TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Wedding Photography
Viktoriya van den Hoven · Tennenbacher Straße 17 · 79106 Freiburg · Germany
Version: September 2026
1. Scope and Conclusion of Contract
1.1 These Terms and Conditions ("T&Cs") apply to all wedding photography services provided by Viktoriya van den Hoven, Tennenbacher Straße 17, 79106 Freiburg, Germany ("Photographer") to the couple booking her ("Clients").
1.2 The booking is confirmed once the Clients have accepted these T&Cs in text form (for example by replying to the booking email) or by paying the retainer invoice. Together with the retainer invoice and any written offer, these T&Cs form the entire agreement between the parties.
1.3 Deviating terms and conditions of the Clients do not apply unless the Photographer has expressly accepted them in text form. Individual written agreements take precedence over these T&Cs.
2. Services
2.1 The Photographer provides photographic coverage of the Clients' wedding for the agreed hours of coverage, as set out in the booked package
2.2 The Photographer works in a documentary style. Composition, artistic approach, selection and editing of the images are at the Photographer's professional discretion. Clients may share a list of important people, moments and family group photos in advance. The Photographer cannot guarantee specific images, as they depend on the course of the day.
2.3 Coverage beyond the booked time is possible subject to the Photographer's availability and is charged at 400€ per started hour, to be agreed on the day.
2.4 The Photographer may engage a qualified second photographer or assistant. Additional services (for example an engagement session or albums) must be agreed and invoiced separately.
3. Fees, Retainer and Payment
3.1 The total fee is stated in the offer or booked package.All prices include statutory VAT
3.2 To reserve the date, the Photographer issues a retainer invoice of 30% of the total fee, due within7 days of the invoice date. The retainer is credited against the total fee.
3.3 The wedding date is reserved for the Clients only once the retainer has been received in the Photographer's account. Until then, the date is held until the payment deadline stated on the invoice; afterwards the Photographer is free to offer it to other couples. The Photographer confirms receipt of the retainer in writing.
3.4 The remaining balance is invoiced and due 2 weeks before the wedding date. Payment is made in euros by bank transfer; any bank charges are borne by the Clients.
3.5 If the balance is not paid in time, statutory default interest applies. The Photographer may withhold delivery of the images until all invoices are paid in full. If the balance remains unpaid after a reminder with a reasonable deadline, the Photographer may withdraw from the contract, in which case clause 5 applies accordingly.
4. Travel and Expenses
4.1 The agreed wedding package includes all travel and accommodation costs for the photographer
4.2 Travel and accommodation are booked by the Photographer after consultation with the Clients. If the wedding is cancelled or postponed, the Clients reimburse non-recoverable costs already incurred.
4.3 The Clients provide the Photographer with a meal and drinks on the wedding day. The Clients are responsible for obtaining any permission needed to take photographs at the venue.
5. Cancellation and Postponement by the Clients
5.1 Cancellation must be made in text form. If the Clients cancel, the Photographer may claim the following flat-rate compensation for the reserved date and lost bookings, based on the total fee (the retainer paid is credited):
more than 6 months before the wedding date: 30 %
between 6 and 3 months before: 50 %
between 3 months and 14 days before: 75 %
less than 14 days before, or on the day: 100 %
5.2 The Clients may prove that no damage, or a significantly lower damage, has occurred. Non-recoverable expenses already incurred (see clause 4) are charged in addition.
5.3 The Clients may postpone the wedding once free of charge, provided they notify the Photographer in text form at least 6 months before the original date and the Photographer is available on the new date. The retainer is then transferred to the new date. If the Photographer is not available on the new date, the Clients may propose another date or cancel in accordance with clause 5.1.
5.4 A change in guest numbers or in the schedule of the day does not entitle the Clients to a reduction of the fee.
6. Cancellation by the Photographer
6.1 If the Photographer is prevented from attending by illness, accident or other serious reasons beyond her control, she will inform the Clients immediately and make reasonable efforts to arrange a qualified replacement photographer whose work is of comparable style.
7. The Wedding Day
7.1 The Clients provide the day's timeline at least 4 weeks before the wedding and inform the Photographer of any changes. They ensure that the Photographer has access to the venues and enough time for portraits and group photographs.
7.2 The Photographer is not responsible for images that cannot be taken because of venue or officiant restrictions, weather, lighting, delays in the schedule, or obstruction by guests or other service providers. If the schedule runs late, the booked coverage time is not extended free of charge.
