You can only photograph one wedding on a Saturday. When a couple says yes to you in a message and then goes quiet for three weeks, you are holding a date that another couple might have taken. A deposit is the ordinary way to settle that. It tells both sides that the date is now reserved, and a website can make that step feel routine instead of awkward.
What the deposit is for
Say in your own words what the deposit covers. Many photographers describe it as the amount that reserves the date and the planning time, with the balance due closer to the wedding. Whatever your structure is, the couple should be able to read it in two sentences before they pay.
Write down what happens if plans change. Whether the deposit is refundable, transferable to a new date or kept is your own decision. Putting it on a policy page, and linking it at the payment step, means nobody is hearing it for the first time after something goes wrong.
What the policy page should answer
- ✓Amount and what it reserves — the date, and perhaps an engagement session
- ✓When the balance is due — a clear date or a point in the timeline
- ✓If the date changes — whether it moves, and under what conditions
- ✓If you must cancel — what you do for the couple in that case
How the payment step works
After a consultation, the couple receives a link to a short page showing the package, the date and the deposit amount, with a button to pay. The payment goes through the tool you use or Square, and you receive a confirmation the moment it is done.
Many photographers pair the deposit with a signed agreement. We can link to the contract tool you use, so the order is simple: sign, pay, date held.
Preparing to take deposits
- ✓Deposit amount per package — a fixed figure or a percentage you choose
- ✓Policy wording — your own, plainly written
- ✓Payment tool — existing, or Square set up for you
- ✓Contract link — whatever you use for agreements
Date conflicts and holds
Sometimes two couples ask for the same date within days. Decide in advance whether you offer a short hold while they decide, and for how long. The page can state it, such as "dates are held for 48 hours without a deposit", so both sides know the rules.
What to expect, honestly
- ✓We do not write your contract or legal terms — we place the wording you provide
- ✓Refunds and transfers are your policy — the site shows them, it does not decide them
- ✓Payment fees belong to the provider — Square and others charge their own rates
One example of what your site could look like
This is one sample we designed. Yours is built around your business, your photos and your words, and we have more examples if you want to compare directions.
What it costs
Websites are priced one-time by size, plus Website Care at $30/month for hosting, HTTPS, backups, weekly checks and A/B testing. Every package includes a consultation, mobile-friendly design, copy we write for you, a contact form, essential search setup and 10 revision rounds. Monthly SEO is an optional add-on when you are ready for it.
Optional add-ons, billed separately
The prices above are for your website. These two are separate monthly products you can add now or later. Neither is part of the website price.
Monthly SEO, from $50/month: new pages published on your site every month. See Monthly SEO →
Business Spotlight, from $30/month: articles about your business, labeled as paid, published on The Company Chronicle. See Business Spotlight →
How it works
1. Consultation
We learn your services, customers and goals, in English or Spanish.
2. We write and design
We draft the words and build the site around your business.
3. 10 revision rounds
You review and request changes until it is right.
4. Launch and care
We launch, then Website Care keeps it hosted, backed up, checked weekly and A/B tested.
Keep reading
Booking deposits websites · Booking for wedding photographers · Online payments · Websites for wedding photographers
