Paying out deposits

£300 deposit is quite normal for a photographer, but you are right to be concerned. This is why wedding insurance is so important, if a company goes bust before the day or is unable to deliver, the wedding insurance protects you and helps with money for alternative services. Another way you can protect yourself is by paying deposits on a credit card, I believe it's article 75 or something? But anyway there's a law / clause thingy that means that monies paid over £100 up to a certain amount are protected and can be recovered by your credit card company for you if they break their contract or don't deliver promised services (kinda like the PayPal protection that refunds you if the seller doesn't send your item).

So in a nutshell: get wedding insurance before you pay anything out, and use a credit card where you can. Also always get a written contract, you need them, keep a folder.

Hi

Would echo the above reply. Wedding insurance is a must. Paying on credit card is handy but we found a lot of vendors don't have credit card facilities, they're one- or two- (wo)man businesses who just want cash! Some may take payment by Google Wallet but that doesn't support credit card payments in the UK, but if you can pay by PayPayl, you can add a credit card to your payment options and pay them that way - you do pay additional charges but you are covered.

Always negotiate - people don't *need* £500 and £600 deposits. See if you can make a larger deposit in staged payments if they insist on that kind of amount.

Good luck!

Mr_P

Good Job i posted.

I knew there was something i had forgot to do!! Wedding Insurance.

and thank you for the tip with paypal, i knew i was best using a credit card, however some have already said they dont accept it.

Will try that tonight

Thank you