7.3 The Photographer may interrupt or end coverage if her safety is at risk or she is subjected to abusive behaviour. The fee remains payable in this case.
8. Delivery of Images
8.1 The Photographer delivers the edited images via a private online gallery within approximately 8–12 weeks after the wedding. The delivery times are targets and not fixed dates, unless expressly agreed.
8.2 The number of images depends on the course of the day. Selection and editing are at the Photographer's discretion. Unedited and unselected files (RAW files) are not delivered.
8.3 The gallery stays online for 12months. The Clients are asked to download and back up their images promptly. The Photographer archives the originals for at least 12 months after delivery but is not obliged to keep them longer; later re-delivery is possible if the files still exist.
8.4 The Clients are asked to check the delivery promptly and to report any defects. The statutory rights of the Clients remain unaffected. Retouching beyond standard editing (for example changing body shape or removing guests) is done only by prior agreement.
9. Copyright and Usage Rights
9.1 The Photographer retains the copyright in all images. The images are photographic works protected by copyright under German law.
9.2 After full payment, the Clients receive a non-exclusive, non-transferable right of use, unlimited in time and place, for private and non-commercial purposes. This includes viewing, sharing with family and friends, private social media profiles, printing, albums and wedding stationery. When publishing online, the Clients should credit the Photographer (@victoriavandenhoven / Victoria van den Hoven).
9.3 Any commercial use, sale, use in advertising, publication in media or competitions, and any submission to publications require the Photographer's prior consent in text form. Wedding suppliers may use the images for their own portfolios only with the Photographer's approval and with credit.
9.4 The Clients may crop the images and apply simple corrections, but must not change their editing style, for example by using filters, or alter their content. The images must not be used to train artificial intelligence systems or to generate synthetic images.
9.5 In case of unauthorised use, the Photographer may assert her statutory rights, including injunctive relief and damages.
9.6 The Photographer may use the images for her portfolio, website, blog, social media, print materials, sample albums and self-promotion, and may submit them to wedding publications, blogs and directories. The Clients may object to the use of specific images, or to publication in general, in text form before the wedding or within 4 weeks after delivery of the gallery. Consent to future use can be revoked at any time for important reasons.
10. Data Protection and Guests
10.1 The Photographer processes personal data of the Clients to perform the contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR). Details can be found in the Photographer's privacy notice.
10.2 The Clients inform their guests that a photographer will be present and that images showing them may be used in accordance with clause 9.6. If a guest objects, the Photographer will not publish images of that guest.
11. Equipment and Data Backup
11.1 The Photographer works with professional equipment and takes reasonable precautions against technical failure and data loss, including duplicate recording and multiple backups. Liability for unforeseeable technical failure or data loss remains governed by clause 12.
12. Liability
12.1 The Photographer is liable without limitation for intent and gross negligence, for injury to life, body or health, under the Product Liability Act, and where she has given a guarantee.
12.2 In cases of slight negligence, the Photographer is liable only for breach of essential contractual obligations (obligations whose fulfilment makes proper performance possible and on which the Clients regularly rely), and only for foreseeable, typical damage. In this case, liability is limited to the total fee agreed, to the extent legally permitted.
12.3 The Photographer is not liable for circumstances outside her control, such as those described in clause 7.2, or for actions of third parties.
13. Force Majeure and Official Restrictions
13.1 If the wedding cannot take place or the Photographer cannot perform because of events beyond either party's control (for example natural disasters, war, strikes, epidemics, travel bans or official orders), neither party is liable for the resulting delay or non-performance.
13.2 In this case the Clients may postpone the wedding once free of charge, and the retainer is credited to a new date within 24 months, subject to the Photographer's availability. If no new date can be agreed, payments made for services not rendered are refunded, less non-recoverable expenses already incurred, and excluding the initial non-refundable deposit.
14. Information for Consumers
14.1 If the contract is concluded exclusively by distance communication (for example email), information on the statutory right of withdrawal is provided to the Clients separately before the contract is concluded.
14.2 The Photographer is neither willing nor obliged to take part in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.
15. Final Provisions
15.1 The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Mandatory consumer protection provisions of the country in which the Clients have their habitual residence remain unaffected.
15.2 Amendments and additions to the contract must be made in text form. These T&Cs are provided in English for convenience. In case of doubt, the German version applies.
15.3 As far as legally permissible, the place of jurisdiction is Freiburg im Breisgau.
15.4 If a provision of these T&Cs is or becomes invalid, the remaining provisions remain valid, and the statutory provisions apply in place of the invalid one.