Wedding Deposit Schedule & Payment FAQs

If you’re on this page, chances are you’re recently engaged — congratulations!!! As always, our goal is to ensure that you find all the information you need in an easy-to-understand and transparent way. Below you can find more information and frequently asked questions about our retainers and deposits when booking a wedding or session with Atlanta Dahlia Photography.

Our retainer and deposit schedules

*All retainers/deposits paid are applied toward your session/event balance.

For Large weddings booked more than 6 months in advance

To book a wedding with Atlanta Dahlia Photography, our retainer/deposit schedule is:

15% Due the Day You Sign Your Contract — This is a RETAINER to confirm and book your date. This retainer is non-refundable but can be used for future services in the event you were to cancel your wedding.
15% Due 6 Months Before Your Wedding — This is a RETAINER payment. This retainer is non-refundable but can be used for future services in the event you were to cancel your wedding.
20% Due 4 Months Before Your Wedding — This is a RETAINER payment. This retainer is non-refundable but can be used for future services in the event you were to cancel your wedding.
20% Due 2 Months Before Your Wedding — This is a RETAINER payment. This retainer is non-refundable but can be used for future services in the event you were to cancel your wedding.
30% Due 1 Week Before Your Wedding — This payment is a DEPOSIT payment. This deposit payment is refundable to you in the event you were to cancel your wedding.

For intimate weddings/elopements & large weddings booked less than 6 months in advance

To book an intimate wedding or an elopement with Atlanta Dahlia Photography, our retainer/deposit schedule is:

30% Due the Day You Sign Your Contract — This is a RETAINER to confirm and book your date. This retainer is non-refundable but can be used for future services in the event you were to cancel your wedding.
30% Due 2 Months Before Your Wedding — This is a RETAINER payment. This retainer is non-refundable but can be used for future services in the event you were to cancel your wedding.
40% Due 1 Week Before Your Wedding — This payment is a DEPOSIT payment. This deposit payment is refundable to you in the event you were to cancel your wedding.

for 60-minute sessions & Indoor Lifestyle/Boudoir Sessions

To book a portrait session (i.e., engagement, couples, family, maternity) with Atlanta Dahlia Photography, our retainer/deposit schedule is:

$150 Due at Time of Booking — This is a RETAINER to confirm and book your selected date. This retainer is non-refundable but can be used for future services in the event of cancellation.
Remainder Due the Day Before Your Session.

for Live Streaming & Photo Booth Only Packages

To book an indoor lifestyle/boudoir session with Atlanta Dahlia Photography, our retainer/deposit schedule is:

40% Due at Time of Booking — This is a RETAINER to confirm and book your selected date. This retainer is non-refundable but can be used for future services in the event of cancellation.
60% Due One Day Before Your Event — This payment is a DEPOSIT payment. This deposit payment is refundable to you in the event you were to cancel your event.

for Mini-sessions

To book a mini-session with Atlanta Dahlia Photography, the standard retainer/deposit schedule is:

100% Due at Time of Booking — This is a non-refundable payment. Reschedules are permitted up to 24 hours before the session.

understanding the difference between a retainer and a deposit

Weddings are a huge investment, and after being in the wedding industry for so long, we understand things happen. In designing the deposit schedule for Atlanta Dahlia Photography, it was incredibly important to create a deposit schedule that was as flexible and understanding as possible while assuring couples that while not all funds could be refunded, monies non-refundable still have some benefit to them, regardless of circumstance.

To explain the difference between retainers and deposits:

Retainer (Non-Refundable, Usable Toward Future Services) — A retainer, much like when paying a retainer to an attorney, is a guarantee by a client to engage in future services. This means that while retainers are non-refundable, they are available for future sessions, events, prints, or gift certificates for the person whose name is on your contract, even if you cancel your wedding altogether.
Deposit (Refundable) — Deposits are payments made closer to your wedding date and are fully refundable if you need to cancel your wedding. Typically these payments are the ones closest to your wedding date/session.

Frequently asked questions

What forms of payment do you accept? After signing your contract, you will receive an invoice within one business day that will allow you to pay online via credit card (Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover). Credit card processing fees are factored into pricing so if you have a credit card that offers you miles or cash back, this is a great time to use it!
Why do you allow for a retainer deposit instead of marking all of the deposits as non-refundable? Anytime someone cancels a wedding, there is always a loss. A loss by couples who have paid deposits, many that will be non-refundable, and for the vendors who have blocked out the day losing profit on dates they will no longer be able to sell. With this in mind, we have designed our payment structure to be as fair as possible for both parties if a couple decides that moving forward with their wedding is no longer an option.

What happens if I am unable to make my payments on time? We are extremely understanding if you run into a financial roadblock and need to extend your payment or make smaller payments. The key is always open communication. You will receive a reminder email one week before your due date to remind you that a payment is coming. If, for any reason, you cannot make this payment, just let us know! If we do not hear from you after some time and are unable to get ahold of you, it is possible for your wedding to be canceled due to non-payment. If a cancellation is made due to non-payment, your date will be released and any retainers you have paid will be available for you to use toward future sessions or for purchasing gift certificates.
Can I make payments ahead of my deposit schedule? Absolutely! You are always welcome to make payments ahead of your retainer/deposit schedule. If you cancel, any payments you have made ahead of your retainer/deposit schedule will be refunded to you.
What if I add additional hours or sessions between now and my wedding day? Any additions, regardless of when they are added, are treated the same within your retainer/deposit schedule. For this reason, with hours of coverage, we typically recommend starting with the base of services you know you will need and adding additional hours later once you have a better idea of what your final timeline will be.
How hard is it to reschedule my wedding if I need to? What if you aren’t available? If you need to reschedule your wedding, you can do so at any time by emailing us. You’ll receive a contract addendum that must be completed to confirm the date change, and any monies paid will be transferred to your new wedding date. When choosing a new date, we are a husband and wife team, so in most cases, we can accommodate more than one wedding on any given day.
Why are not all my payments refundable? This is a great question! Retainers are essentially a guarantee from you that you will use our services in those amounts in the future. This guarantee is why we hold a date for you, regardless of future incoming inquiries we receive. These retainers help us to ensure a framework of operations to provide the best in information, technology, resources, speed of correspondence, and equipment. (Did you know? 30% of revenue alone goes toward software systems, equipment and upgrades.) It takes a lot of time and expense, including full-time office support, to sustain a level of commitment in our business to provide the best services to you.
What if you were to cancel on us? If we need to cancel a session or event with you for any reason, any retainers and deposits paid would be refunded in full.
Can friends and family make payments toward my wedding package? Absolutely! Family members and friends are always welcome to make a payment toward your invoice, but if you’d prefer to keep your invoice private, one of the best ways for friends and family to contribute to your payments is by purchasing gift certificates. Not only do we run some great specials from time to time, but our gift certificate interface makes it super easy for friends and family to pool together for funds. To have your gift certificate applied, just simply send us an email letting us know as soon as you receive your gift certificate email.