I'm meeting with our photographer tomorrow for the ongoing album thing.  When I asked his assistant how much I owed, he quoted me the entire balance.  I was thinking that I would owe only for the pictures (reprints) that I'm actually picking up.  Should I be paying for the albums
 

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What you have to pay will depend on what your contract says.  Typically, a photographer charges a deposit to reserve the date for you. The deposit may or may not be deducted from the total amount due, depending on the photographer.  You will be expected to pay for the albums before you pick them up so that the photographer can cash your check and it can clear at the bank.  When couples marry and then move (or move, then marry), often times bank accounts are closed and the merchants who provide services are not informed that their check may not clear.  Consequently, many merchants require payment in advance, since, once a couple has the pictures, it can be difficult to get the money.

You mention the companies that put the albums together.  Usually, the photographer or his assistant puts the photos that you have chosen into an album that has been purchased for that purpose.  

Glenna Tooman
Foreverwed.com Wedding expert