What happens to booked weddings when a wedding photography business is sold?

A wedding is a once-only event with a specific person hired to capture it. When a wedding photography business is sold, the couples who already booked did not agree to a new owner. That makes this different from a business where customers buy a product. Plan for the conversation with each couple before you plan the sale price or the closing date.

Who shoots the dates already taken

Start with a schedule of every booked wedding, the signed contract and the photographer named in it. Decide who will shoot each date: the seller, the buyer, or an associate. If the seller stays for some dates, record that in the purchase agreement. Compare it with the similar issue in what happens to wedding bookings when a florist is sold.

Retainers and deposits

Couples may have paid a retainer for a service not yet delivered. Ask how much of that money the seller still holds, and whether the buyer takes over the work, a credit in the price, or a refund. An escrow holdback is one way to cover the risk. Your lawyer can say how the contract terms apply.

Telling couples

Plan the message together, and send it early enough that a couple who is uneasy has time to respond. Offer an introduction, samples of the new photographer’s work and a plain answer on what happens if they would rather cancel. A couple who learns of the sale from someone else may feel misled, whatever the contract says.

Galleries from past weddings

Couples from earlier years may still expect to download or reorder their photos. Ask where the files are kept, how long galleries stay online, and who will answer those requests. Confirm in the agreement that the buyer receives the files and any rights to use them, and ask your lawyer whether privacy rules apply to the couples’ images.