Wedding contracts, session agreements and model releases, signed
A photographer's paperwork has two jobs. The contract protects the booking: the date, the coverage, the retainer and what happens if plans change. The release protects the pictures: who's in them and how you can use them. SignMaster gets contracts signed before you block the date, and releases signed at the shoot on your phone or iPad.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
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What photographers get signed
| Work | Documents | Who signs |
|---|---|---|
| Weddings | Contract, timeline questionnaire, second-shooter agreement | Both partners, and a parent if they're paying |
| Portraits and families | Session agreement, model release for each adult | Each adult in the session |
| Children and newborns | Session agreement, model release | A parent or guardian for each child |
| Mini sessions | Short session agreement | Each family, from a public link |
| Commercial and headshots | Estimate, usage license, model and property releases | The client, each model, the location owner |
The template library has a wedding photography contract, a photography contract for sessions and a model release form. Use this template opens one in SignMaster with your blanks marked.
Booking a wedding
- 1
Send it while they're excited
After the consult, send the contract with the date, hours of coverage, second shooter and package price filled in. A calculated field adds any extra hours or an engagement session they tick.
- 2
Both partners sign
Add both as signers, all at once or one after the other. If a parent is paying, add them too. Each signs from their own link, with no account.
- 3
Set a hold deadline
Tell them the date is held until a set day, and set the sign-by date to match. Reminders follow up, and you can set the link to expire so an old quote can't be signed months later.
- 4
Questionnaire before the day
A few weeks out, send a timeline and family-photo questionnaire. Text fields and an attachment field for the venue's schedule come back as a signed PDF.
Copyright and the client's license
Most photography contracts keep the copyright with the photographer and give the client a license for personal use. Say which, in plain words, and say whether the client may print anywhere they like.
Releases at the shoot
Releases are best signed before the camera comes out. Send the release and choose Sign in person, then hand your iPad to the model. Each in-person session is for one signer, so start the next one when the next model is up. For children, the parent or guardian signs. See get a parent's signature for a minor. For a crowd, like a team or a corporate headshot day, put a public signing link on a QR code at the check-in table, and each person signs their own release on their own phone.
Mini sessions without the spreadsheet
Turn a short mini session agreement into a public signing link and post it with your announcement. Each family fills in names, ages and their time slot and signs, in their own envelope. On paid plans, the template's Responses tab lists every family's answers in one table you can export, so your shoot-day list writes itself.
Pricing
A working photographer usually needs Solo: $15 a month for unlimited envelopes and templates, so every contract and release is covered. A studio with associate shooters and a studio manager shares Crew, $49 a month for 5 people, with the studio's logo on emails and the signing page. Try Free with 3 envelopes a month, or get 14 days of Crew free. Compare plans.
What SignMaster doesn't do
- It doesn't take retainers or payment plans.
- It isn't a gallery or a booking calendar.
- It doesn't decide what your release must say for a given use; a lawyer can.
- It emails signing links; copy one into a text or a DM.
Questions? Answers.
Can both partners sign a wedding photography contract?
Yes. Add each partner as a signer, and choose whether they sign at the same time or one after the other. Both get the sealed PDF when it's complete.
How do I get model releases signed at a shoot?
Send the release, choose Sign in person and hand over your phone or iPad, one model at a time. For a group, share a public signing link as a QR code.
Can families sign up for mini sessions online?
Yes. A public signing link lets each family fill in their details and sign their own agreement. Every response lands in your account.
Who signs a release for a child?
A parent or legal guardian. Add them as the signer, and include the child's name in a text field on the release.