Extra work on the day is easiest when one named person can authorise it and the request is recorded at once. Agree before the event who may approve longer hours, added tasks or new deliverables, and how the cost or effect is stated. A quick written message on the day beats a spoken request that nobody remembers.
Events rarely run to the minute. A speech overruns, a family arrives late, a sponsor wants one more picture. Our photographer is often the person who must answer. A short agreement beforehand makes those answers easy.
This guide belongs to our booking and scope guide. For what happens when the programme itself changes, see the programme changes or runs beyond booked hours.
Why the day is different
On the day, there is no time to call three people. Requests come from several directions: the host, the venue, a manager, a relative. Without a rule, our team either says yes to everything or refuses anything unexpected. Neither helps you.
A rule such as "only Ms Lim can approve extra work, and she will message the request" removes the guesswork. It also protects your budget.
Three kinds of extra work
| Kind | Example | What to settle |
|---|---|---|
| Longer hours | The dinner starts late | Whether the crew can stay, and how time is quoted |
| New tasks | A VIP arrives and needs a portrait | Whether the crew can add it without missing something else |
| Added deliverables | A same-night selection is requested | Whether it can be done at all, and by when |
The third is the one most likely to be impossible. If a deliverable depends on equipment, staff or time that were not planned, the answer may be no. Ask us before the event whether a particular addition can be included for your date.
Choose the approver
Pick one person who knows the budget and the priorities. They should be present at the event and reachable by message. Name a backup in case they are busy or away. See assigning a backup contact when the main organiser becomes unavailable.
Our photography responsibility planner helps you assign roles. If an agency is involved, it must be clear whether the agency or the client approves. See handling conflicting instructions from the client and event agency.
Record it at once
A good record has four parts: what was requested, who approved it, the time and the effect on hours or cost. Messages are enough if they are clear. Ask our photographer to reply so both sides see the same wording.
After the event, add the record to the booking file. Our photography scope change log keeps these in one list. If an approval happened by voice, send a summary right after. See what to record when our photographer agrees to a verbal change.
A hypothetical example
Imagine a corporate awards night booked for four hours. At the third hour, the chief guest arrives late and the programme slides by forty minutes. The event manager messages: "Please stay until 10.45pm. Approved by me. Please confirm."
Our team replies with the time and the acknowledgement. The manager forwards both messages to finance. After the event, the extra time is quoted according to the terms already agreed. Nobody has to reconstruct anything.
Limits of what the crew can promise
The crew can only promise what is realistic. A photographer with a later commitment cannot extend, and a second photographer, if we can confirm one, may not be able to join at short notice. We tell you before the event what is flexible and what is not, so that your approver is not surprised.
Handling guest requests
Guests and relatives often ask for "just one more". A courteous reply is possible, such as "Please ask Ms Lim, who is arranging additions." Tell your team to say the same. Our team will pass requests to the named contact.
What we do
We agree in writing before the event who approves additions, and how time and tasks are quoted. On the day, we follow that rule and record each approval. See also recording the final photography brief before event day.
Reviewing after the event
Within a few days of the event, list every extra that was approved. Check each against the record. If a message is missing, ask our photographer for their note of what was agreed. Settling these while memories are fresh avoids disagreement later and shows what to plan for next time. Send us the names of your approver and backup, and we will record the rule in your brief.
Checklist
- Name one person who can approve changes on the day.
- Name a backup with the same authority.
- Agree how extra time or tasks are quoted.
- Agree how approvals are recorded, such as a short message.
- Tell us whose instructions we should not act on.
- Brief your team on where guest requests go.
- Review any on-the-day approvals after the event.
Tell us who will be your authorised contact on the day, and we will agree in writing how extensions and added requests are handled before the event.
Ask about extra time on the dayCommon questions
Can any guest ask our photographer for extra photographs?
Guests may ask, and our photographer can be polite, but additions to the booked scope need approval from the named contact. Tell guests where to direct requests, and brief our photographer on the rule.
What if the event runs longer than booked?
Ask the named contact whether to continue. Agree beforehand how extra time is quoted and whether the crew can stay. We confirm the position in writing, because crew may have later commitments.
How do we record an on-the-day approval?
Send a short message: what was requested, who approved it, the time and the effect. Keep it with the booking. Our photographer should reply to acknowledge it.
What if the person who booked is not present?
Name a second contact in the brief and give them authority. See our guide on assigning a backup contact. Without one, the crew may have to decline additions.
Ask about extra time on the day
Tell us who will be your authorised contact on the day, and we will agree in writing how extensions and added requests are handled before the event.
What happens next: You send your event details on WhatsApp. Our team reads the brief, asks what is missing, then confirms in writing whether the date, venue and coverage can be booked, with a quotation. Opening WhatsApp does not send anything, and a message is not a booking until both sides confirm.
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