A ready-made wedding videography contract: 18 sections—from the scope of services and payment schedule to copyright and force majeure. Plus a completed sample. Fill in your details and show the contract to your lawyer before your first client.
Fillable fields for venues, times, guest count, and a detailed checklist of deliverables (feature film, highlight, social cuts, raw footage, drone).
Three-payment structure (retainer, second payment, final), itemized pricing table, accepted payment methods, and late fee terms.
Tiered cancellation policy (90+, 30–89, under 30 days), free reschedule allowance, and pandemic/natural disaster clause.
Videographer retains copyright, client receives personal non-exclusive license, restrictions on re-editing, social media credit requirements.
Backup equipment clause, overtime billing, travel/mileage rates, destination coverage terms, and meal provision.
Included revision rounds, major re-edit fees, delivery timeline, data retention period, and signature fields.
A completed sample for a fictional couple: wedding details, package contents, three-payment schedule, overtime, revisions, delivery and storage timelines, and signatures.
Contents:
Plus the signatures of the videographer and two clients, an appendix for individual agreements, and a completed sample.
Section 4 — Cancellation by Client:
Sample — Payment Schedule (example):
| Payment | Amount | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Retainer (non-refundable) | $1,260 (30%) | Upon signing |
| Second Payment | $1,470 (35%) | June 1, 2027 |
| Final Payment | $1,470 (35%) | 14 days before event |
A blank template is easy to misunderstand, so there's a completed sample at the end of the file. A fictional studio is filming a fictional couple: 9 hours of coverage, a full film, a highlight film, a separate ceremony edit, three social media clips, drone coverage, and a second videographer. The sample shows how to fill out the wedding details, the package contents, the three-payment schedule, overtime, revisions, delivery and storage timelines, and signatures. All figures in the sample are examples, not recommended prices: use your own.
A contract protects both you and your clients. It sets clear expectations about deliverables, payment, timelines, and what happens when things don't go as planned. Without one, disputes about scope, cancellations, and copyright become personal arguments instead of straightforward resolutions.
Define exactly what the client is paying for: coverage hours, number of videographers, deliverables (highlight reel, ceremony edit, raw footage), and the delivery format. Specify whether photos are included if you're a hybrid shooter. Ambiguity here is the number-one source of client disputes.
Standard practice is a 30–50% retainer to secure the date, with the balance due 14 days before the event. Include late payment fees and specify what happens to the retainer if the client cancels. For guidance on pricing these packages, see our Pricing Guide for Wedding Videographers.
Wedding postponements spiked during 2020–2021 and remain common. Your contract should distinguish between cancellation (client gets partial refund based on timeline) and postponement (date moves, retainer transfers to the new date). Include a force majeure clause for events beyond anyone's control — weather, venue closure, travel restrictions.
You own the copyright to the footage and the edit. The client receives a personal-use license. Specify whether you retain the right to use clips in your portfolio, social media, and marketing materials. This is non-negotiable for building your brand.
State the expected turnaround time (8–12 weeks is standard for a highlight film). Specify how you'll deliver: a branded online gallery is the professional standard in 2026, replacing USB drives and Dropbox links. With a platform like OurStoria, you deliver via a permanent branded link — no expired files, no re-sends.
Include a clause limiting liability to the total contract value. Cover the unlikely scenario of complete equipment failure or data loss. Professional insurance (business liability + equipment) should be mentioned as a separate requirement, not as a contract guarantee.
The template is free: enter your email address, and links to the PDF and Word versions will appear immediately. It contains 18 contract sections, a signatures page, an appendix for individual agreements, and a completed sample. Before your first client, show the contract to a local lawyer: laws vary by country and state.
This template is provided for educational purposes. Laws vary by jurisdiction — we strongly recommend having your contract reviewed by a local attorney before using it with real clients. The small cost of a legal review is worth the protection it provides.
The template has 18 sections: event details, services, cost and payment schedule, cancellation and rescheduling, force majeure, equipment failure, copyright, model release, overtime, travel, meals, venue restrictions, editing and revisions, delivery timeline, data retention, limitation of liability, dispute resolution, and an entire-agreement clause.
Yes, at the end of the file. The sample is filled out for a fictional studio and couple: wedding details, package contents, payment schedule, overtime, revisions, delivery and storage timelines, and signatures. The numbers in it are examples, not recommendations.
In the template: if the client cancels 90 days or more in advance, the retainer is non-refundable, but the remaining payments are refunded. With 30-89 days notice, the client pays 50% of the amount; with less than 30 days notice, the client pays 100%. If the videographer cancels, they refund all payments and try to find a replacement. One date reschedule is free if the videographer is available.
According to the template, it belongs to the videographer. The client receives a personal, non-exclusive license to watch, download, and share the video for personal use, and publish it on their social media accounts with a credit to the videographer. The client cannot sell the video, re-edit it without written permission, or remove watermarks.
You specify the number of rounds of minor revisions. Minor revisions include music changes, trim adjustments, and title text corrections. Major re-edits (new storyline, different structure) are subject to additional fees. The deadline for submitting revision requests is also specified in the contract.
The template is a sample for educational purposes. Laws vary by country and state, so please show the contract to a local lawyer before working with clients.