each started hour, as recorded by the Studio's crew on the day...”
What it means
Weddings run late. With two crew members, five minutes past the 10th hour costs €500 — 'per started hour' means a minute counts as an hour. The crew's own notes decide how long they stayed, and you're unlikely to be checking the clock on your wedding night.
Negotiation tip
Ask for overtime in 30-minute blocks, only when you (or a named person) request it on the day, with a cap — e.g. 'no overtime beyond 2 hours without written agreement'. Agree the hourly rate per team, not per person.
7. Travel, Accommodation and Meals
Medium· FinancialWhat the contract says
“For events more than thirty (30) km from the Studio's seat, the Clients shall reimburse travel at EUR 0.60 per km for the round trip. Where coverage ends after 22:00 or the Venue is more than one hundred (100) km from the Studio's seat, the Clients shall provide or pay for overnight accommodation for each crew member.”
What it means
Your venue is in Sibiu County, roughly 140–150 km from Brașov — so expect about €170+ in mileage AND hotel rooms for two people, on top of the €3,600. The price you were quoted is not the price you'll pay. Feeding the crew is normal and fair.
Negotiation tip
Ask for a fixed, all-inclusive travel figure in writing now (e.g. '€250 covering all travel and accommodation'), rather than open-ended mileage and hotel costs.
8. Delivery — six months, and lateness costs them nothing
High· OtherWhat the contract says
“The Studio shall deliver the edited photographs and the highlight film within one hundred and eighty (180) days after the Event Date. Delivery dates are estimates only, and the Studio shall have no liability of any kind for delays in delivery.”
What it means
You could wait until mid-December 2027 for your June wedding photos — and even that date is 'only an estimate'. Because they're paid in full before the wedding and late delivery has no consequence, there's no real deadline at all.
Negotiation tip
Ask for a firm deadline (8–12 weeks is common for photos), a sneak-peek set within 2 weeks, and a concrete remedy — e.g. 10% of the fee refunded for each 30 days of delay, plus the right to cancel and claim back payments if delivery is more than 60 days late.
9. RAW Files and Editing
Medium· Intellectual propertyWhat the contract says
“Unedited ("RAW") files remain the property of the Studio and shall not be delivered to the Clients under any circumstances.”
What it means
You only get the photos the studio chooses to edit. Many photographers work this way, so it isn't a scandal — but combined with clause 11 (everything deleted after 90 days), a favourite moment they didn't select is lost forever. Re-edits cost €50 per photo.
Negotiation tip
Ask to see an online gallery of all usable shots before final editing so you can pick favourites, or to buy the unedited selects for a fixed fee before the archive is deleted.
10. Copyright and Publication — privacy costs €400
Critical· PrivacyWhat the contract says
“The Studio may use any photographs and footage, including images showing the Clients and their guests, in its portfolio, website, social media channels, advertising and competitions, without further consent or compensation. The Clients may opt out of publication by written request received no later than sixty (60) days before the Event Date, against an additional privacy fee of EUR 400.”
What it means
By default, your wedding — and every guest in the pictures, including children — can appear in the studio's ads and Instagram. Saying no costs €400 and must be done by 20 April 2027. Under EU data-protection rules, using identifiable photos of people for marketing generally needs their freely given consent, which shouldn't cost extra — and you can't consent on behalf of your guests. Keeping copyright with the photographer is normal; charging for privacy is not.
Negotiation tip
Ask to flip it: 'The Studio may publish images only with the Clients' separate written consent, which they may give for selected images and withdraw at any time.' No fee. Also ask that no guest — especially children — appears in advertising without that guest's own consent.
11. Archive and Deletion — 90 days, then gone
Medium· OtherWhat the contract says
“The Studio shall keep a copy of the delivered files for ninety (90) days after delivery, after which all files, including RAW files, will be permanently deleted.”
What it means
Three months after delivery, the studio wipes everything. If your hard drive fails a year later, there is no backup. Paying €15 a month to keep the archive is an upsell, not a safeguard.
Negotiation tip
Ask for a 1–2 year archive included in the price, and a reminder email 30 days before deletion. Either way, back up your files in two places the day you receive them.
12. Limitation of Liability — a missed wedding costs them nothing extra
Critical· LiabilityWhat the contract says
“If the Studio fails to attend the event, or if photographs or footage are lost, damaged or corrupted for any reason, including the negligence of the Studio or its personnel, the Studio's sole and entire liability shall be limited to a refund of the amounts paid for the affected services, excluding the booking deposit.”
