Can you cancel or postpone your wedding without losing the deposit paid to your photographer?

It depends on what you do. If you cancel the wedding, you will normally lose the deposit you have already paid the photographer. If you postpone it, things are quite different. The deposit is often kept for the new date. And if the photographer cannot cover that new day, they should refund you for the part they will not be doing.

Who fails to deliver

The difference lies in who fails to keep their side of the deal. If the couple decides to cancel, the photographer has held that day for you and turned down other weddings. That is why the deposit usually stays with them. If the wedding just moves to a different date, the couple still wants the service. The problem arises if the photographer cannot make that other day. Then it is the photographer who cannot deliver what was agreed.

If the pre-wedding session is done

There is one more detail. If what you paid included a pre-wedding photo session and you have already done it, that work has been completed. If there is a refund, the value of that session will normally be deducted.

Why postponing is usually better

That is why postponing is usually a better route than cancelling. It is easier to reach an agreement when both sides gain something. You keep your deposit. The photographer keeps the wedding. Many photographers offer to hold the new date. If they cannot, they often recommend a trusted colleague who can.

When no agreement is reached

It does not always work out, of course. There are real cases of couples who booked photography and video, had to move their wedding and could not reach any agreement with the photographer. In the end, they had to ask lawyers for help. Nobody wants to get to that point. It can almost always be avoided by talking early and calmly.

What your contract says

Every contract is different. Some state clearly what happens to the deposit if the date changes. Others give you a few days after booking to change your mind. Others say nothing at all. What your contract says is what counts, along with whatever you agree with the photographer.

Weddings in Asturias

In Gijón and throughout Asturias, Evan & Natalia Simon provide photography and video for a select number of weddings and for companies and brands. They see couples torn between postponing and cancelling. The conversation almost always starts in the same place: which date works for you and what can be moved.

What to do now

What should you do now? First, find the contract or the email in which you confirmed the booking. Check what it says about the deposit, about cancelling and about changing the date. Then write to the photographer before deciding anything. Tell them what is happening and ask which dates they have free. If the new date does not suit them, ask whether they know someone who could go in their place. Keep everything in writing. If you have legal questions, consult someone who knows the subject well. And if your wedding is in Asturias and you would like to talk it over with Evan & Natalia Simon, a call is free and with no obligation.

Links

More information, not yet independently confirmed: economistjurist.es, burgosnoticias.com.