What it means
This is the worst clause. If nobody turns up, or a memory card is lost through their own carelessness, the most you get back is €2,520 — they still keep €1,080 for doing nothing. No compensation for a day that can't be repeated. In the EU, clauses that exclude liability for the provider's own fault are often treated as unfair in consumer contracts, so this may not hold up — but you'd have to fight it, in Brașov.
Negotiation tip
Ask for: full refund including the deposit for any no-show or loss caused by the studio, plus reasonable compensation (e.g. the cost of a restaged portrait session). Also ask how they protect files: two cameras with dual memory cards, and two backups before cards are wiped.
13. Force Majeure — a sick employee counts
High· TerminationWhat the contract says
“...force majeure, which includes, without limitation, illness or injury of any crew member, equipment failure, vehicle breakdown, traffic, adverse weather, and any other circumstance beyond the Studio's reasonable control. In such case, the Studio may cancel this Agreement and shall refund fifty percent (50%) of the amounts paid, excluding the booking deposit...”
What it means
Real force majeure means extraordinary events — floods, pandemics, war. Here it also covers ordinary business risks the studio should plan for: a photographer with flu, a broken camera, a flat tyre, traffic. If they cite any of these, they can cancel and give back just €1,260 of your €3,600. You'd be left with no photographer and €2,340 out of pocket.
Negotiation tip
Limit force majeure to genuinely extraordinary events, require the studio to send a replacement for crew illness or equipment failure (that's what backup gear and a network of photographers are for), and make any cancellation a full refund — deposit included.
14. Governing Law and Disputes
Medium· Dispute resolutionWhat the contract says
“Any dispute shall be submitted exclusively to the competent courts of the Studio's registered seat in Brașov.”
What it means
Any dispute goes to court in Brașov. If you live elsewhere — or in another EU country — that makes even a small claim expensive. In the EU, consumers can often still sue a business in their own country's courts regardless of a clause like this; check your country's rules before you assume you're bound by it.
Negotiation tip
Ask to remove 'exclusively' or replace it with 'the courts competent under applicable consumer-protection law', and to add that both sides will first try to settle complaints in writing within 30 days.
Questions to ask before signing
- 1If you cancel or fail to show up, will you refund everything I've paid, including the deposit?
- 2Can Matei Stan be named as our photographer, with notice and a right to cancel if you need to replace him?
- 3Can you commit to a firm delivery date — and what happens if you're late?
- 4Will you publish our photos only with our written consent, without the €400 fee?
- 5What backup do you use on the day — two cameras, dual memory cards, two copies before cards are wiped?
- 6Can you give us one fixed, all-inclusive price for travel and accommodation to our venue?
- 7Can overtime be billed in half-hours, only when we ask for it, and with a cap?
- 8Can we see all usable shots before editing, and keep the archive for at least a year?
Legal terms, decoded
- Booking deposit
- An upfront payment that reserves your date. Usually non-refundable if YOU cancel, because the studio turned away other couples — but it shouldn't be kept when the studio itself fails to perform.
- Force majeure
- Extraordinary events nobody could foresee or prevent (natural disasters, war, a pandemic) that excuse a party from performing. Ordinary risks like illness, traffic or broken equipment don't usually qualify — this contract stretches the term to cover them.
- Limitation of liability
- A clause capping how much one side has to pay if things go wrong. In consumer contracts, caps that also cover the provider's own fault are frequently challenged as unfair.
- RAW files
- The unprocessed image data straight from the camera, before any editing. Photographers often keep them; the couple receives edited JPEG files.
- Licence for personal use
- Permission to use photos you don't own the copyright in — e.g. print, frame and share them privately — but not to sell them or use them commercially.
- Copyright
- The photographer's ownership of the creative work. Keeping it is standard in the industry; it is separate from the question of whether they may publish photos of YOU, which is about your personal data and image.
- Per started hour
- A billing rule where any part of an hour is charged as a full hour — staying one minute over costs the same as staying 59 minutes.
Generated by Fair Contracts on October 19, 2026 using automated AI analysis. Automated analysis can miss things or be wrong.
Fair Contracts is an informational tool, not legal advice, and using it creates no lawyer–client relationship. For decisions that matter, consult a licensed professional in your country.
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